BUREAU DE CHANGE
We talk to Billy Mavropoulos and Katerina Dionysopoulou – award-winning co-founders of the Hackney-based studio
What inspired you to become architects? ‘My mother subscribed to Italian architecture and interior design magazines, so I spent hours looking through them as a child,’ explains Mavropoulos. ‘When I was young I used to talk to my parents’ friends about the choices they made in their homes,’ adds Dionysopoulou. ‘That developed into a love of drawing houses.’
How can architects bring value to housing design? ‘We keep the clients’ briefs and aspirations at the core of the process,’ explains Mavropoulos. ‘Everyone’s priorities are different and the way they use their house is different too. That’s why there’s no repetition in the properties we’ve designed.’
Tell us what ‘home’ means to you? ‘It’s a place that’s familiar and personal, where you can be yourself. It changes and grows with you; it is almost an extension of your identity,’ says Mavropoulos. ‘It’s a space filled with memories, family, your past but also your present and future,’ elaborates Dionysopoulou. Your favourite room to design? ‘The kitchen, such as in the Folds House ( 1). I grew up in Greece, where people coming together over food is integral to our culture. Seeing how people use that multifunctional space and what they want to make out of it is fascinating,’ says Mavropoulos.
What has been your favourite project to date? Long House ( 3) – it was our first project in the British countryside. We had to think creatively about embedding something modern into a traditional setting. I particularly love how the windows were accentuated through the use of a traditional Japanese charring technique and have been brushed back to create a sense of movement and surprise on the façade,’ Dionysopoulou tells us.
Current projects? ‘We are working on the new London Fashion District in Hackney Wick for the Trampery,’ says Dionysopoulou. ‘It’s 11 buildings with fashion studios, and we’re looking at looms and fabric dyeing as a way to echo the site’s history. We’re also designing a new houseboat for Regents Canal, a 45-room hotel in Athens and a café in Shoreditch.’ The nearby Somesuch workspace ( 2), with its glass offices, is another Bureau de Change design.
Is there a building that you wish you had designed? ‘The Tate Modern. Everything about it and how it reinvented the way galleries work – it was groundbreaking,’ says Mavropoulos. ‘Any one of Gaudí’s buildings!’ grins Dionysopoulou. ‘I love the three dimensionality of the exteriors, the attention to detail and the clarity of his spatial diagrams.’ b-de-c.com
‘HOME IS A PLACE THAT CHANGES AND GROWS WITH YOU; IT IS ALMOST AN EXTENSION OF YOUR IDENTITY’