AV 4738

3ed Floorplan
general administration area
secondary school
administration area, social use areas

2nd Floorplan
secondary school
course rooms, social use areas, support areas
classrooms
courtyard
primary school
administration area, social use areas

1st Floorplan
primary school
course rooms, social use areas, support areas
classrooms
courtyard
secondary school
social use areas, support areas
basement
parking area, mechanical storage rooms

Ground Floorplan
kindergarten school
course rooms, social use areas, support areas
classrooms
courtyard
primary school
social use areas
basement
parking area, mechanical storage rooms
Innovative Bioclimatic European School Complex in Crete,
diagram 1
Greece

Crete is an island at the East end of the Mediterranean Sea which is broached to the north by the
Aegean Sea and to the south by the Libyan Sea. Crete is extremely mountainous with, at areas,
dense vegetation and the olive tree dominant. Overall the climate is temperate with the northern
part of the Heraklion area subject to a semi-dry microclimate and warm winters. As stated by
Homer, Crete has always been an island where people of different cultures, languages, and back-
grounds lived side by side, it served as the meeting point of East and West.

Cretan folklore traditional architecture up till the first half of the 20th Century, both morphologi-
cally as typologically, traces its roots at the very dawn of the island’s history. More specifically,
the structure of the typical mountainous villages in the beginnings of the past Century does not
differ much than the ruins one encounters in the Minoan settlement of Palaiokastro in Siteia, or
that of Gournion, the oldest settlement to have been fully excavated within the European
domain. Architecture in the island has been completely intertwined with the island’s climate and
morphology and uses the land and more specifically the outdoors as a locust and a congregation
area.

At Cretan villages homes are built amphitheatrically on the mountain sides harmoniously assimi-
lated to their surrounding environment and expand outwards around a central town square and
diagram 2
church. The structure of the old settlement was dense with narrow streets and homes built adja-
cent to each other so as to facilitate communication between rooms. It is customary for house-
holds to be built around an internal yard, and in many cases the house fronts are isolated from
the street front by high walls providing for insular structures.

The first palace of Knossos was located on top of the ruins of a colony from the Neolithic era in
1900 BC. What can be seen today are the relics of a successful era, where the palace was
restored taking a much grandeur size and shape around 1700 BC. The palace, very effectively
located on an incline plane, is constructed in multiple levels which are connected between each
other with monumental stairwells, internal courtyards and light-wells, which provided for the
circulation and flow of light and air freely within the complex. Another characteristic of the
Minoan architecture was a system of arches and entrance ways, through the use of which large
spaces could be divided or expanded, according to desire. The palace complex was divided into
four distinct “units,” spaces, which in turn formed a central courtyard. The construction of this
urban endeavor was performed with absolute meticulousness and organization. The design took
place on an architectural grid with constant units of measurement. The principle measurement
unit was the Minoan foot (30.6 cm) used to design the layouts, elevations and central courtyard.

The special elements encountered in Crete, along with their assimilation with their surroundings,
bioclimatic standards of design and a multi-cultural approach comprised the primary axis around
which a design proposal was sought after. More specifically, the prospect of a complete structure
subsumed into a strict grid of horizontal and vertical axes which encompassed free flow, the built
and the unbuilt so as the desired space to be constructed was investigated. diagram 3

The starting design point is the empty space. The goal is not to design specific shells which would
house the different school grades, but on the contrary outdoor spaces, around which each grade
would be congregated. Therefore, the positioning of class rooms around this outdoor space,
courtyards, constitutes the primary thesis of the conceptual design process. (diagram1)

Initially the axes of east west from the street are selected so as most of the complex to have
north-south exposures. Three entrances are put in place, with height difference of one floor one
from another due to the natural landscape, which lead to three main independent, yet connected
courtyards, one for each school. Due to the shape of the plot and the land which corresponds to
each class of the populace, it is decided these occupy the space from north to west from kinder-
garten, primary, secondary accordingly. The primary teaching halls are placed along the axes
which occupy the space surrounding the central courtyards. (diagrams 2,4) Behind them, the
internal hallways are placed, the laboratories, and all other auxiliary structures that facilitate
teaching. In contrast to the primary teaching halls other rooms are placed more freely, almost
haphazardly, interchanging between the built and the unbuilt creating additional outdoor spaces
that can also be used for teaching. Due to the land’s elevation difference, the particular structure
elevation occurs where all 3 courtyards have a height difference of one floor one from the other.
A direct consequence of which is the formation of smaller, secondary “sunk in” (submerged)
yards, which permit both light and air to flow through them and by virtue the complex itself. The
elongated shape of the primary courtyards is divided with the vertical positioning in the north-
south axis of the closed off street –corridor, the multi-purpose rooms (next to the entrance), and
the libraries-bridges on the overlying floor level.

