The Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024 features Kasawoo, which joins our exciting annual round-up of emerging architecture studios from the UK.
Who: Kasawoo
London-based Kasawoo was founded by Kyriaki (Katie) Kasabalis and Darius Woo in 2020, after they met during their studies at Cornell University in the USA. Their studio was established with an aim to work on bringing great design to everyone. 'Early on in our practice, we discovered that good design was often out of reach for most people, and we made a commitment to change that. For us, good design does not need to come with a big price tag. That is why we set up our practice to bring this ethos to life,' they say.
This desire is combined with an approach that draws on a more ‘gentle’ architecture – minimalism, not through formal reduction, but rather through the efficiency of both design gestures and resources.
'In today’s material culture, we aim to redefine what ‘lightness’ means in construction through minimal and gentle interventions. We begin every project with a thoughtful assessment of the existing condition, asking ourselves what is the least we need to alter to really make a difference? We realise the potential of our projects through minimising demolition and we pride ourselves in always finding the smallest degree of intervention,' they say.
What: Vanato Cabin
This striking red cabin, was conceived as a tiny home on wheels on the island of Zakynthos in Greece. The project, titled Vanato Cabin, is a response to the pressures of fast tourism the country is facing and aims to create a compact, comfortable and design-led holiday retreat that touches lightly on its land and respects its environment and resources.
Vanato Cabin has been prefabricated off-site out of wood, reducing its carbon footprint through both building methods and material. At the same time, large openings ensure it connects with its surroundings. 'Two triangular wooden platforms fabricated on-site extend the interior space to the outside, allowing for both minimal living and maximum connection to nature,’ say the architects.
The cabin's bright colouring is not random, they add: ‘The exterior cladding is painted a deep red creating a visual link between the colour of the cabin and that of traditional houses found throughout the island, signalling the importance of new construction methods that respect their surroundings.'
Why: Architects’ Directory 2024
Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 24th edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, the UK, the USA, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.
