The Five (New) Points of the Athenian Polykatoikia
Alexandra Panagiotareas
2026
Citation for Excellence in Design Research
Athens is shaped by the postwar climate it experienced in the early 20th century. Left socially and economically destabilized from World War I, World War II, the Greco-Turkish War, and the Greek Civil War, the city was in dire need of housing for the influx of refugees from the surrounding diaspora. In order to resolve this issue, building developers stepped in to construct multistory apartment buildings, called polykatoikies, quickly and cheaply, with the help of the surrounding community. The system of antiparochi emerged, in which single-family homeowners "exchanged" their property for one to two apartment units in the new construction. Utilizing a column-and-slab system, the new homeowners had autonomy over the infill, allowing for the renovation of the unit before it was even constructed. Faced with a plethora of societal and economic issues, the Greek government turned the other way, allowing for this appealing system to sprawl. However, since this system was developed as a quick solution, the emphasis on the enclosure was minimal. In the present day, 30% of Greek households report energy poverty, caused by both the privatization of land and the lack of thermally driven façade systems.
This thesis addresses the social, environmental, and economic downsides of the polykatoikia archetype by reviving the radical, socially driven, bottom-up system that created it. The typology is renovated into a community-led and energy-driven housing model that reframes domestic relationships based on thermal organizations. Working at Leoforos Alexandras 31 in Gyzi, Athens, the existing polykatoikia is transformed into two distinct floor plans, each with its own unique thermal characteristics. This new system focuses on shared resources, thermally graded floor plans, and movement as means to achieve comfort while fostering a less fragmented way of cohabitation.