The transverse spaces, which are located at the level of the courtyards, face sliding-successive
systems with glazing frames in order to unify them when desired. (diagrams 3,4) Subsequently,
a pace of outdoor spaces is created to provide scale to the environment with yards and indoor
spaces, where the teaching lessons could take place when this is desired and feasible by climatic
conditions.

Due to the specificity of the natural terrain, each school entrance is placed a level higher than its
courtyard's level. This creates a sense of initiation at the downhill-entering to the introverted
outdoor space of the schools, and by then a sense of internallity and concentration at landscape.
The roof of the multi-purpose halls of primary and secondary school is constructed to the street
level, creating yards on this level, while the floors are downgraded below the levels of the court-
yards in order to obtain the desired height and create entries - foyer to intermediate levels
(courtyard part). (diagram 5) Administration areas and the proposed exhibition areas (except
that of the kindergarten school) designed to create and enhance the multicultural dimension, are
placed on the last level of each closed shell, where the libraries are also located. The top floor of
each unit including the administration areas is “dragged” to the south escaping from the thresh-
old underlying level by half a grid. A cantilevered structure is therefore created providing shel-
tered areas upon the underlying spaces, offering a lighter feel to the overall design, producing
micro-scale. Regarding the multicultural dimension, as said, a permanent exhibition area is sug-
gested with an outdoor extension for each stage where the children can place artifacts from their
own homeland. (diagrams 3,4)
This area is ideal for the exchange of cultural features, ideas, opinions and perceptions of people
of different nationalities and cultures. It is located beside the library and supports building’s
escarpment while it is connected directly to the central courtyard of each school.
Concerning the kindergarten its entrance is performed by the road side and by following a trail
through the trees leading to the courtyard with the outdoor amphitheater and a framework with
climbing plants. The classrooms are formed around the enlarged courtyard forming a subdomain
between them. The outdoor playground is placed among the trees.
The entire complex is connected internally through libraries-bridges, and outdoors beneath them
via open-air stairs. (diagram 6) Correspondingly closed stairways and elevators are strategically
positioned linking levels primarily internally and with each other, with the general administration,
the underground and the underground parking. This occurs to the creation of a single set of ver-
tical and horizontal, longitudinal and transverse, movements, through closed and open-air
spaces that interconnect the entire complex. (diagram 7) Through all these spatial parameters
in architectural design what derives is a strict three-dimension grid governing the design of the
entire proposal.
matize the characteristics of the place and generate a visual level with the parking spaces and
the drop-zone.
On the flat roofs over the administration areas soil 0.5 m high is placed in order to create gar-
dens operated by students for specific courses, as well as to contribute to the maintenance of
local flora and fauna. In the remaining flat roofs of the lower levels where this has been
designed, a small amount of soil serves to plant clover.
Pergolas with climbing plants are added on the south building faces over the spaces where canti-
levered roof administration offices are not projected, protecting them from southern sun radia-
tion. These structures are also added to the west finish direction in order to complete the entire
structure, escalating the integrated capture of the design, while creating outdoor seating spaces.
Overall the entire building structure, in order to interfere as little as possible to the existing natu-
ral landscape, maintains a low weighted average height level and takes into account the natural
terrain at every design extension.

Regarding the building faces the indoor spaces' external dimension is divided producing a grid
which dominates the whole building’s facades. Sliding-successive systems with glazing frames
and panels with rotating horizontal blinds are designed according to this grid. The external slid-
ing panels are chosen to provide absolute obfuscation (design requirement of modern school
buildings) as well as to allow a transformable facade depending on users' demands.
Based on simple design strategy, facades are becoming physically movable, expressing the func-
tionality of the individual space while providing privacy when this is desired.
In the remaining structures, which are mainly located in the south side of each shell and catego-
rized as utility spaces, solid walls are selected including light ceiling openings.

