10 Lessons from 300 Issues of Interviews

Three hundred issues, hundreds of conversations, countless voices that have mapped the course of architecture over the years. From this rich archive of interviews, common questions emerge, ongoing quests, and ideas that return in new forms. On the occasion of 300th ek issue, we gather ten lessons drawn from the magazine’s history; ten approaches to what it means to build, to envision, and to converse with the world through architecture.

01. Architecture begins with people

10 Lessons from 300 Issues of Interviews-ekmagazine

Point Supreme, Divercity

Behind every architectural design lies the people: their experiences, their needs, and the relationships they create with space. Nikolaos Travasaros, founder of Divercity Architects, notes that “the client is, for us, a co-creator of the work. Especially in Greece, we often speak in architecture -mistakenly, in my opinion- about the ‘user,’ and this is a sign of our detachment from society […] in this way, a crucial factor of the creative process is lost.” Similarly, Konstantinos Pantazis of Point Supreme underlines that “the center is the human-user, and not the building-object.” Architecture, therefore, is not a luxury but must carry social responsibility, be accessible, and serve the everyday life of citizens, who are the true recipients of design. It begins with the individual and returns to them, creating spaces that reflect the society that inhabits them.

Read part of the Divercity interview

Read part of the Point Supreme interview

02. Sustainability is no longer optional

Doxiadis+, David Gianotten, Pieris Architects

In recent years, every architectural work is called to answer questions that go beyond use and aesthetics. Climate, natural resources, and the resilience of construction are significant parameters that determine the direction of design. Thomas Doxiadis, founder of Doxiadis+, highlights the need for interventions “where, through carefully targeted actions via specific projects, we seek to bring great results, both in terms of ecology and quality of life.” At the same time, David Gianotten of OMA rejects any form of “greenwashing,” the promotion of false solutions to the climate crisis, and supports that “sustainability is much more than the use of tools such as photovoltaics and green walls simply to meet certain specifications.” Finally, Pieris Architects, within the framework of their exhibition 2nd Nature for the office’s 50th anniversary, speak of their design philosophy and their relationship with the landscape: “buildings should not be passive elements but active organisms that support sustainability and add value to the natural environment.”

Read part of the Doxiadis+ interview

Read part of the David Gianotten / OMA interview

Read part of the Pieris Architects interview

03. The city is a laboratory for design

David Chipperfield, Kokkinou-Kourkoulas Architects

The urban space has always been the great laboratory of architecture, where social forces, density, and diversity create the field of experimentation. Every intervention in the urban fabric functions as a test, a model that can be repeated, adapted, or questioned. Speaking with Athens as an example, Andreas Kourkoulas underlines that the Athenian building block maintained “a social vibrancy absolutely necessary in new societies,” preventing the alienation that postwar urban planning brought elsewhere in Europe. In the same vein, David Chipperfield raises the issue of architects’ responsibility toward the city: “we architects have gradually distanced ourselves from the idea that we can and should design our cities […] what will make the difference is where we build, whether we build or not, how we build, and for whom we build.” The city is the framework where these decisions gain real weight, and architects are called to once again have a say.

Read part of the David Chipperfield interview

Read part of the Kokkinou-Kourkoulas Architects interview

04. Existing buildings are hidden resources

GFRA, K-Division

In an era where new construction faces environmental, social, and urban restrictions, the reuse and redesign of existing buildings become as significant as new builds. GFRA, who were active during the economic crisis, emphasize that “for reasons of economy, the concept of reuse was developed, which gave great momentum to renovations,” giving space for new generations of architects to emerge and evolve. At the same time, referring specifically to the interpretation of planning regulations, Michalis Kraounakis, founder of K-Division, states that “for us, the creative interpretation of urban restrictions is an integral part of the architectural process.” In both cases, architecture is revealed as an act of invention within limitation, where the existing stock becomes raw material for innovation and sustainability.

Read part of the GFRA interview

Read part of the K-Division interview

05. Technology is a tool, not an end

Petras Architects, A&S Architects

Technology is now an inseparable part of architectural practice. BIM programs, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality have dynamically entered design. However, their value lies not simply in their use but in how they support each unique architectural vision. Tsampikos Petras describes the integration of BIM as a key tool for his office’s productivity. He notes, “today, after at least 10 years of engagement with this technology, we have fully standardized all levels of the design process […] which allows us to be competitive and available for any competition announced, despite the daily workload of current projects.” Similarly, A&S Architects point out that these new tools allow architects to have “more qualitative time for study, design, and research.”

