P O N T I K I S + A S S O C I

P O N T I K I S + A S S O C I A T E S

ARCHITECTURE ● INTERIORS ● LANDSCAPE

Philosophy

Life in Towns and Buildings

Towns and buildings which have "life" are environments that make us feel whole in ourselves. We feel that we belong to them and they belong to us. They make our lives better. They make us feel relaxed, free, and at peace with ourselves. These kind of structures, with humane and sustainable qualities, were mostly present in traditional environments but unfortunately are mostly absent in contemporary ones. Contemporary communities and buildings do provide shelter for people and space for gatherings and events but deep down they make us feel not that comfortable and not that whole. We are not proposing to look back in a romantic way and copy traditional forms or use building methods and materials which are obsolete and not economical to use today. What we are trying to do is create contemporary building structures that respect people, are culturally specific, and live in harmony with the natural environment.

Theoretical Background

In our work we employ fundamental principles of the “art of building” which give life and true functionality to buildings and towns. The theoretical basis of our work, which grew out of our association with Christopher Alexander in Berkeley, lies in the theories of Pattern Language, Nature of Order, and Generative Sequences. These theories inspire us and help us to create functional and geometrical order in our buildings. Integrated design and construction processes allow us to get directly involved in the making of our buildings and improve the building form to achieve its maximum potential. User participation helps us to create environments that are responsive to human needs and aspirations and are culturally specific. Employment of craft techniques and color investigations help us to produce harmonious buildings that belong to their environments. We use materials and construction systems that are user friendly and energy efficient, responding to specific human and climatic needs. Therefore, our philosophy is grounded on a theoretical basis of architecture and interior design, which supports the notion of value in buildings and lays out an approach of creating livable and sustainable structures, which can be comfortable, beautiful, and supportive of all human beings.

Inspiration

A lot of things inspire us in our lives. Inspiration has to do with connecting ourselves with the environment, people, and the beyond. Communities, buildings, gardens, handcrafted details, people, all inspire us to create a better, more humane environment.

Traditional Environments

Traditional towns and architecture of the Greek islands and Cyprus

Courtyard houses

Traditional handcrafted details

Byzantine architecture such as Hagia Sophia in Contsantinouple

Greek Orthodox churches, especially churches with beautiful frescoes

Mount Athos and its Orthodox monasteries

Architects, Architecture, and Design

Master architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, the Green brothers, Carlo Scarpa, Alvar Alto, and others who created humane architecture and interiors with great attention to detail

Arts and Crafts architecture and interiors in Europe and US

California Missions

Shaker Designs