Draftworks* architects & Koutsoumpos Leonidas (BLOD)

23.04.2024

As part of the 20th lecture series of Greek Architects, titled “Lectures & Dialogues”, the Hellenic Institute of Architecture held the fifth event of the series on April 23, 2024, at the restaurant of the Benaki Museum on Pireos Street. The event was recorded by BLOD (Bodossaki Lectures on Demand), and the talks—along with their accompanying presentations—are available at the following link:

https://www.blod.gr/lectures/dialekseis-dialogoi-draftworksstar-architects-leonidas-koutsoumpos/

The Lectures of Greek Architects have historically been an emblematic institution of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture (HIA). Over the past two decades, prominent creators have been invited to present their work. Showcasing the diverse expressions of architectural practice, along with their critical reflection, has been a defining feature of this initiative. The parallel presentation of the work of two architectural offices—followed by a dialogue between them and with the audience—is seen as a valuable opportunity to spark public discussion on architecture and its relationship with the institutions, processes of production and critique, as well as its multiple forms in both private and public space.

The overall coordination of the lecture series, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the H.I.A., was undertaken by Anastasios Kotsiopoulos (Architect, Professor Emeritus at AUTh), Dionisis Sotovikis (Architect), and Sofia Tsiraki (Architect, Professor at NTUA).

In the fifth lecture of the series, participants were:

Draftworks* architects(Christiana Ioannou, Christos Papastergiou)

“THE REMAINING”

The aim of this presentation is to discuss our team’s work across various scales and programs, using the concept of the remaining as a starting point—an idea that brings together two architectural components. First, the void: space that is ‘left over,’ whose significance for us stems from a personal compositional mythology developed since our student years. This perspective views architecture as an act of creating a built framework that shapes different types and scales of voids and ‘useless’ spaces. Second, the unpredictable, the incidental, and the spontaneous—and our effort to incorporate these elements into our architecture, primarily through the integration of vegetation and nature as part of the built environment. We will conclude by discussing how we understand the enclosed garden as a typology that brings together these two concepts—as a designed remnant—and becomes a vehicle of locality, through the participation of nature, climate, materiality, and use in the design process.

Leonidas Koutsoumpos

FORMATIONS OF COMPOSITIONAL PRINCIPLES

Through the presentation of selected designed and built architectural works, an introspective attempt is made to rationalize the design process. This involves a search for a set of principles that govern the work within the design studio. These principles stem from the ordering power of architecture and the need to establish a system of rules—along with their local exceptions. What emerges is a field of investigation that explores the close relationship between architectural structure and form, with an emphasis on tectonic clarity and transparency. The limits of self-structuring and external determination of the architectural work are also examined, in relation to each specific site. Finally, the ethical dimension of the work is sought—both in terms of its internal coherence and in relation to the social dimension of architecture and the actual or envisioned modes of inhabitation.

#eialectures20

The architectural firm draftworks* architects was founded in London in 2006 by Christiana Ioannou and Christos Papastergiou and is currently based in Nicosia and Athens. The team has been awarded in various architectural competitions, including the 1st prize in the architectural competition for the Environmental Education Center of Alykes, Larnaca; the 2nd prize for a school complex in Palermo (in collaboration with AutonomeForme); a distinction from MIT for the project ‘The New Zidonians’; and 1st prize for the project ‘MUUSA’ in the architectural ideas competition ‘Next Helsinki,’ curated by Michael Sorkin.* The firm’s works have been published and exhibited worldwide, including at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008 and 2012, the Milan Triennale 2022, and in magazines such as Bauwelt, Site, and Blueprint. Their work has also been featured in the book ATLAS of Emerging Practices.

The project ‘Residence with Four Gardens’ won first prize in the ‘Built Work’ category and the first prize in the ‘Peers’ category at the DOMA Awards (jury: Valerio Olgiati, Emilio Tunon, Oliver Thill) and was also shortlisted for the 2019 Piranesi Award and the 2022 Mies van der Rohe Award. The firm works on studies and supervision of projects at various scales and with diverse content, including art exhibitions, private residences, public buildings, and urban developments, placing special emphasis on architectural media such as drawings, models, and storytelling.

Christiana Ioannou was born in Nicosia. She holds a degree in Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), awarded with an IKY scholarship, and a Master of Science (MSc) specializing in Design-Space-Culture from the NTUA School of Architecture. Since 2010, she has been teaching Architectural Design studios at the School of Architecture of the University of Cyprus.

Christos Papastergiou was born in Athens. He holds a degree in Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a Master of Science (MSc) specializing in Design-Space-Culture from the NTUA School of Architecture, and a PhD in Architectural Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL (funded by an IKY scholarship). He has taught Architectural Design and Theory at the University of Cyprus and the University of Nicosia, and in 2023 he was appointed Assistant Professor in Sector I, Architectural Design at the NTUA School of Architecture.

Leonidas Koutsoumbos (born 1976) is an architect and serves as an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), specializing in the theory of architectural design. He earned his diploma from the same school in 2001 and completed postgraduate studies there in 2004. As an IKY scholar, he completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2008. He has also taught at the Schools of Architecture in Edinburgh and Patras.

He maintains an architectural practice that he views as a workshop/site where architectural ideas are constructed. The firm develops architectural designs at various scales and devises methods for their realization. The practice operates across a range of scales, including private residences, apartment buildings, and architectural competitions for public buildings. It has also been involved in restoration projects of buildings with historical significance and the enhancement of archaeological sites in collaboration with archaeological authorities.