Athens, Greece
The architectural design of the Prodea Investments offices, a 3500 sqm building, had three main goals: to intervene in a pre-war building with a listed facade while maintaining its significant decorative features, to convert it in order to meet the highest standards of modern office spaces and to meet the design specifications of LEED and WELL, two of the most prominent international design standards for buildings.
The PRODEA HQ won a recent 2021 Green Good Design® Award from The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum.
The LEED certification deals with the sustainability of buildings and their ability to meet the ongoing climate change demands as it addresses indoor air quality, thermal comfort, natural lighting, reduced energy consumption, and the associated costs.
The WELL certification focuses on well-being and the improvement of health and everyday living of building occupants by achieving high levels of soundproofing, improved ergonomics, reduced odors, monitoring air quality, and implementing specific design standards.
Crucial in that direction is the incorporation of design elements inspired by nature and biophilia, the extended use of new technologies that allow the automation of lighting, ventilation, safety, and other features, controlling and helping meet the necessary design specifications.
The building is located in Athens’s historical center, at the heart of the historical center, on Chrysospiliotissis Street.
It is a through the building towards Miltiadou Street and comprises a basement, ground floor, mezzanine, two typical floors, two setback floors, a terrace, and a rooftop overlooking the Acropolis.
The company’s operating structure requires working in groups, teamwork and open space layouts, and confined management offices, small meeting rooms, a spacious boardroom, and a large multi-functional space.
In terms of layout, the reception, lounge, and multi-functional space are located on the ground floor, while the mezzanine accommodates the central boardroom, which features polarized glass panels allowing views to the ground floor spaces below.
The interior of the building was modified to achieve an integrated rather than segmented operation, highlighting at the same time its distinctive features, such as the marble staircase with the handrail, the old elevator with the wooden booth, and the plaster decorations of the ceilings.
The first two floors accommodate open-plan and confined offices, while the management offices are located on the third floor, and the breakout space with its external space are located on the fourth.
An organic model of cluster desks has been implemented in the open-plan office spaces, which has a circular form and wave finishing, coated with soundproofing fabric.
The artwork in the spaces is a statement of the relationship between PRODEA and the Contemporary Greek Art and artists, which in certain cases were commissioned to create art, especially for the company.
This allows for the artwork to be integrated into the architectural design rather than constitute a post hoc addition.
Overall, the design approach is defined by a balance between contemporary and timeless features in the arrangement, layout, materials, and innovative technology applications, creating an aesthetically exceptional and technologically advanced environment.
Project: PRODEA HQ
Architects: Urban Soul Project
Client: Prodea Investments
Photographer: Yiorgis Yerolympos
