A letter to Manolis

De profundis thoughts on Architecture

I do not remember, Manolito, how this confession was instigated: Was it to clarify your views or perhaps mine on architecture as a vocation and a mission? Whatever the motive, I consider this an opportunity to put some things straight.

I understand that my view on architecture is different from what I see around me, including even you: Much ado about nothing, lots of theory, much analytic fragmentation, in short "I hear heavy clamour, with lots of culture glamour" as the old poem goes. Maybe because of that, I felt an urge to describe my own attitude, after having converted it into words and phrases.

Green courses

Green courses for the architects of the 21st century

This is a 2007 proposal on the systematic integration of green design in the curriculum of National Technical University of Athens School of Architecture.

1.   Introduction

The link between natural phenomena and human activity becomes increasingly visible today, underscoring the importance of our relationship with the environment and increasing doubts about the viability of the dominant economic-political model of consumerist 'perpetual growth'. Problems such as the urban heat island, the traffic asphyxiation, or the “not in my yard” charade of landfills are tangible examples of the growing problem in our country, along with others from the global scene like the antagonism of oil, the frequent 'unprecedented' floods, or the shrinking polar ice.

Against this backdrop, architecture -which always reflects coexisting social structures and values- is a major factor of the human impact on the environment. Looking at the current situations and trends around us, how realistic is it to believe that architectural priorities after 10-20 years will be the same as today, where nature is often treated as a decorative background -and sometimes even as an enemy- in games of private aesthetics?