Aristides Dallas: "Architecture actively participates in shaping the culture of each place"

Vision & Values

Mr. Dallas can you talk to us about the vision and values of Aristides Dallas Architects?

As architects, we must listen to and interpret the needs and dreams of each employer, using our own thoughts and ideas to create the ideal living experience for them. At the same time, we place our projects on a timeline. Our references draw from the past, but we build in the present with a constant eye toward the future. During the composition process, the artist's instinct often collides with the knowledge of the craftsman and the scientist. For us, an architectural project will be compelling, as Le Corbusier would say, when it places the user's needs within a shell that is integrated with respect for its landscape and constructed with meticulous detail and care. Success comes when this combination is harmonious and true to its central idea.

Athens & Tinos

You have offices in Athens and Tinos. What is your relationship with these two diverse regions and what are the specific characteristics that you consider in the projects you undertake in each of them?

When we see a place, we always look for an idea so that the architecture can be harmoniously integrated. Every place needs a new compositional finding, a new central idea. Thus, each architectural proposal becomes an occasion for a new interpretation. The fact that we work simultaneously in an office in the heart of the city and on an island where the natural landscape dominates, multiplies our references and stimuli. We develop thought processes that are adapted to the environment. In this way our projects acquire an identity and are integrated into their environment in a unique way. It’s quite different to build among high-rise concrete buildings, than among trees and rocks.

Lap Pool House and ALUMIL

In 2022 the European Union's Mies van der Rohe Awards for Contemporary Architecture will take place and you have been nominated for your Lap Pool House project, an impressive residence in Tinos. In the project you collaborated with ALUMIL, using the company's advanced systems. With what design philosophy did you approach the requirements and how do you evaluate the contribution of ALUMIL's systems to the final result?

We are very happy that the project is nominated for the awards. The work is inspired by the particular geographical relief of the region and the strong rock formations. The structure of the building emerges from the natural landscape as a man-made cave, creating spaces that are both closed and outward looking. The culmination of this direct relationship with the exterior is the living room. The boundary between inside and outside is lost and the space under the single plate of concrete seems unified. This design intention was completed with the use of ALUMIL's special system for the space’s span. This corner opening highlights the abstract design of the building and emphasizes the unification of the relationship between the inside and the outside and with the view to the horizon

Ecological Crisis

The great challenge of our time is to address the ecological crisis by completely reforming our habits and embracing environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of our lives. What are your views on the current sustainability issues and how do they affect your work?

We are fully aware of the needs of today and we see it as our duty to reduce the environmental footprint of every project and adopt strategies that allow us to create buildings that are both environmentally sustainable and user-friendly. The issue with architecture is twofold. On the one hand, how we can construct "green" buildings; on the other hand we should find a way to reuse existing facades that burden both the built and natural environment. It's crucial that we leverage new materials and manufacturing technologies, and find ways to integrate them into our designs. Now is the time for all of us to take action in this direction.

The importance of architecture

In 2020, ALUMIL organized ArXellence 2, an international architectural competition for the redesign of Thessaloniki’s western waterfront, in terms of sustainable development. Do you believe that there is hope for the transformation of degraded areas in the urban environment of Greek cities?

Architecture - not only today but since its birth - focuses on the inhabitants. All of them. Therefore, architecture is directly linked to the aesthetic and cultural education of each place. A building is inhabited by its user, while at the same time participates in the spatial collage of its broader environment, thus giving back to the community. This automatically starts a dialog between buildings and citizens. Therefore, architecture, like any art or science, actively participates in shaping the culture of each place. It helps to shape society's vision, the image of the future. The hope lies in the efforts made by society and the state as an institution to elevate and enrich this culture.

What is good architecture

Which iconic architectural work of the past do you admire over time?

Studying architecture teaches you to observe and study existing examples of architecture implemented (or even not constructed) by masters of the past. You look to them for the principles of design, the starting point of the thread for how to design space. The proportions, the relationship between spaces, light, and shadow are the qualities that one seeks and examines in the projects. I could say that there isn't one single project that I personally distinguish, and it certainly isn't necessarily iconic. Good architecture is found in the structure of the building and not on how famous it is.

Influences

As an architect, which do you consider to be your main influences? Is there an architect who early in your career played a role in shaping your personal style?

The architect who influenced my views on architecture the most is my professor Tasis Papaioannou. He helped me realize the importance of observation. That architecture is right in front of us as long as we find the right way to read it, to interpret it. In his thinking and work I saw common elements with Le Corbusier and Tadao Ando, two architects from the long list of architects who influence our own work. What I understood about these teachers is that their works showed their thought process and their central idea. This is the direction that I would like to follow in my approach to architecture.

The role of the team

Before we finish, Mr. Dallas, could you share a few words about the people on your team? As we know, you have a large team of young and experienced architects by your side. Ultimately, does the ingredient for success lie in talented partners, provided they are led by an inspiring coordinator?

In recent years the team has been growing. Our way of working is changing and adapting to new circumstances. We see the group as a small orchestra. Everyone has a role, but the result is always the combination of all of us. In a large team, the synthesis of all the different thoughts and opinions helps to produce well thought out and well-rounded projects.  This is unique and helps us to keep moving forward and discover new things all the time. The team helps to ensure that our creativity is constantly stimulated.