Densify & greenify: Sustainable urban infill in Thessaloniki Greece

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore two conflicting sustainable urban development strategies, urban densification and the creation of urban green spaces. The driving forces of both strategies often have them competing for the scarcely found available spaces within the urban context, and one is often neglected in favour of the other. Looking for ways to bridge the gap between the two, I am utilizing biophilic and biomimetic design approaches to compromise between the two, with a goal of achieving the best possible results for both strategies through one design. The conflict between urban densification and urban green spaces can be relevant in any context. For the thesis’s purpose, a site was selected for the creation of a pilot project, which would showcase ways of combining densification and green spaces. The plot is located in Thessaloniki, Greece, my hometown, a city already densely built. It is an urban gap, currently operating as a parking lot. The plot is utilized for the creation of an infill building, which would take advantage of an underused space within the urban fabric. The final design bridges the gap between urban densification and urban green spaces, by using biophilic and biomimetic strategies into one final infill building and brings new qualities into the area. Through the design of this pilot project and the successful integration of densification and green spaces in one building, it is obvious that these conflicting strategies can be combined with high effectivity and add new qualities to urban spaces, without compromising on either end.