The field courts of primary and secondary school are located in the extension of the courtyard to
the edge of the terrain and relatively far from the study halls, in order not to affect the course
classes by the time course of gymnastics. The natural elevation of the land utilizes for the forma-
tion of tiers.
The underground parking is located beneath the 2 south building blocks on 2 levels and is served
by a ramp that begins and ends at the public road.
The outdoor parking (drop-zone) is designed between the entrances of the 2 larger schools at
the ground level and a level above the central courtyard, with the purpose of not to affect the
outdoor levels, while providing easy access to each of these.

In the courtyards between the classes deciduous trees have been selected to be planted, which
with the passage of time change their leaves providing shade and coolness in the warmer
months, while allowing sunlight to enter during the cold months. Existing trees (mainly olive
trees) are relocated in terrain points as shown in the drawings flawlessly continuing the limits of
the natural environment. Trees also planted at the entrance of each module, so as to both stig-
diagram 4
diagram 5

diagram 6
diagram 7
MICROCLIMATE, BUILDING SHELL & PLUMBING,
HVAC & ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS
The building complex is located in Heraklion area belonging to climate zone A. It is characterized
by a mild climate with increased needs for cooling and fewer requirements for heating. The main
bioclimatic characteristics incorporated in the design and the corresponding plumbing, heating,
ventilation, airconditioning and electrical installations are listed below:
Proper siting of buildings in a general north-south orientation for maximum utilization of solar
radiation, creating large open spaces with green roofs and planting appropriate to the surround-
ings, atrias and courtyards. The planting of the surrounding area will be done with deciduous
trees in order to provide shading during summer and open areas to solar radiation during winter.
needs will be covered through the solar panels energy production.
The ventilation system will provide the required fresh air with heat reclaim of more than 50%.
The ventilation system could be integrated with the air-conditioning system to combine the ben-
efits of heat recovery. The distribution ducts are insulated in accordance with the energy perfor-
mance regulation.
The artificial lighting system will be divided into separate circuits for areas larger than 15 m2 and
will be controlled by separate switches. In addition to this, all classrooms will allow ongoing
adjustment of the brightness of the lights through natural lighting sensors. In places where there
is not constant presence of users, such as toilets, secondary corridors, utility areas and individual
offices will be installed presence sensors to control lighting.

The shell will be thermically insullated with external insulation system in order to avoid thermal
bridges outperforming the requirements of the energy performance of buildings regulation.
Green roofs help to increase the thermal insulation during summer. Classrooms will be oriented
north to south. The openings will be from thermal break alluminium frames with double low-
emmisivity glazing. The south windows operate as direct solar gain systems. In addition to this,
they will be covered with mobile thermally insulated shutters in order to reduce heat loss in the
winter nights. The openings are all gastight for full airconditioning control.
Buildings will be obscured both by planting deciduous trees east and west and with overhangs
and pergolas with climbing plants in the south. The sliding panels of the faces have horizontal
rotating louvers for controlling the incoming solar radiation. Furthermore, miniature moving lou-
vers will be placed inside the southern double glazing windows to provide additional shading
when needed.
The shell's design favors solutions utilizing natural lighting and ventilation. Vertical openings in
the rooftop of the administration facilities vent and illuminate the central corridors. A similar
effect occurs in the lower levels with the appropriate formation of the shell's volumes including
teaching areas, as well as small rundown courtyards. Classrooms have a uniform light distribu-
tion and natural ventilation openings bilaterally, both in outer space and the inner hallway. Wall
colors are light and have a rough texture with matte paint to avoid intense reflection and the
resulting glare. Suitable ventilation openings centrally controlled will allow nighttime cooling to
the phenomenon of solar chimney.
Due to the lack of rainfall in the summer and to ensure low cost and energy saving watering of
the planted surfaces water recycling technologies will be used. Inside the complex will be built
underground rainwater collection tanks. The collected water (grey water) will be used to supply
the toilets and watering the plants.
For the optimal control and maximum energy conservation, the air-conditioning, ventilation and
electrical installations will be controlled with a central building energy management system
(BEMS) which will utilize an additional offset loads system.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
_The bearing structure of the project will be formed from metal bodies.
_The filling of the solid walls will be from recycled heat barrier panels.
_The flooring in the indoor spaces will be constructed with linoleum.
_The flooring in the outdoor spaces will be constructed with polished bear concrete
The materials that are chosen are completely recyclable and environmentally friendly.

