AVAX S.A. office building

15 Koniari St, Athens, 1992-1998

Architects
Alexandros N. Tombazis and Associates



The office building of the construction company AVAX S.A. is one of the most sophisticated applications of bioclimatic design principles in Athens. With the implementation of these principles, the architects sought to cover the building’s energy needs, to create a comfortable environment for its users, and to express the dynamism of the construction company.
The building is in the centre of Athens, on the slope of Lycabettus Hill. It is a building with "smart" energy systems that are automated and controlled, as well as passive energy systems.
It has a total area of 1800 m2 and consists of three basements, a ground floor with pilotis and five floors of offices (mezzanine, three typical floors and an administration floor). On the plan of the floors, there is a clear separation between two functional zones. The main areas are laid out along the façade and are separated from the back zone and ancillary spaces by a spacious circulation zone. The structural elements of the building are a mixture of reinforced concrete with coffered panels and a steel frame.
The front of the building faces east. It is dominated by large glass sashes and five circular pillars 16 m. high made of pre-cast drums of reinforced concrete. The most characteristic features of the façade are the vertical glass louvers that are rotated by an automatic electrical system, according to the sun’s angle of incidence, the amount of sunlight and the temperature range. The other materials are the glass sashes, the enamelled metal panels and the visible bricks.

TRANSPORTATION