In Athens, where ancient ruins meet bustling modern streets, listed buildings are the city’s storytellers. Yet, preserving these architectural gems requires a delicate balancing of history and sustainability. Projects such as the Benizelos Mansion showcase how thoughtful restoration can honour Athens’ rich architectural heritage while meeting modern sustainability goals. Our own adaptive reuse project of a listed building in the historic centre of Athens integrated sustainability principles, and won Gold at the 2024 Interior Awards in Athens. As Athens continues to evolve, sustainable practices ensure its history remains a vital, and functional, part of the urban landscape.
Sustainable restoration isn’t just about preserving the past; it’s about designing a future where history and environmental stewardship coexist seamlessly. These are three key principles that guide such efforts in Athens:
- Materials conservation and reuse: reclaiming original materials reduces environmental impact and preserves the building’s authenticity. In Athens, this often involves working with traditional materials such as marble, wood, and terracotta.
- Energy efficiency: retrofitting historical buildings with energy-efficient systems, such as LED lighting, insulation, and renewable energy technologies, balances preservation with modern environmental standards. This is particularly crucial when it comes to boosting Athens’ urban resilience and protecting the city from extreme weather conditions due to climate change.
- Adaptive reuse: transforming old buildings for new purposes not only extends their lifespan but also reduces urban sprawl and construction waste. This is especially important in Athens, where the city’s history spans millennia, and its urban fabric embodies collective memories that connect generations to their cultural heritage.

An example of this is the Benizelos Mansion in the historic centre of Athens. Walking into the Benizelos Mansion feels like stepping back into Ottoman Athens, with its timbre-framed walls that have been restored to their former glory. The Benizelos Mansion is Athens’ oldest surviving house from the Ottoman period. Its earliest built elements date back to the 16th century. It holds particular significance as it’s a rare example of an Ottoman ‘konaki’, a two-storey rectangular building with a courtyard and surrounded by a walled compound. The mansion changed hands several times over the last decades, from the Ministry of Culture to the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, underwent restoration and was opened to the public in 2017.
Conservation techniques were applied to the original structure, while materials such as wood, clay and stone were reused, therefore minimising the carbon footprint associated with new materials. Structural elements such as the timbre walls, beams and floors were readjusted and reinforced, bringing them up to modern standards and equipping them with the necessary elasticity to withstand seismic activity. Today, the mansion serves as a museum and cultural space, showcasing how sustainable practices can breathe new life into old structures without compromising their heritage.

When we acquired a listed building in the historic centre of Athens back in 2022, we prioritised adaptive reuse and sustainability as the guiding principles of its restoration. Built in the 1930s, the property, although in shambles at the time we acquired it, had preserved its distinctive Neoclassical architectural charm. We worked closely with Lowfat Architecture + Interiors to transform this 260m² property as part of Athens’ broader movement toward sustainable urban heritage regeneration.
The renovation will preserve key features like the original wooden staircase, intricate floor mosaics, and unique decorative details. We’re retrofitting the building with a modern thermal facade, a green roof, and energy-efficient LED lighting, while ensuring that all utility systems are fully solar-powered through net metering. Once completed, our Evripidou 53 heritage suites will house four suites that seamlessly blend historical character with contemporary design.
By blending innovation with tradition, we believe it’s important that these architectural treasures remain vibrant and meaningful for Athens’ generations to come.
Reach out to us to hear more about our adaptive reuse project, Evripidou 53 heritage suites.