Graduate of the NTUA School of Architecture in 1963. Degree Thesis in Urban Planning under the title ‘Regional Planning of the Peloponnese’ (teamwork, grade Excellent).

 

Further professional training included seminars: “Structural Pre-Fabrication”, “Time Planning Operations Research”, “Renewable Energy Sources”, “Passive Solar Systems & Architecture”, “Architecture – Contemporary Problems of Urban Planning, Leisure and Education”, “Interventions on Existing Buildings to Save Energy”.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

 

Worked principally in the public sector.

 

1963-1965

• Greek Army Officers’ Building Organization

She designed types of single and multi-storey residences, and also a project for a Shopping Centre in the framework of the urban plan of Papagou Officers Housing district.

 

 

1965-1986

• School Buildings Organization (SBO)

Her service at the SBO in various positions of responsibility, contributed to meeting the great needs for housing students in that period. While work included design and standardization of school units of conventional construction, a very important innovation was the design and construction of schools using industrial prefabricated units.

 

School units of conventional construction (1965-1976)

Argyrenia Papazoi – Charoni participated in the implementation of the annual program of the Ministry of Education for the design and construction of school complexes throughout Greece. She was head of the Design Department of Conventional Projects and was also responsible for the supervision of studies outsourced to private bureaus and checking of ‘bioclimatic schools’ studies.

 

As head of the study group for School Unit Types of conventional construction, she designed the Types of 12-classroom Elementary School and 9-classroom and 12-classroom High School, thus implementing a previous research project.

 

To improve student safety, she made a film about city schools in cooperation with director M. Arvaniti of National Radio Television and collaborated with Municipalities and the Ministry of Environment and Public Works on the construction of pedestrian sidewalks at school entrances.

 

Industrial prefabricated school buildings (1977-1981)

Argyrenia Papazoi – Charoni participated in the study group on types of industrialized construction of 6-classroom to 30-classroom school units. The prefabrication system used was successful in terms of high resilience to earthquakes, low cost and speed of construction. Moreover, the lightweight soundproof partition panels allowed the flexible use of space depending on the educational needs.

 

The ‘new’ school buildings made of visible concrete, conspicuous bricks, glass bricks and colored compositions, stood out from the surrounding buildings and became a landmark for each district. They were considered “friendly” by students and teachers (see article “Contemporary School” by Irida Panagiotopoulou in the Technical Journal).

 

During her term in office (1977-1981) as director of ‘Design and Construction of Industrialized Projects’ (MEKAVE) 74 school units with 1172 classrooms were designed and built in Attica and 4 school units with 64 classrooms in the countryside.

 

Following the disastrous 1978 earthquake in Thessaloniki, when many of rented school buildings were destroyed, a local branch of MEKAVE was set up under her direction to handle the urgent needs for school units. In a short period 160 classrooms were built with the existing industrialized system on state owned land and 360 classrooms of light prefabricated “Removable – Transportable” structures were placed in abandoned plots. Using the light prefabrication system, 28 more classrooms were built in Athens as a response to urgent needs.

 

Research and Advisory work (1982-1986)

As Head of the Directorate for Inspection and Survey of School Buildings, she worked on specifications with the Hellenic Standardization Organization (ELOT) for the prevention of accidents in the open -areas of school units.

 

Participated as Educational Advisor in all stages of the urban planning projects for the creation of new settlements of Komotini, Xanthi, Sappes, Thebes, Haravgi and Lavrio municipalities by the National Real Estate Bank.

 

She cooperated in the surveys for the construction of the Piraeus Technical University with the architects V. Dalipi and E.  Stamatopoulou.

 

1965-1977

• Teaching Experience

Taught Architecture and Elements of Construction at the Athens Higher School of Technological Engineering and at the Centers of Higher Technical and Professional Education aimed at the technical training of middle level executives.

 

1986-1991

• Director of the Technical Directorate (G6) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

Seconded to the position of Head of Development and Renovation of the MFA buildings in Athens and abroad. Succeeded in housing the MFA services in Athens in the same building block, upgraded state owned buildings of missions abroad, identified and recorded hitherto unknown donations to the Greek state by diaspora Greeks.

