Course Details

1. Develop the ability to use effectively empirical research methods and tools in order to investigate topics relating to user’s needs, physical space design and the construction of the built environment
2. Acquire and develop skills in experimenting with architectural and urban design composition and development of alternative options in the context of the interpretation of a user / client brief
3. Develop an understanding and skills in handling larger scale projects and sites at a neighborhood scale, organization of outdoor space and the interface between private and public realm.
4. Expand their ability to visualize and represent spatial concepts in abstract expressions and conventional architectural language.
5. Expand the ability to construct design rationales and present effectively project work

The main objective of the programme is the development of an understanding by the students of the interaction between all complex and inter-related conditions associated with the production of a high quality, responsive and relatively ‘large scale’ architectural project and its relevance to socio-economic and environmental context.  ?he main programme of the semester examines, within the broad topic of ‘housing in contemporary society’, issues of habitation of special groups.  More specifically ‘student housing’ and ‘housing for the third age’ forms the central brief for the analytical and design component of the unit.  The development of an accommodation brief and a design performance specification and the analysis of the distinct socio-economic conditions relating to the users and the local site context forms part of the semester’s tuition and output. The brief also addresses issues such as energy efficiency and comfort in relation to buildings and outdoor space, smart infrastructure and building technologies. 

• The ageing body and architecture, Catharina Nord, Assistant Professor, NISA, Linkoping University Norrkoping Sweden
• Ιn Detail (special publication): Housing for people of all ages, editor Christian Schillich, 2007
• Ο περί πολεοδομίας και χωροταξίας νόμος 214(ι) τοθ 2002, Προδιαγραφές ανάπτυξης που αφορούν Φοιτητικές Εστίες
• Ο περί στεγών για ηλικιωμένους και αναπήρους νόμοι το 1991 και 1994 – Κ.Δ.Π. 213/2009
• Web search for social and economic benefits and issues: Τμήμα Κοινωνικών ασφαλίσεων, Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών

• "Humanistic Design of Assisted Living"John P. Marsden, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005
• "The Essence of Home: Design Solutions for Assisted Living Housing"W.J. Brummett, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1997
• "New Approaches to Housing for the Second Half of Life (Living Concepts Series)"Andreas Huber, Birkhauser, 2008
• ‘Feeling of what happens; body emotion and the making of consciouselee, Antonio Damasio, Vintage Books, 2000
• ‘Problems of Aging sociological and social phsycological perspective’H Loether, MW Books, 1980
• Sociopolis, Project for a City of the future (sharing tower ), Vincent Guallart, 2004
• Self Sufficient Housing, Iaac 1st Advanced Architectural Contest ACTAR 2006
• Green Architecture, James Wines, Taschen 2000
• Big Ideas XS Small Buildings, Phyllis Richardson, Ed Lucasl Dietrich, Thames & Hudson 2001
• Global Housing Projects – 25 buildings since 1980
• Architectural Papers – Monograph, ETH ACTAR, 2008

The taught part of course is delivered to the students through:

mainly face to face individual and group tutorials

design workshops and interim reviews at critical stages of the project design development

seminars on specific/specialist topics directly relating to programme topic

desk top research – empirical review of case studies

informal lectures on relevant topics as they arise from the project development