Alex Tombazis, and his firm Meletitiki, have pioneered energy efficient architecture inside and outside Greece for the last 25 years.

Tombazis talks to GreeceNowabout the changing priorities shaping contemporary Greek design.

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What led you to design energy efficient buildings?

What we call "bioclimatic design" is so much a matter of pure logic that one should not make an issue out of it. No one wants to be too hot in summer and too cold in winter. No one prefers artificial lighting if they can have natural lighting.

Bioclimatic design doesn't mean going back to the days of the caveman. One doesn't have to sacrifice anything. Its just a matter of doing things in a simpler way and achieving the end result with less energy.

What kind of demand is there in Greece for energy-efficient buildings?

The demand is growing. Its not only my firm doing this kind of work, more and more people are doing it.

Can you give examples of energy-efficient building projects in Greece that have made a difference?

There are many, both private and public sector. There are more and more projects of an international quality and standard.

Our practice has a spread of projects, we don't specialise in one kind of building. In Greece our projects range from an office block in Kifissia, to the headquarters of Hellenic Petroleum, the refinery company, and an extension to the museum at Delphi.

Most of our work is in Greece but we also have some international projects, such as a housing project in Amsterdam and the headquarters of the electricity company in Cyprus.

One of your Greek projects that has attracted attention is the building you designed for the Avax construction company in Athens. What is special about this building?

If there is anything special about it, its that it has been designed in response to climatic conditions and in a way that is friendly toward the environment.

Like our own head office here in Athens, it consumes much less energy than a conventional building. Our own building consumes about 50 kilowatt hours per square metre per year, as opposed to about 280 which is the average for air-conditioned buildings in Athens.

The Avax office is built on the ring road of Lycabettus Hill, with an eastern orientation. To some extent it is a glass building, but it has external shade.

A system of rotating blinds designed in England is fitted to the windows and gives 70% shading to the building. The blinds are controlled by computer and allow for natural lighting inside the building to be fine-tuned.

Ventilators extend the comfort zone inside the building by 3-4 degrees and diminish the need for additional cooling.

The concrete ceiling is exposed as much as possible to reduce the difference between the temperature inside the building and the temperature outside.

The buildings fine granite computer floor has a much greater heat capacity than other materials such as vinyl or carpet.

The building is about a more sensible approach to climatic conditions. But it has also got much to do with economy.

Your international projects include an award-winning church at the Catholic pilgrimage site at Fatima in Portugal. Could you tell us about that project?

The international competition for the Fatima project involved designing a church for 9,000 people.

We designed a semi-underground, circular building, 110 metres in diameter. We developed a flexible roof, with glass panes on a North-South axis to allow lighting. The roof is fitted with electric blinds which could be completely closed off for a darkened interior, or could be opened up to allow light in. This system allows you to create a naturally lit interior, with the ability to change the lighting during the service to emphasize, say, the altar.

The church is under final design and construction should begin next year.

What do you see as the role of the architect and is that role changing?

Architecture is like a crossword puzzle, its an issue of problem solving. You have a specific place, a given time, a given budget and given boundary conditions. At the end of the day you have to end up with something very concrete and specific.

Yes, I would say that the role of the architect is changing. This is not just a Greek development, it is also happening internationally.

More and more, architects are just a small part of the whole process of building. The finance, design and build method of building projects is more common.

What would you like to see happening in the future to architecture in Greece?

What concerns me most about the way that Athens has developed is the lack of public space. I think that the most important, long-term investment is to educate people about the need for public space and how to take care of it.

I would like to see the overall quality of architecture becoming better and serving a much broader slice of society. I do believe that this is coming in many parts of the world and that it is coming in Greece.