 

Redevelopment of MFA buildings in Athens

Assessed the space needed by the Ministry services and proposed to the State Real Estate Company (KED) that the Ministry services be consolidated in public buildings within the block demarcated by Zalocosta, Kriezotou, Acadimias and Vas. Sofias streets, in accordance with the Athens Land Use Plan. Two public buildings (1 and 3 Zalocosta street) were acquired, two wings of the building on 10 Criezotou street that belonged to the Army Equity Fund (MTS) were maintained and the purchase of the former Astir Hotel on 1 Vas. Sofias str. was pursued. Extensive renovation was carried out by KED on the Zalocosta st. buildings, including the establishment of a modern library on Greek – Turkish relations. In addition, renovation of the 5 Vas. Sofias and 2 Zalocosta main buildings included an internal interconnection. The pedestrianization of Zalocosta street, from Vas. Sofias to Kriezotou, was designed and carried out with new utility networks and the site was decorated with the placement of the bust of the Ambassador, Poet and Nobel Prize Laureate George Seferis. The project was completed on time for the Greek Presidency of the EU during the second semester of 1988.

 

Renovation of the buildings of Greek Diplomatic Missions abroad

Prepared studies, established the construction specifications and supervised the renovation of state-owned buildings hosting Greek Diplomatic Missions in New York, London, Ottawa, Vienna, Madrid, Sofia, Budapest, Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Prague, Belgrade, Mexico City, Brussels, Skopje, Geneva, Cairo and Alexandria. Aesthetic and cultural upgrading of the buildings included displaying of Greek artworks provided by the Antiquities Revenue Fund (TAP) and the National Gallery in order to showcase Greek culture and civilization.

 

Identification and utilization of unregistered properties of Greeks of the Diaspora bequeathed to Greek Missions

Information was gathered about properties that had been donated to Greek Missions abroad by Greeks of the Diaspora, so far unregistered. Seventy-five (75) title documents= deeds relating to a large number of properties from various countries were found and registered. An example of the  benefits of the project was the case of Madrid where all Greek government services were accommodated in a complex built through international tender on a piece of land donated to the Greek state in 1936. In Geneva the offices of the Permanent Representation to the UN and the residence of the General Consul were also accommodated in a building donated to the Greek state.

She also participated as representative of the MFA in the team of the Ministry for the Environment which defined the specifications for the use of buildings by disabled persons and their incorporation into the General Building Regulation.

 

1992-2001

• Special Adviser to Ministries

Ministry for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Public Works (1993-1996)

She contributed on projects for the implementation of EU policies in the areas of protection of coastal zones and the management of natural environment, mainly on Greek islands.

 

She promoted energy saving programs in existing buildings as well as specifications for new constructions. To mitigate the visual pollution of aerial electrical networks in traditional settlements, an agreement with the Public Electricity Company (PPC) was reached for their undergrounding through compensatory arrangements.

 

She participated in integrated urban planning projects for the protection of historical monuments, as well as mitigating the effects of traffic congestion and visual pollution in traditional settlements.

 

In this context, she contributed to the project for the protection of the Byzantine Monument of  Ekatontapyliani by creating a network of pedestrian sidewalks and the unification with the Archaeological Museum of Paros; in the landscape design of the Cave of St. John the Theologian of Patmos to celebrate the anniversary of 1900 years since the writing of the Apocalypse; in the restoration of the St. George Monastery Complex at Marpessa on the island of Paros, which was recognized as a Cultural Heritage Monument by UNESCO.

 

Ministry of the Aegean Sea (1996-1999)

Coordinated the creation of an extensive database of cultural and environmental information for the Aegean islands, a necessary planning basis for the protection of their identity through EU programs. She contributed also to the drafting of a specific program for the ecological development of the very small islands of the Aegean.

 

In Mytilene she participated in the listing of 120 buildings on Ermou street, a project that was integrated into an EU Program and was carried out by the Municipality of Mytilene.

