Ziridis Private School New building complex at Spata, Attica, 19 buildings in a 80.000 m2 plot OVERVIEW
The campus in the inclined site was hierarchically conceived in a most prototypical and innovative manner:
Natural Environment (Attica Nature at the neighbouring hill at the top) next to the chapel at top, followed by the Library 2nd floor & Theatre (1st floor) at the top-most building that was unfortunately later not implemented due to (accidental!) change in zoning prescriptions. Secondary school, (gymnnasium-lyceum for elder children) with separate laboratory-research buildings were at the next hierarchical level. Administration building was also located at the same level as the laboratories, essentially opposing practical-administrative and intellectual-scholarly pursuits of the academic institution. The primary school, a three building complex, was located at the next lowest level. Pairs of grades were grouped together in each of the three buildings. At the final stage, an open-theatre, was designed and implemented towards the entrance of the central building, that housed the youngest children of first and second grade. The restaurant building housing also at ground level closed athletic facilities and covered swimming pool was located at the next (lowest) level next to the open athletic fields for the various sports.
Finally, an isolated area was reserved for the nursery school (all classrooms and other facilities in ground floor with special provisions with even smaller more intimate scale for windows etc, private enclosed court.)
The complex also originally included an exposition Centre and closed sports facility for the local community, a small museum, various auxiliary buildings for control and covered recreation, as well as appropriate separate parking facilities for buses, guests and employees, and the mandatory pedestrian and vehicle network for optimal accessibility.
After the successful closed competition, precise functional specifications were met without compromise in the design concept. However, the unfortunate, change in the expected zoning land uses by the state, accidentally precluding building at the top-most area of the plot, necessitated re-design and elimination of the conceptually most critical buildings of chapel, library and theatre. Also later in the implementation process, due to financial constraints, several important buildings such as the nursery school building, the administration and laboratories buildings, as well as the exposition-community centre, were not implemented. The critical architectural plantings on the campus prescribed by the designer to isolate the campus and appropriately frame and complement the buildings were also unfortunately not implemented.
The Gymnasium and Lyceum Building Complex of the Ziridis private school at Spata Attica.
As the complex was outside the city limits, 2 storey buildings with basement were only allowed with strict 8.5 m height. Given high ceiling requirements for classrooms & relevant regulations & restrictive functional specifications elaborated after success in competition, the program was dense. A low-budget requirement due to the large scale construction site, was also a given.
Developing for the first time in a private school in Greece, a widely spread campus with a relaxing academic environment with an emphasis on human scale and soothing isolation in direct contact with Attica Nature was the challenge met by the architect. Furthermore, conceptually developing a hierarchically arranged environment with layers of activities on the inclined plot, from spiritual to artistic- intellectual to earthly and practical, was an additional challenge met most successfully in the original prototypical design. (see overview of the project).
The concept for the design of the buildings, most appropriate to young occupants of the space both from a symbolic and a practical perspective, involved abstracted classical simplicity with well-studied proportions, natural materials and forms symbolically familiar and relaxing, most suitable to an academic environment for young children, isolated with carefully planned plantings from the outside environment, in direct relationship with the soothing nature of the Attica landscape. More specifically, volumes corresponding to a single classroom & separate roofs individual for each classroom, two-storey low-height volumes bearing traditional windows with separated panes, wood pergolas on columns of solid brickwork, elimination of uniformity with each classroom identifiable, all design elements easily measurable against the human body and thus reassuringly consistent with the soothing notion of human scale. Natural materials such as solid bricks, plaster, flowers planted in both storeys, planting facilities, private gardens for most ground-floor classrooms, variety in windows, classical symmetry with simple details in volumes and elevations were most intentional choices by the architect in this project. Rationally organized plans, an open building complex suitable to the Attica weather & classical Greek tradition and life in the open. A ‘Campus’ most suitable for life in Greece, in Nature.
The Primary School Building Complex of the Ziridis private school at Spata Attica.
As the complex was outside the city limits, 2 storey buildings with basement were only allowed with strict 8.5 m height. Given high ceiling requirements for classrooms & relevant regulations & restrictive functional specifications elaborated after success in competition, the program was dense. A low-budget requirement due to the large scale construction site, was also a given.
Developing for the first time in a private school in Greece, a widely spread campus with a relaxing academic environment with an emphasis on human scale and soothing isolation in direct contact with Attica Nature was the challenge met by the architect. Furthermore, conceptually developing a hierarchically arranged environment with layers of activities on the inclined plot, from spiritual to artistic- intellectual to earthly and practical, was an additional challenge met most successfully in the original prototypical design. (see overview of the project). The Primary school complex occupied the third hierarchical level, divided in three separate buildings and playgrounds so that children of different ages have independent school life with no conflict while the younger children were placed closer to the parking areas, to minimise inconvenience, from the open campus approach.
