At EPIKYKLOS, we sincerely trust the potential of high-end architectural design to enhance the quality of our projects and push things forward in the construction sector through an optimal combination of aesthetic and structural excellence. 

That’s why we have invested in longstanding collaborations with established architects who channel their creative freedom into realizing ideas that provide high aesthetics, functionality, and timeless value to our homes, buildings, and cities. 

Two of our steady companions in making our vision possible are the founders of the Plaini & Karahalios Architects firm, Elissavet Plaini and Yiannis Karahalios. Together, we have completed several residential projects, like the multi-awarded “Korydallos Apartment,” as well as professional buildings, like the Green Suites Boutique Hotel and the renovated Baba Ghanoush restaurant in Pagrati. 

Our most recent joint work was a special project that was highly demanding in terms of architectural design and construction process. It was the renovation of a 50s apartment in Kolonaki, a unique urban residence that we had to both update and maintain all the elements contributing to its timeless value and authenticity. 

Taking a cue from the successful completion of this project, we asked the architects to tell us a few things about it, as well as their experience working side by side with EPIKYKLOS. 

What were the design challenges you faced in the Kolonaki Apartment project? 

From the start, we aimed to maintain the space’s qualities and style intact. The apartment building was built in 1958 based on the designs of Renos Koutsouris, an architect whose name has been tied to the modernist movement. However, in this building, he followed a more decorative and classicizing approach, adhering to the spirit of the times. 

That’s evident across the apartment in the hierarchy of spaces and the choice of materials. For example, the kitchen and the help’s room were designed to be simple without decorative elements. That separated them distinctly from the rest of the house, where oak floors, plaster decorations, and marble surfaces prevailed. 

How did you do it eventually? 

The architectural direction we took was to maintain elements and materials worth keeping and add new ones to create a modern living condition that coexists with the memory of the pre-existing shell. 

Aesthetic-wise, we ensured that union by using white across the apartment while boosting the supplemental spaces’ significance through upgraded materials like Carrara and Grey Damastas marbles. 

Some of the residence’s elements we maintained were the oak floors, interior doors, and exterior frames. The living spaces were enhanced with wooden structures, a library, and a mixed-use composition to provide functionality and harmoniously blend with the plaster decorations and artful interior frames. The bath was fully renovated, but we kept the original style by using Nestos marble. 

Based on this and previous projects, how would you describe your collaboration with EPIKYKLOS? 

We have worked with EPIKYKLOS on several projects, and our collaboration flows very naturally. That establishes a state of security and freedom that’s essential to implementing our architectural design. 

In the Kolonaki Apartment, for example, there were several special conditions we had to meet through precise coordination. Most tasks had to be completed in a short timeframe in the midst of a busy central district with limited flexibility. Still, the EPIKYKLOS team responded quickly, with high precision and attention to detail. 

The implementation followed the design strictly and successfully, fully achieving the project’s main objective. 

What does it mean to you to closely cooperate with the construction firm from the beginning of a project? 

It’s not very common for both the architectural designers and the construction experts to enter a project from its very beginning. However, when it occurs, it’s a positive thing because there is direct collaboration on technical applications before the final, more detailed design stages. At the same time, it allows for more efficient cost control. 

In the Kolonaki apartment, we followed a more conventional process, meaning that the design preceded the selection and involvement of the construction firm. Nevertheless, construction carried on with the same smooth flow and coordination. 

Essential to this was the presence of the construction site manager, Ms. Tsianta, as well as the work of the whole EPIKYKLOS team. Once more, they proved that, above technical and aesthetic results, it’s the people who make a project successful.