On Chios, she oversaw the project of surveying and projecting the ecclesiastical monuments of the historic Anavatos township, the inclusion of the engraved exteriors of Pyrgi buildings in an EU Program, the listing of the house of Captain Yannis Livanos as a protected historic monument.

 

She participated in the team responsible for setting up the Greek Pavilion in the 1998 Lisbon World Expo and in organizing the events for the celebration of the Greek Day. She organized the Exhibition “Nautical Maps of the Aegean 1482-1800” from the collections of Margarita Samourka and Christos Zacharakis at the Zappeion Megaron as well as the multiple presentation of the exhibition “Nautical Tradition in the Aegean”.

 

Ministry of Culture (1999-2000)

She participated in the registration of some 500 properties in Plaka, Keramikos, Plato’s Academy expropriated by the Ministry, a small number of which were used as offices or were granted to foundations. For the unused properties she suggested their utilization either by the TAP (Archaeological Resources Fund) or to cover the housing needs of the Ministry itself.

 

She contributed to the reshaping of the ground floor of FIX building and the organization of the Exhibition ‘Giannis Tsarouchis ‘Between East and West’ which led to the temporary and then the permanent concession of the building owned by Metro SA to the then newly established National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST).

 

She also collaborated with the Society responsible for the Unification of Archaeological Sites, in the selection of paving solutions for the pedestrianization of the emblematic Dionysiou Areopagitou & Apostolou Pavlou streets under the Acropolis.

 

She contributed to the coordination related to locating Olympic projects in the Metropolitan Complex of Athens.

 

Participated in the organization of celebration events for the arrival of 2000 –the new century– on the Acropolis.

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000-2001)

During her term at the MFA, she cooperated in setting up the Exhibition in Tashkent on Alexander the Great and in organizing the 20 years celebration of Greece joining the EU in Zappeio Megaro.

 

Private sector

She designed private buildings, some of which are indicatively mentioned:

 

The FILKERAM RICHARDS Pavilion in Thessaloniki Exhibition, two residences in Kifissia and Ekali, restoration of a neoclassic building in Plaka, PHOENIX- ETE multi-storey car park in Athens, the “Zarifeio Cultural Center” landscaping in Astros of Kynouria. Also, as partner of the ship building office Ι. Κouimanis she designed interior spaces of ferry boats SAOS II, ALEXANDER THE GREAT and ADAMANTIOS KORAIS.

 

Delegate of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) at events of the International Union of Architects (UIA)

• Participation in the UIA Conference of Madrid on: “Creativity and Technology” (1975) as a member of the panel on “Education and Training Facilities” – Roncal (Spain), Cohen (Morocco), Papazoi (Greece).

• Participation in the 5th Inter-Balkan Conference of UIA in Nicosia on: “Housing of populations in emergency state ” (war, earthquakes, refugees, etc.), 1976.

• Organization of the UIA Seminar in Athens on: “Composition /Synthesis of Educational and Community Services”, 1976.

 

Public lectures

• Education and the school building, the educational system as a vector of inspiration in architectural synthesis, Macedonian Art Society.

• Contemporary housing, in the Public School for Engineers in Athens.

• Philosophy of Architecture, the case of a passenger & car ferry boat, conference of the Greek Institute of Nautical Technology.

• The endowment of Athens as capital of the new Greek state with neoclassical buildings for education, culture and health donated by the Greek diaspora, at the Athens University.

 

Social and benevolent activities

• Vice president in the NGO Penelope Foundation Nursery Station.

• Vice president of the executive committee of retired officials of the School Building Organization.

• Active member of the charity organization Panos and Cressida for life -help the children.

• Benevolent study and supervision of the construction of the Zafirion foundation, Astros  Kynourias

• Research and writing part of the history book of Ariadni Psilos on Efterpi, the orthodox mother for Greeks in Africa

 

Lifelong learning

Participation in seminars:

• Open University of the Friends of Education Society on topics of architecture, history, literature, theatre, archaeology.

• Athens Archaeological Society on topics of neoclassical architecture and art in Greece and the contemporary world.

• Psychology lectures organized by the Athens Adler Society on issues of judgement and creativity as a means of communication.