Here too, most emphatically, the design concept , of low-rise symbolically familiar volumes with identifiable classrooms, covered by single roofs, with small windows and pergolas to reduce even further the appearance of height, and make everything appear much more friendly, to its young users that spend a large part of their time within or around the school building. Variety, spreading out of the volumes, natural materials that age well are again the key. Symbolically and practically this school was different, in tune with the life in the open in Attica in the warm and sunny Mediterranean climate. Abstracted classical simplicity and careful study of proportions of volumes and fenestration was again critical.
In-doors athletic facilities including swimming pool and Restaurant of the Ziridis school complex at Spata Attica. (1998-2001)
This is a central building with critical functional importance located at the lower level close to the open athletic facilities.
The in-doors athletic facilities (two large gym spaces with changing rooms etc, and the covered swimming pool are located at the lower level close to the open play-grounds. The restaurant is located at the floor above the gyms, accessed through open covered stairways with both the lower and the roof level which is planted and is essentially the open terrace for recreation in front of the primary school buildings. In essence this large building is hidden, essentially underground with large light-wells serving for effective cross-ventilation. A central skylight provides lighting to the covered swimming pool.
The various alternative designs were executed in sequence from the fall of 1997 (architectural competition stage) until 2001. At some point a theatre was briefly considered there. The present design had been completed in 2000 and has been implemented, as this building is functionally essential for the school complex. This was always seen placed centrally as building 12 of the complex.
The Nursery School Building at the Ziridis school complex at Spata Attica. (1998-2001) Not Implemented.
This most critical building was specially located and designed with very young children in mind, aiming to most comfortably surround them during their first years of school life. It was also most conveniently located within the school campus in the position closest to the parking of the school buses, while at the same time it was sufficiently isolated by its design from the rest of the school and circulation through administrative – control spaces and an after-hours museum located on the first floor with separate entrance, while the children enjoyed the privilege of a completely isolated and protected common yard, with covered peripheral loggias for the occasional rainy days.
The design of every detail was conforming to the needs and preferences of young children, including specially lowered windows all around in their classrooms. The building was designed for them, and of course their section of the building and the courtyard were one storey high only, with the declining roof over the lower presenting an even lower building height towards the children’s central courtyard.
It is most unfortunate that this most carefully planned and designed building could not be implemented in the end for financial reasons. Instead the youngest children were housed centrally where the 1st and 2nd grade primary school children were originally supposed to. At the same time as the very critical laboratory buildings and administration buildings at the periphery of the campus were also not implemented, it was deemed necessary to construct a basement level to house there most of these most critical functions. Last minute changes assured this possibility but this was a very important compromise to the original campus concept, that both architects and school owners so passionately advocated. The reasons for this were economic, as housing various activities in basement levels reduced overall construction cost. Temporary or not, this deterioration conceals part of the original magnificence of the low-rise, school campus concept within the mild soothing temperate Mediterranean climate of southern Greece.
Conference centre-athletic-multiple purpose facility for the local community, within the Ziridis school complex at Spata Attica. (1998-2001)
This large building with ambitious functional programme was requested by the school owners in response to various requests by the local municipal authorities and the financial advisors of the school.
Due to demanding requirements the extensive building was to ingeniously utilize the natural inclination of the ground to permit access to the lower level while the building is essentially only one-storey height from the northern side, thus enabling such a demanding function to be implemented in a low-rise building to match local restrictions for out-of-town building.
Athletes entrance from the south, main visitors entrance from the west, and safety egress exits at the eastern corners for safety, appropriately from the middle level of the seating. Auxiliary spaces for various uses planned accordingly.
Conceptually, the large enclosure was of course covered with a space-frame but the concept was, contrary with common practices for such buildings, to dress the elevations with solid bricks and plaster in a solid, historical symbolic fashion to make the building more compatible with the rest of the building complex and its finishing materials, to create an atmosphere of ‘roman’ like Mediterranean solid structure within appropriately selected Mediterranean vegetation, as opposed to a high-tech glass and steel construction incompatible with the Ziridis overall school complex and the symmetrically placed nursery school at the other lower extremity of the complex.
It is unfortunate that this building too (always building 14, regardless of the various more or less minor changes in its function), was eventually not implemented at the latest stage due to financial constraints which made the construction of several of the most critical balancing buildings of the Ziridis complex, unsustainable from a financial viewpoint.
