Eirini is an architect that works across the education, residential and commercial sectors.
Recently, she has been exploring how teams comes together and researching the methods and tools needed to work more collaboratively and creatively.
If you weren’t in this career, what would you be?
I would love to be an anthropologist. There is so much crossover with architecture and urban planning. It’s about understanding how people live and what makes their lives meaningful. This is part of my design process, engaging with the client to understand what is important to them, whilst analysing how they organise themselves and how it can be improved. Ideally, when I design a place or a building, I want it to enhance people’s lived experience in a seamless way.
What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on to date?
I am really enjoying the two projects I am currently working on. One is a multi-headed commercial client that wants to create a base in the UK and the other is a small residential development for high-end, quality homes in Bristol. I love the variation in scale and complexity between the two schemes.
What are the key challenges that affect your sector, or are likely to in the next five years?
I think we will have to measure and demonstrate more clearly how any proposed scheme is creating positive social value and considers its impact on the environment. We will need to think sustainability in a more holistic sense.
What advice would you give your 20 year old self?
Travel more (there is a pandemic coming that will close everything down for two years) and appreciate the unique perspective and skills you bring to the table. There is not one way of practicing architecture and that’s brilliant, have fun with it.
Best book you’ve read?
I recently read ‘Kitchen’ by Banana Yoshimoto. It’s a series of short stories that start from an ordinary kitchen and end in a time warp phenomenon. It talks about the common things we all experience, like loss and pain, in the most surreal way.
Favourite podcast?
At the moment, it’s ‘Speaking Freely’ by Floyd Abrams, a US lawyer that specialises on the First Amendment. It uses current events to explore what free speech means.
Industry bodies
- RIBA
- ARB
- Women in Property South West