This project investigates the typology of Greek typical tobacco warehouses and the ways in which this typology may be modified during an environmental retrofitting conversion. These types of traditional buildings are characterised as a strong component of local historical legacy, therefore they are typically listed as cultural heritage sites and are usually protected. This governmental provision combined with contemporary architectural needs provides a unique opportunity for conversion. Each conversion is used for multi-purposed spaces and should link past techniques with modern interventions aiming to become beneficial in terms of saving energy, in response to the climatic conditions.

With a view to carry out this dissertation, similar precedents of industrial cases are indicated and the generic case study of Spierer Tobacco Warehouse in Volos is chosen.

The primary hypothesis is verified through the conducted analyses. Therefore, it can be asserted that old tobacco warehouses which are converted into multi-purposed spaces can be transformed architecturally in a way that satisfies the new occupancy requirements and that does not consume additional energy, in a Mediterranean climate. Above all, the implementation of deliberate interventions contributes to a further reduction of the converted building’s energy consumption.

The focus of this dissertation is the urban roofscape of Athens and aims to identify the variables, as well as to explore the potentials that are associated with the sustainable regeneration of this particular layer of the urban configuration. The investigation of the prevailing types and spatial characteristics of this layer will identify the variables affecting the environmental behaviour of the urban rooftops and whose assessment, through microclimatic simulations and literature review, will establish the layout of possible interventions; the outcome of this research is related with the specific climatic context and the factors that define the perception of outdoor comfort. Finally, these environmental factors will formulate the design proposal for an urban rooftop in the centre of Athens.

Most outdoors design applications devoid any sustainable and environmental quality. They are either characterless structures driven by low budgets or fancy installations intending to solely excite the pleasure of the senses, undermining in both cases the parameter of human comfort.  As nowadays more and more eminent architects are being engaged to relevant projects, that exceptionally every so often result to masterpieces of contemporary design, it is a real challenge to exploit whether this kind of installations in the future can be additionally enriched by the notion of sustainability, in order for society to reappraise public spaces and eventuate to a whole new perspective of perceiving outdoors living standards.  In this paper environmentally-conscious design strategies are highlighted in the hypothetical reformation scenario of an ephemeral exhibition, Thessaloniki’s annual Book festival, and later on tested to validate their importance and effectiveness.

Methodology adopted in order to reach the final proposal is a set of seriate steps mainly consisting of climate data analysis and fieldwork carried out at the site during 2009 Book fair. More specifically, the latter thorough examination indicates problematic areas and key constraints that should be encountered throughout the design process, as well as design strategies that should be encompassed in the revitalizing scheme.

The most predominant provision measures of them, which mainly refer to sufficient shading, inducement of air movement within book shelters, correct choice of materiality and use of passive evaporating cooling means, are being evaluated via software programs such as Ecotect and Tas that assess their efficiency and strengthen the necessitation of their implementation. The research is driven by key points such as: meeting human comfort standards, caring for the psychological and physiological adaptation of all user groups and providing the “adaptive opportunity” to occupants to control their built environment and  adjust easier to unwanted weather phenomena.Via graphs, sketches and drawings the whole design procedure is presented, from the primary calculated sun angles and the simulation results of the tested book shelters’ materiality to  the final render.

This research presents the findings and possible applications of passive environmental strategies. The focus of this dissertation is the efficiency of the possible passive techniques in order to overcome poor visual and thermal conditions. Through analysis of the climatic context, fieldwork and analytic work which implemented the use of supporting tools concerning the calibration of the visual and thermal environment, it was proved that comfort can be achieved by means of skylights, shading devices, nocturnal convective cooling and roof ponds. Circumstantial limitations have also been observed and mentioned in this study in
order to provide a comprehensive approach to the intervention of historical buildings.