Designed by Urban Soul Project in collaboration with UNStudio, the unbuilt 18,000-square-metre campus connects flexible workspaces with planted courtyards, terraces and an urban forest.

The Glade Office Campus is an unbuilt 18,000-square-metre workplace development in Marousi, Athens, designed by Urban Soul Project in collaboration with UNStudio for Prodea Investments. Selected as the First Prize proposal in the project’s architectural competition, the campus is conceived around a direct relationship between the workplace and the landscape.

The site is located within one of Athens’ main office districts, close to a major road junction and surrounded by an increasingly dense urban context. The design begins with these conditions. Rather than treating planting as an addition to the buildings, the landscape is used to shape the transition from the city into the campus and to organise movement, outdoor space and daily working life.

Three ideas define the project: Forest, Glade and Foliage

The Forest forms the outer layer of the campus. Dense planting around the perimeter creates a transition from the surrounding roads and buildings, while helping to filter noise and pollution. Moving through this planted edge, the campus opens into the Glade: a series of courtyards, plazas and terraces conceived as clearings within the landscape. Here, the architecture becomes softer. Curved internal façades frame planted outdoor spaces, while terraces step up through the buildings, extending the workplace outdoors.

The contrast between the outer and inner façades is central to the design. Along the perimeter, the buildings have a more controlled and geometric presence. Vertical aluminium fins form a responsive layer in front of the glazed façades, providing shade and reducing solar heat gain and glare. Their orientation also directs views away from neighbouring buildings and towards the wider city and mountain landscape. Facing the interior of the campus, the façades are more open and fluid, with continuous planting integrated along balconies and terraces.

This relationship with the outdoors continues through the office floors. The layouts are planned to accommodate different tenant configurations and changing workplace needs, while maintaining access to daylight and views. Every office area is connected to a balcony or terrace, and the floor plates are arranged so that the furthest workstation is approximately 5.5 metres from a window. Indoor workspaces are complemented by outdoor areas for meetings, informal work and breaks.

Shared facilities extend the programme beyond the individual office. The campus includes meeting and conference spaces, a gym, food and beverage areas, and event spaces. A 100-seat, triple-height auditorium is located on Level -1, with an adjacent conference room and a direct connection to a recessed outdoor courtyard.

The environmental strategy combines the landscape concept with passive and active building measures. The envelope uses high-performance glazing, insulation and external shading to limit energy demand while maintaining access to natural light. The balance between glazed and solid surfaces has been developed to improve thermal performance, while the building geometry provides additional self-shading.

Green roofs are also part of the strategy. Roof areas not allocated to photovoltaic panels are planned to include an extensive planted layer, supporting thermal performance, water retention, and biodiversity. Photovoltaic panels contribute to on-site energy production, while heat-recovery systems and a building management system are planned to support the control of energy use and building services. Bicycle storage and electric-vehicle charging stations are included in the mobility strategy.

The project is targeting LEED certification and is not presented as already certified.

In 2026, The Glade Office Campus was named Popular Choice Winner in the Unbuilt Commercial category of the Architizer A+Awards, recognising the project at its current design stage.