25.01.2022

Have you ever walked through a neighborhood and been saddened by its abandonment? Do you miss the people who used to give life to the streets and buildings? Smell the resignation, the dampness of closed shops? Hear the silence of an entire street? See the broken shutters and barred doors in houses that were once bustling with life? I never imagined that these sights, sounds and smells could be the driving force for creation.
Until we tried it and found it to be a unique experience. DIMAND develops properties in the most modern and sustainable way, highlighting forgotten iconic buildings and areas, breathing new life into the lives of residents. We create modern buildings for hospitality and business use. But at the same time we create the background for the revitalization of entire areas. A walk through the narrow streets of Agios Dionysios, a few meters from the port of Piraeus, will convince you about how beautiful it is to give new shape to beautiful neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that carry memories, tradition and pride. The regeneration of the Papastratos tobacco factory lit up the whole neighborhood. He gave her the fertilizer she needed to bloom again. Today the narrow streets around the tobacco factory are bustling with life. New businesses open their doors, people flock to meet in the cafes and new galleries. Some started renovating their houses to stay in the new hot spot of Piraeus.
We saw the beauty and progress that an “ugly” carcass like the Tower of Piraeus can bring to the country’s great port. We saw the dynamic of the Minion burned along with the Athenians’ first Western-themed Christmas memories.
The reuse of entire buildings or parts of them is a doubly creative pursuit. We choose a landmark building, which is important to the locals. It matters even for those who have changed neighborhoods in the meantime. We give it life and a new sustainable perspective. We make sure to set the example for good practice. To upgrade the surrounding area aesthetically and environmentally. We create extensive green spaces, even in the form of vertical gardens. We want the perspective and future of the region to be seen and this future to attract the attention with an aura of “neighborhood”, cooperation and progress. The satisfaction you feel when you see the result for the first time is unique. You stand and enjoy the ever-evolving urban landscape.
At the same time, you continue to walk in unfamiliar neighborhoods and dream of their perspective. I grew up in Patras and am familiar with the beauty of the coastal industrial landscape. We saw the beauty and progress that an “ugly” carcass like the Tower of Piraeus can bring to the country’s great port. We saw the dynamic of the Minion burned along with the Athenians’ first Western-themed Christmas memories.
The buildings we create bring great joy to their users. They give them the satisfaction of environmental responsibility and good living. They have a minimal carbon footprint during their operation. They even produce part of the energy a building needs to operate using photovoltaics. Even during their manufacturing process, the footprint they leave on the environment is minimal. In the reuse of buildings, among other things, the “embodied carbon footprint” is minimized.
Paraphrasing the well-known song of Dionysis Savvopoulos, I would say that teams write their own history. So in our case, every executive and every partner has contributed substantially to the result we have all achieved together. It is a group vision that we implement with enthusiasm and responsibility. In addition, as the years pass I find that by our example we help others to bring out their best and give life to gray and degraded areas of our city. This makes us feel joy and pride, because we are sure that we are doing the right thing!
Read the article on the collector’s edition of LiFO in collaboration with Archisearch.gr and Design Ambassador: ΑTHENS DESIGN MAP The Green Issue