Since, then the high proportion of citizens in the suburbs has continued to grow: by 2008, the ratio of suburban to urban dwellers had reached 2:1. The fundamental reasons for this migration have been identified as a lack of green areas in the city, and the absence of housing projects with private courtyards. However, even the suburban housing projects that are conceived to cater for the demands of this migration do not demonstrate due consideration of the climatic conditions of the city.

The aim of this dissertation project is to create a contemporary re-interpretation of the vernacular three-courtyard house typology for the central area of the city, taking into account the thermal performance and formal aspects of this typology.

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.