The Chapel of the Ziridis private school at Spata Attica. (1998-2001)
The chapel of the Ziridis School, a building that was not implemented eventually for financial reasons, was conceived as a very important element of the original design concept. Located at the top of the estate, almost at the same level with a beautiful hilltop with natural Mediterranean vegetation, serving as a tribute to nature, just above the library and theatre building, that symbolically formed the triad of most sacred, of highest significance locations within the school complex.
Though initially of a more traditional design, according to conventional specifications, the design soon evolved with owner’s consent into the here-shown most innovative, brightly lit octagonal miniature of spiritually oriented architecture. Small but quite carefully and innovatively proportioned, with modern abstraction and at the same time deep understanding and respect for historical precedent in eastern Christian tradition. A symbol for spiritual contemplation, flooded with light however, suitable for the youthful congregation within a school community.
As different building regulations were applicable for religious buildings, this was actually the highest building within the whole building complex. A central building, with a flooded with light dome, in the best tradition, paved by Greek multi coloured marble, that best matches the octagonal pattern.
Though the building was located in the top-most, most important part of the plot, which was later proven to be unbuildable, this constraint did not specifically apply to ecclesiastical buildings at the time. Financial constraints were responsible instead, and during that time a version with an open paved octagonal worship space, with a minute enclosed chapel was alternatively designed and shown in brief in the the last image. The various alternative designs were executed in sequence from the fall of 1997 (architectural competition stage) until 2001. The present design had been completed in 2000.
The separate Laboratory Buildings at the Ziridis school complex at Spata Attica. (1998-2001) Not Implemented.
The complex of a school campus where the children would live in contact with nature within the extremely mild Attica climate, was stressed as a common goal of both the designer and the school authorities. After all it was precisely under this temperate Mediterranean environment that major academic achievements of yesteryear, let alone political and cultural maturity reached their apex, essentially organized in simple out-door living in constant contact with nature. All life and even family life in the privacy of the home, was traditionally organized around a central open court, ideally surrounded with a covered loggia for protection against the at times unforgiving direct sunlight.
From the earliest phases of design, through considerations such as cultivation by the students of their private classroom gardens, experiencing common life within the various age groups in open courtyards, the concept of an open theatre etc, the school was aiming to suggest an environment with greater proximity with life in the open, contributing to balance and both physical and mental equilibrium for all within the academic community. In a practical sense, this aim was for low rise buildings with broken-down, harmoniously proportioned volumes and elegant, though symbolically familiar forms (such as openings immediately identifiable by the students as classical-if not- fairy tale- windows), within abundant greenery in a balanced interplay of the built with the natural.
Within this desire for the maximum break-down of volume in a decentralized campus, the laboratory buildings were prescribed as separate entities, early on. At the same level conceptually and symbolically with the secondary school buildings, they were understandably located physically close-by, in tandem with each one of them to best meet functional practical needs of the students, by keeping distances within reason.
During the course of the project, with varying at times programmatic requirements the buildings were either single storey lower buildings or double storey, and at some both a combination was selected as more appropriate to meet precise elevation differences in the two sides of the plot. Covered underpass with direct protected access to the buildings at the basement level, had also been considered in order to satisfy sensitivities of concerned parents, who were constantly consulted.
It is most unfortunate that these buildings were eventually not implemented with purely financial considerations at the final stage. Additional play-grounds were temporarily prescribed in their place.
Winery in Mendenitsa, in a mountainous terrain close to Atalanti in central Greece overlooking a private vineyard of c.190.000 m2.
A winery with visitors-exhibition centre-museum and small guest-house and residence quarters, designed at the top of the buildable part of a sandy precipice dressing aesthetically and converting to legitimate volumetric treatment an already existing concrete shed with industrial installations already in place. The building volumes including shaded loading space for trucks arriving with the grapes, and underground space for cellar containing the oak barrels for aging, cabernet, merlot and syrah as well as proprietary blends of these red grape varieties and chardonnay white variety, as well as bottling, packing, storing and loading facilities of bottled wine for distribution, managers office and laboratory space for blending etc in addition to the existing main fermentation vat space. The whole complex was designed so as to enable building in stages based on the future progress of the enterprise, starting from the immediate of covered loading and production, and eventually expanding to the visitor’s centre, exhibition space, expanded cellars and storage, and finally the small guest house, symbolic tower (of the name of the winery), observatory and probable owners residence. The whole complexes location was fully restrained by the existing road, the existing buildings and the precipice and involved the whole scheme to be built in clearly defined stages, with the possibility that the final stages were not implemented. This required a very precise topographical survey that was conducted and a very detailed effort in order to precisely place the volume on the ground. The project was cancelled abruptly and pre-maturely by the owner who lived abroad, after the schematic design had been completed, without adequate opportunity for mutual clarifications.
