Cascading Terraces: A Masterpiece by Potiropoulos and Partners

Residential Apartments Inspired by Nature and the Landscape

The design of Cascading Terraces is a testament to the creative prowess of Potiropoulos and Partners. The inspiration for this design came from the site's location and the suburb's topography. The architects prioritized the utilization of the main view which opens up towards the southwest and northwest. The internal arrangement attempts to address a series of carefully choreographed views of the landscape and is organized in public and private zones that are extrovert towards the landscape, via the terraces, and introvert towards the site. This results in a series of cascading terraces at a slight angle with each other.

What sets Cascading Terraces apart from other designs is its unique concept based on two linked volumes parallel to one side of the site. This concept is in dialogue with the particular nature of the immediate context, addressing the site boundaries and movement. Responding to the orientation, views, wind direction and the seasonal changes of the landscape, the complex opens up or closes, developing each time a different appearance.

The realization of this design is a marvel in itself. Raw concrete and white textured render are prominent in the building skin and fencing, developing a simple yet effective language. This approach, as expressed here spatially, implies materiality, temperature, density, weight and acoustic qualities, elements that are abstract but are derived from thorough experience.

The design covers an approximate total building area of 4580 square meters. The overall design approach was not preoccupied by a certain aesthetic correctness, but first and foremost to establish as a key parameter, the potential of a multi-sensory experience between the building and the landscape, and also aiming at the substantiation of individuality in architecture through the expression of the architectural object.

The design faced challenges in providing an intricate experience based on the dynamics between the man-made and the natural, the point of focus and the background, the familiar and the unknown, triggering sensations and emotions that capture the moment. Throughout this journey, experiences, spaces and materialities converge, either as parallel or as complimentary events.

Cascading Terraces was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2023. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.