Papadatos weighs in on the realities that affect design.

When many architects are asked to explain their design choices, they talk of high concepts and the high tech. After 37 years in the business, Steve Papadatos knows that, sometimes, to make a building work, you've got to look lower.

For example, Papadatos, an expert on Byzantine architecture and a renowned architect of religious facilities, noted that "fewer people these days sit in pews, but not necessarily by choice." Why? Well, "in 1970," he said, "it took 20 inches to seat the average American; 30 years later it took four additional inches; and today, 36 years later, it's 26.5 inches.

He said the reason for the reason for the increase in business, are "bigger butts." Bigger butts are the result, in part, to "bigger portions, bigger candy bars, bigger steaks--bigger everything--which translates into bigger people."

Continuing, he said, "It's not just bigger butts. Front-to-back spacing between pews used to be 40 inches. It is now 43 inches, particularly when kneelers are used. So, it isn't just bigger butts, but bigger stomachs, creating the demand for larger houses of worship."

While America's eating habits and failure to stay fit is a sad commentary on American lives, Papadatos said, "The reality is this directly relates to how buildings and products are designed."

For example, the marketing by fast-food chains to "biggie-size" food portions may also have a direct correlation to the "biggie-sizing" of residential properties.

Specifically, the so-called "MacMansions," the building of residences that exceed the parameters of other homes on a block, standing out like throbbing sore thumbs.

Each one of these residences, he maintained, "is uglier than the next."

Papadatos knows from wherein he speaks. With nearly four decades of experience designing religious facilities, retail and other commercial projects, including banks, lobbies and interior spaces, and with the masterplanning of large complexes throughout the U.S., Papadatos has and continues to keep his finger on the pulse of the business.

He is well known for predicting trends and had, for many years, authored a regular column on "Renovation and Interior Design."

This is why he points to larger religious complexes as a new trend that addresses the total needs of congregations, including social and sports activities.

Another architectural tend, he said, which began in the 1970s and never caught on until the "greening" of projects in the last several years, is the use of alternative energy sources such as fuel cells, solar panels and water conservation.

Papadatos calls the water conservation trend "ecological maintenance." Ecological maintenance, he explained, is the recycling of a building's water using water capture systems, for flushing and other building needs.

"Today's developers want water capture systems for ecological maintenance. They want it built into their designs because they can use water capture and its benefits to market their space, while taking advantage of energy conservation and green building tax benefits.

Papadatos praised those developers who have had their buildings designed with a distinctive "signature"--a short-term trend prevalent in New York City just a few short years ago.

In the long run, the uniqueness of each building design serves as its own "personality"--something that distinguished the building and the neighborhood in which it stood.

Papadatos himself has been a unique personality on the New York and International scenes for years. He has served in various positions for the Society of American Registered Architects and is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He has served on competition juries and is, himself, an award-winning architect.

While Papadatos makes light of the need for larger pews, he is an architect who takes design seriously. He wants developers and the public to remain aware of the world around them and remember the need for functional design that is also aesthetically pleasing.

While hopeful for the future or architecture, the ever-wry Papadatos noted that some bad designs will inevitably get built.

"Some architecture, like that of the MacMansions, are tasteless," Papadatos said, "and attract owners with similar characteristics."