‘Urban Airgap’ is a finalist project that Japanese firm Suppose Design Office proposed for the Up to 35 competition in Greece. The competition focussed on a rundown area of Athens city center which could be revitalised into student housing.
In their research Suppose Design Office noted that the existing building designs in the Kerameikos-Metaxourgeio area did not allow for a window opening into the adjacent property.
‘Urban Airgap’ aimed to create as many openings – airgaps – on each site. This was achieved by building central core towers, containing a stairwell, to which the residential units are cantilevered from the cores and which form a sandwich that encloses the main social communal zone.
The final stage of the deliberations consisted of the Jury entering into skype video conferencing with each of the 5 finalists inviting them to participate in the second and final round of the Competition due in January 11th, 2010. They Jury offered advisory consultations to be followed by a report and instructions for this next stage.
