Alexandros N. Tombazis, Architect, Greece

Born in India in 1939, he spent his early childhood in India and England before moving permanently to Greece. As a child he wanted to be a painter, and it was his painting teacher who first suggested the idea of his becoming an architect. Architecture was then for him something abstract and difficult to comprehend, but once the decision was taken, he never regretted it. His interest in technology and the first oil crisis made him turn towards the use of solar and alternative energy sources, which have become an integral part of his architectural design.

Today, Alexandros Tombazis divides his time between his office, which employs about 60 people, and travelling. A lecture at a congress or to University students gives him the opportunity to express his thoughts, but also becomes the starting block for one more trip, which combines his basic interests - architecture, painting, photography - and through these the exploration of yet another part of the world. Alexandros Tombazis has been awarded prizes in more than 110 national, international or invited competitions. Apart from those in Greece, projects have been built in Cyprus, Portugal, the Netherlands, Romania, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. In 1991 he was elected honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects, while in 2006 he was awarded an honorary PhD by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.