Other denominations
Housing for the personnel of a mining company
Original use
Housing/housing ensemble
Current use
unused / vacant
Architects
ATELIER 66: Dimitris Antonakakis and Suzana Antonakakis
Concrete by reinforcement
Concrete is a relatively brittle material that is strong in compression but less so in tension.
To increase its overall strength, steel rods, wires, mesh or cables may be embedded in concrete before it sets. This reinforcement, often known as rebar, resists tensile forces. By forming a strong bond, the two materials are able to resist a variety of applied forces, effectively acting as a single structural element .
Construction method
In this case, the concrete can be made by mixing the components directly on site, or it may be transported from a production plant in concrete-mixer trucks.
This method has the disadvantage of leaving the concrete exposed to the elements while it is setting. Whereas, with other methods, the environmental conditions can be controlled during setting, providing greater control over the outcome, with cast-in-place concrete a series of tests and protocols are necessary to verify its final strength.
Architectural concrete
- textured walls
- wooden formwork finish
- stamped concrete
- exposed aggregate concrete, colored concrete, etc.
Structural types
Beams are the horizontal load-bearing elements of the frame. Columns are the vertical elements of the frame and act as the building’s primary load-bearing element. They transmit the beam loads down to the foundations.
State of Conservation
Description
Atelier 66 has been identified by prestigious architectural theorists like Alexander Tzonis and Kenneth Frampton as a representative of the so-called “critical regionalism”, a term that refers to the succession of critical and local reactions to the homogenizing character of the International Style that had taken over worldwide in the postwar world.
In 1969, the firm designed a housing complex in Distomo for workers at a nearby mine for bauxite, the principle ore of aluminum, which is abundant in Greece. According to the architects, there were two preconditions that defined the project. In the first place, the new neighborhood – built in a remote and uninhabited area – had to generate a certain consolidated urban image. They sought to imprint a homogenous character onto the construction to favor a unitary reading of the whole. On the other hand, they wanted to achieve significant typological variety in order to cater to the different family situations and the preferences of future inhabitants, while respecting, in turn, the required zoning between the different groups of company workers: managers, engineers, administrative personnel, miners, etc. The architects chose to include shared services and common areas in the design to promote a sense of community and to lend unity and coherence to the project.
This resulted in a design characterized by a succession of parallel longitudinal strips, where public and private spaces alternate, either open or closed. At the same time, perpendicular strips located at regular intervals provide services to the neighborhood and generate cross-cutting circulation paths. In terms of materials, the structure of exposed concrete porticos with rough finishes is combined with uncut local stone on the walls and façades. The combination of the two materials gives an image of modernity, while ensuring optimal integration with the landscape and making reference to the vernacular architecture of the area.
Greece
unnamed road
Central Greece (region) 32005 Distomo (Distomo Arachova Antikira, municipality)
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