For the air-conditioning of the premises qualifies the solution of a hybrid system with horizontal
or vertical sealed type geothermal exchanger and heat pumps combined with diesel fuel boiler
and solar panels. The systems use buffer tanks placed in the electromechanical rooms in the
basements. The solar panels will be installed in the upper parts of the building. Pumps will all
have electronic operation point and variable speed control (inverters). Distribution networks will
be insulated in accordance with the requirements of the energy performance regulation. The
system gives us a wide variety of choices for the distribution network and terminal units. The
choices should all meet the requirement of each terminal unit thermostatic control, presence
control through sensors and low temperature of the circulating fluid to conserve energy. Ceiling
fans will be installed in all rooms to reduce cooling loads and aid cooling. Most of the hot water
International Architectural Competition Technical guidelines International Architectural Competition Technical guidelines
Innovative Bioclimatic European School Complex in Crete, Greece Innovative Bioclimatic European School Complex in Crete, Greece

PRIMARY SCHOOL (DAY SCHOOL) - 300 PUPILS

KINDERGARTEN (DAY SCHOOL) - 60 PUPILS
Number of
Area
Gategory Main Indoor Spaces similar
Number of m2
spaces
Area
Gategory Main Indoor Spaces similar Admin areas Head teacher office 15 1
m2 Staff room/office 44 1
spaces
Secretariat - archives - copier room 20 1
Admin areas Head teacher 17 1 Admin area reception - Welcome Area 12 2
General offices 10 1
Reception - welcome area 16 1
Doctor's office - infirmary 10 1
Teaching areas Classrooms 52 2 Parents' association and students' club room 15 1
Quiet room / napping area 42 1 Teaching areas Classrooms 44 12
Social use areas Hall (multi-purpose use) 98 1 Science Room 44 1
Dining room - Kitchen and storage area 46 1 ICT Room 44 1
Arts and Crafts Room 44 1
Storage area (Dining room - Kitchen) 5 1 Foreign language Room 44 1
Wardrobe/lockers' area for toddlers' clothes 10 1 Social use areas Library / Reading Room 81 1
Exhibition area 44 1 Hall (multi-purpose usage) & Hall Foyer 180+40 220 1
Support areas Pupil Toilets 19 1 Theatre stage (34m2) 34 1
Backstage (2x12m2) 24 1
Disabled Toilet 5 1
Storage (14m2) 14 1
Staff Toilets 5 1 School canteen 17 1
General teaching resources storage 22 1 Dining area - Kitchen 88 1
Boiler room - Fuel tank room 25 1 Storage (Dining area - Kitchen) 22 1
Cleaning storage room 5 1 Exhibition area 67 1
Support areas General teaching resources storage 14 1
Subtotal for main indoor spaces 377 Pupil Toilets 23 2
Additional 24% for partitions and circulation 90.48 Disabled Toilet 5 1
Total floor area for kindergarten school 467.48 Visitors Toilets / Floor toilets 5 2
Number of Visitors Toilets / Floor toilets 5 2
Area Staff Toilets 10 2
Gategory Outdoor Spaces similar
m2 Cleaning storage room 5 1
spaces Gymnastics gear storage room 13 1
Sports use Sheltered area (protection from weather conditions) 46 1 Lockers 1 24 1
Highlighted areas are excluded from the floor area (part of underground areas) Lockers 2 30 1
Subtotal from main indoor spaces 1446.00
Additional 46% for partitions and circulation 694.08
Total floor area for Primary School 2140.08
Number of
Area
Gategory Outdoor Spaces similar
m2
spaces
Sports use Sheltered area for sports and gymnastics 143 1
Basketball outdoor court 14mx26m 364 1
Volleyball outdoor court 9mx18m 162 1
Number of
Support/maintenance Indoor Spaces (to be placed in Area
Gategory similar
the basement) m2
spaces
Maintenance General archives room 19 1
General storage room 100 1
Electromechanical gear room (Boilers - Fuel tank - Pumps)
25
(obligatory natural ventilation) 2
Pump room 25 1
Fire pumps 22 1
Subtotal for support/maintenance indoor Spaces
[excluding partitions and circulation] 216
Highlighted areas are excluded from the floor area (part of underground areas)
International Architectural Competition Technical guidelines International Architectural Competition Technical guidelines
Innovative Bioclimatic European School Complex in Crete, Greece Innovative Bioclimatic European School Complex in Crete, Greece