Read part of the Petras Architects interview

Read part of the A&S Architects interview

06. Materials define what and how we build

Panagiotis Touliatos, Trail Practice

Materiality is not a secondary parameter but a structural element of architecture, capable of redefining its limits and possibilities. Panagiotis Touliatos shows how a material, which was long considered limited, i.e., wood can, through research and practice, become a vehicle for innovation. As he notes, “one construction after another facilitated the development in Greece of large-scale and bold wooden structures. Various misconceptions collapsed.” Similarly, Trail Practice focuses on reuse and recycling of materials: “we always try in our projects to reuse and recycle materials that pre-existed in the space, that is, to map them, evaluate them, and change their form -a practice that constitutes a primary goal for every design idea.” In a hospitaity project in Lefkada, they even proposed the creation of a glass bottle recycling space for producing a unique type of glass brick. Materials therefore are not merely means of construction but shape the very identity of architecture.

Read part of the Panagiotis Touliatos interview

Read part of the Trail Practice interview

07. Design balances between aesthetics and functionality

Costas Gagos Architecture and Design, Georges Batzios Architects

The constant negotiation between form and use lies at the heart of architecture. Costas Gagos describes how the dining spaces he creates are not based only on impressive images but on experience: “a restaurant must be beautiful, with nice atmosphere, functional, and certainly have a concept.” Meanwhile, Georges Batzios adds another dimension to the discussion, rejecting the standardization of aesthetics and stating that “architecture is not a commercial product, it is a vision in which the architect is called to give function, matter, and texture. Our identity self-destructs and regenerates with each personal user experience, at every moment in time.” Each project, therefore, becomes a new starting point, balancing between vision and practicality.

Read part of the Costas Gagos Architecture and Design interview

Read part of the Georges Batzios Architects interview

08. Architecture converses with other fields

Erieta Attali, Saint of Athens

Architecture never functions in isolation. Saint of Athens draw from typography and branding to create spaces that communicate as strongly as an image or a logo. “Essentially, we have created a completely different way of collaboration. We bring the idea, and the collaborating architects strengthen it. A workshop delivers the final result.” In contrast, the more interpretive perspective of photographer Erieta Attali positions photography as a bridge: not simple documentation, but a narrative of the relationship between the building and its environment. As she notes, “the photographing of architecture (not necessarily ‘architectural photography’) can reveal and intensify the interaction between artifacts and their respective environments, surpassing the utilitarian, documentary dimension of the medium so that it functions as a tool for interpretation and understanding.” In this way, photography converses equally with space, adding a new dimension to the field of architecture.

Read part of the Saint of Athens interview

Read part of the Erieta Attali interview

09. The role of the architect is constantly changing

A&M Architects, Plaini and Karahalios Architects

The role of the architect is fluid -the designer, the craftsman, the philosopher, the coordinator, the entrepreneur. A&M Architects embody the “total design” model, where different specialties work under one umbrella, offering integrated solutions. Marika Mavroleon explains: “we created teams dealing with various parts such as Architecture, Engineering, Interior & Graphic Design, but also Project & Construction Management, specialties that allow us to coordinate and manage our projects until the delivery to the client.” At the same time, Elisavet Plaini brings forward the entrepreneurial aspect of the architect’s role. “To practice the profession as a freelancer essentially involves two activities: one scientific and one entrepreneurial […] the design criterion is based not only on principles and scientific terms but also on market dynamics and the relationship with each client.” The architect is thus called to balance between creator and entrepreneur, idealist and realist, constantly adapting their role to the demands of the profession and society.

Read part of the A&M Architects interview

Read part of the Plaini and Karahalios Architects interview

10. Every project keeps an eye out for the future

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos

Architecture is by nature future-oriented; every project is a promise of how we will live and move in the cities and buildings of tomorrow. Fran Silvestre notes that “years ago, architecture distinguished itself in terms of design. Today, the differentiating factor is sustainability.” For him, the future lies in deepening the relationship between architecture and health, with tools such as neuro-architecture now measuring the emotional response of the user, radically changing the way design is evaluated. Similarly, A&S Architects see virtual and augmented reality, as well as artificial intelligence, as the technologies that will shape the next day, with an emphasis on social relationships. “Let us imagine how one might work from their home, in an unprecedentedly realistic experience that resembles as much as possible the physical presence in the office.” The future of architecture thus emerges as a place where sustainability, health, and technology coexist, radically redefining the human experience of built space.

Read part of the Fran Silvestre Arquitectos interview