TWO-FAMILY HOUSE WITH BASEMENT IN GERAKAS, ATTICA, GREECE

PANAGIOTIS ZAKKAS, ARCHITECT

The new two-family house with basement is situated on a corner plot in Gerakas, facing Arachneou Street to the east and Demosthenous Street to the north. The building is designed to accommodate two independent vertically stacked residences—one on the ground floor and one on the upper floor with an attic—sharing a common basement.

Access to the plot is from the northern side. Two entrance gates, one for each residence, lead via an outdoor staircase to separate main entrances, while a ramp provides access to the underground parking area. Where possible, the required setback remains unpaved and is planted, while two small internal courtyards are created to facilitate lighting and ventilation, also serving as outdoor sitting areas. The design of the open spaces, including ground level modifications through backfilling along with solid fencing and tall perimeter shrubs, ensures privacy and visual isolation of the ground floor from the street level.

The two-family house layout is organised to ensure functionality, privacy and smooth spatial flow. The basement includes a spacious parking area for three cars, storage rooms and an elevator machine room. The ground-floor residence features an open-plan living room and kitchen on the eastern side, directly connected to the veranda and garden, while the western side houses the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, a second bedroom with a private courtyard and a second shared bathroom.

The upper-floor residence extends over two levels. The first level consists of a large open-plan living and dining area with access to a spacious eastern-facing balcony, a kitchen, a secondary sitting area with a smaller northern-facing balcony and a shared bathroom. The attic on the second level includes, like the ground-floor residence, a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, a second bedroom, a shared bathroom and a study area in the hallway.

The basement is constructed of reinforced concrete, serving as a base for prefabricated structural timber walls and slabs. The mandatory tiled roof, accessible from each residence via an external vertical metal staircase, is designed as a single-pitched structure and accommodates photovoltaic panels.

The architectural form follows a minimalist geometric approach with strategic projections and recesses that break up the building’s mass, creating a play of shadows that enhances the composition’s dynamism. Large openings play a crucial role in shaping the volume, positioned to optimise natural light, ventilation and the seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces.

Location: Gerakas, Attica, Greece

Architectural Design: Panagiotis Zakkas, Architect

Project Year: 2024-2025