Home cinema the focal point
Apartment blocks in Greece are generally built by contractors, but someone else designs them, usually architects but sometimes civil engineers and would-be architects – when the builder draws up the plans, an architect friend offers advice on color and signs the plan. Yet there are thousands of architects in Greece who work exclusively on residential buildings. Some of these design high-quality apartment blocks and even win prizes for their work. The studio of Giorgos and Aleka Apostolakos received two awards for apartment blocks in the 2005 Architecture Awards. They have been working for almost three decades in Athens. We asked them for their opinion. Are architects responsible for the image of Greek cities? Of course. Two or three decades ago, you often heard the excuse that architects were not so much to blame because the apartment blocks of the 1960s and ’70s were mainly designed by engineers. It’s absurd to say that today. Most apartment blocks are built by architects. The problem is that now we have architects with questionable training. In Greece alone, 400 people graduate every year from the six university faculties of architecture. Add to that the graduates of universities in Italy and the former Eastern bloc. So there is an issue of making a living. Inevitably, when you get some work you’ll knock down your price and cut a few corners when it comes to aesthetics. And these days it’s much easier to get a permit to practice as an architect. You may not have a clue but you can hide behind a group project completed for your degree and become an architect. Are the apartment blocks of 2006 better than those of 2000? In terms of construction, yes, but not in terms of quality. We have probably taken a step backward. We’re talking about the average here. When you say «in terms of construction,» what do you mean? For a start, the new anti-seismic regulation stipulates strict specifications to make new buildings absolutely safe. Insulation has also improved noticeably and so has electrical and mechanical infrastructure. And let’s not forget modern elevators equipped for people with special needs and the compulsory parking place. So why do you say they are poorly made? The houses are smaller. Up till the 1990s, we designed apartments of 120-180 square meters, but now even in so-called good neighborhoods such as Aghia Paraskevi, Maroussi and Vrilissia we have gone down to 85-100 sq.m. Rarely do we go up to 110 sq.m. But our quality of life isn’t determined solely by life inside our apartment. The surroundings play a part too. Mediocre or poor public areas with non-existent sidewalks, scant greenery, and untended infrastructure downgrade good neighborhoods as well. Yes, there is a lot of good work, even if the tone is set by the columns and criss-cross railings. You mention aesthetics. The average person is interested in the look of their new house; they have an opinion about it. In the 1970s, they went along with what the contractor told them. When the buyer is demanding, it improves the quality of the construction, but not necessarily the aesthetics of the apartment. What are the latest trends in apartment layout? What do customers want? People are not so keen on combined kitchen and dining rooms anymore. Now the emphasis is on where to install the home cinema. That is the center of family life. And fireplaces are going out of fashion; people don’t usually have time to tend them.
