“Highboy” is the upcoming residential project in Maroussi by GConstructions team and partners, designed by Fotis Gazepidis and Anna Hatziioannou. As always its name as well as its design concept is not randomly chosen!
The design concept
The design goal was a functional building that utilizes all the benefits of the plot to maximum!
The plot surface is small and almost square with just one main façade towards a quiet sidewalk street. However, on the other side of the street, opposite to the plot, is a garden around 2000sqm, belonging to a three buildings complex. The garden is well maintained for 20 years now adding goodwill to the properties having view to it. Certainly this had to be a main factor of the design concept.
The inspiration came up from a classic period piece of furniture whose design shape highlights plots virtues:
HIGHBOY!
Highboy is a tall drawer which is supported on legs and is consisted of two separate pieces placed one on each other. The lower one is called lowboy and is bigger in a way it creates a recess on the body of the furniture.
The building’s design is based on the form and function of this furniture. Firstly it is not based on the ground but on columns allowing for covered parking spaces and building entrance (piloti). Moreover the first floor works as a lowboy creating a recess on the front façade.
The building was decided to be placed just in the middle of the plot directly opposite to “the garden” with a minimum cover surface letting it develop in height, maximizing planting spaces on the groundand providing access to sun and air all around. The majority of the openings and outdoor spaces orientated southeast where balconies protruding from the façade like highboy’s open drawers, allowing the future residences enjoy summer sun and view.
Description
The building consists of 4 levels of houses, a ground floor and a basement. Access to all properties is through a communal staircase with a lift that stops in every single level. This communal staircase is placed on the northwest back side, in the middle of the building, providing direct access without any space waste. Internally, apartments have been designed very efficiently, with such space distribution that satisfy potential buyers for bigger properties. All rooms have opening and access to balconies while the majority of outdoor sqm are concentrated at the right side of the building providing ideal conditions for relaxation to its residents.
In the first and second floor, there are two almost identical apartments (flat A= 75sqm indoor /26 outdour and flat B= 74sqm indoor/27 outdoor) while in floor 3 and 4 there is maisonette of 114sqm with more than 65sqm outdoor space. Each property is accompanied with piloti parking space on the ground floor plus a huge storage room in the basement.
IDEAL LOCATION
While all northern suburbs are considered by Athenians as a top location for living because they are quiet with plenty of space and green areas, Marousi has managed to combine northern suburbs benefits with all the amenities and the style of modern life, being one of the most desired areas for living in the country.
More specifically highboy project gathers all Marousi’s privileges as, in way, all amenities ideally surround the building. Its neighbouring area consist of new residential projects while very close are very important points of interest!
ON FOOT
- 2 minutes walk from OAKA, the main Olympic complex of Athens Olympic games 2004, full of sports facilities and free space where big events also take place there, such as important concerts and sport games.
-5 minutes walk from the interchange station of Neratziotissa which connects Marousi with the metro network of Athens and the suburban railway that takes you directly to Athens airport and port.
-5 minutes walk from the greater shopping malls and super markets. “Mall of Athens”, “Golden Hall”, “Avenue” are the best in the country and all are at a less than a kilometer distance.
BY CAR
-2 minutes by car to Kifissia’s avenue that connects northern suburbs of Athens with the city center (25 minutes) and the south suburbs.
-2 minutes by car from “L. Kifisia ring” which is the main highway interchange connecting Kifisias Avenue with Attiki Odo which in its turn connects Marousi with Athens Airport (20 minutes) and country’s national highways (5 minutes).
-2 minutes from the best private or public hospitals in the country. Ygeia and Iatriko Athinon are in 2km from the plot.
-15-20 minutes from the most important international schools in the country…. all of the schools provide school bus that serve the area of Marousi.