SECONDARY SCHOOL - 420 PUPILS

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
Number of
Area
Gategory Main Indoor Spaces similar Number of
m2 Area
spaces
Gategory Main Indoor Spaces similar
Admin areas Head teacher office 15 2 m2
Deputy head teacher offices 10 4 spaces
Staff room/office 91 2 Admin areas Director's office 15 1
Secretariat - archives - copier room 26 1 Vice director's office 10 1
Admin area reception - waiting area 12 1
Secretariat 26 1
General offices 10 2
Doctor's office - infirmary 10 1 Copier room 12 1
Parents' association and students' club room 15 1 Waiting room / reception area 15 1
Teaching areas Teaching classrooms (Type I) 44 12 School Psychologist office - parents briefing room 10 1
Teaching classrooms (Type II) 29 6 Meeting room 44 1
Science Laboratory 70 2
Science Laboratory - common preparation area for labs 17 1
Professional practice guidance office 10 2
Informatics Laboratory - Teleconference 44 2 Premises manager office/residence 21 1
Arts, crafts and design room 71 2 Support areas General archives 27 1
Arts, crafts and design room - Storage 15 1 Men's Room - Ladies' Room 10 2
Foreign languages classroom 29 4
Disabled Toilet 5 1
Social use areas Library / Reading Room 110 1
Hall (multi-purpose usage) & Hall Foyer 250+40 290 1 Floor Toilets 10 1
Theatre stage (42m2); backstage (2x13m2); storage (17m2) 85 1 Visitors Toilets / Floor toilets 5 2
School canteen 17 1 Subtotal for main indoor spaces 245
Exhibition area 67 1 Additional 37% for partitions and circulation 90.65
Support areas Schoolbooks storage 13 1
General teaching resources storage 18 1
Total floor area for Administration building 335.65
Pupil Toilets 23 2 Number of
Support/maintenance Indoor Spaces (to be Area
Disabled Toilet 5 1 Gategory similar
Visitors Toilets / Floor toilets 5 2 placed in the basement) m2
spaces
Visitors Toilets / Floor toilets 5 2
Maintenance General storage room 30 1
Staff Toilets 10 2
Cleaning equipment storage room 5 1 Boiler - Fuel tank storage room (obligatory natural
Gymnastics gear storage room 13 1 ventilation) 24 1
Lockers 1 20 1
Lockers 2 35 1 Subtotal for support/maintenance indoor
Subtotal from main indoor spaces 2268.00
Additional 45% for partitions and circulation 1020.6
spaces [excluding partitions and circulation] 54
Total floor area for Primary School 3288.6 Number of
Area
Number of Gategory Support Areas similar
Gategory Outdoor Spaces
Area
similar m2
m2 spaces
spaces
Facility Areas Parking Spots 0 49
Sports use Sheltered area for sports and gymnastics 143 1
Basketball outdoor court 14mx26m 364 1 Motorcycle Parking 0 27
Volleyball outdoor court 9mx18m 162 1 Subtotal for support areas [excluding
Support/maintenance Indoor Spaces (to be placed in Area
Number of partitions and circulation] 0
Gategory similar
the basement) m2
spaces
Maintenance General storage room 100 1
Electromechanical gear room (Boilers - Fuel tank - Pumps)
25
(obligatory natural ventilation) 2
Pump room 25 1
Fire pumps 22 1 Urban Conditions in force Surface
Subtotal for support/maintenance indoor Spaces
[excluding partitions and circulation] 197
Total Floor Area 6231.81 m2
Highlighted areas are excluded from the floor area (part of underground areas)

Coverage/Constructible
Surface 4673.00 m2

Total Volume 27147.00 m3