Category: Architecture and design

In a world where sustainability and environmentalism are taking centre stage, Architecture at Brighton equipped me with the skills necessary to have a head start in the revamping industry.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

I was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, about a decade into the transitional democracy that followed the communist regime. I grew up surrounded by the remnants of the socialist days, but also engulfed by various architectural attempts at modernisation and Westernisation. It was fascinating to witness the world around me changing, and looking back at it now, it helps me identify the origin of the issues that followed. Fixing that had always been a driving force of my architectural pursuits.

Yet my early influences were not ones who had done so in their own countries or focus fields. I was looking at the glamour of starchitects like Zaha Hadid, Bjarke Ingels, Frank Gehry, enamoured by their mastery of the craft and the recognition their projects amassed. It was a reputation I not only sought for myself, but also for my country. Later I learned more about De Stijl, the Bauhaus movement, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, and so many others, who have helped guide me on my journey so far!

Final year work