Residential complex within former industrial shells in Athens -GR
Architects: Panos Dragonas & Sotiris Theodosopoulos
Associates: Stella Theodosopoulou, Vivian Theodosopoulou, Margarita Togia, Dimitris Paschalis
Set in a former industrial zone of Athens, this project reimagines an abandoned factory complex as a new model for collective and sustainable living. The existing site comprises four derelict factory buildings — once housing garment production and nut-processing facilities — alongside a fifth newly designed apartment block.
The design methodology unfolds in three steps:
Subtraction — portions of built volume are removed, both at the perimeter and internally, to create open courtyards, semi-open terraces, and shared infrastructures that improve light, ventilation, and social interaction.
Addition — vertical extensions are introduced on existing structures, along with a new residential building that completes the ensemble.
Transformation — the rooftops are planted, while façades are redefined with vertical green walls and cable-supported climbing plants, producing a living envelope that merges environmental performance with a new urban aesthetic.
The proposal is grounded in adaptive reuse: the structural shells of the old factories are retained in their entirety, serving as resilient frameworks for future life. Rather than preserving them as inert relics, the project activates their industrial memory as a carrier of new programs. The façades echo the site’s robust character while embedding sustainable strategies such as shading, cooling, and biodiversity through vertical planting.
Outdoor areas are organized as a sequence of private and communal gardens, offering residents — particularly those on the ground floor — direct access to green space. Landscape becomes a medium of habitation and social life, reinforcing the project’s environmental ethos.
In total, the complex includes 66 residential units (50–110 m²), complemented by communal facilities and parking. Aimed primarily at young urban dwellers, the project seeks to create a new paradigm of urban living: one that combines industrial heritage with ecological innovation, and personal dwelling with collective experience.
