Author: bracket

“…in order to be a visionary one needs to be able to imagine a positive future, to have stamina and a good team by his side; a person who plans, makes the effort, and works around obstacles in order to reach his goals.”

It all started around 2002 when Konstantinos Karampatakis and his brother Dimitris decided to launch a “design practice rooted in Architecture” from their student flat in London. Since then, K-Studio has evolved into a practice of 75 people with a list of impressive residential, leisure, and infrastructure projects in destinations as varied as Mykonos and the Peloponnese, Israel, Qatar, Turkey, Panama, and Kuala Lumpur.

It may seem as if Konstantinos had his life’s path mapped out for him from an early age. His parents —both of them architects— used to take him and his brother to different construction sites as a weekend family activity. “It’s almost as if they were planting the seeds way ahead; so, when we started thinking of our undergraduate studies, architecture was something that just came so naturally to both Dimitris and myself.”

A hub for all things creative

While the element of collaboration has been there from the very beginning, it has grown steadily with the firm taking on more significant projects and expanding into other architectural sectors. “Our aim is to have our studio functioning as a central hub; we’ve always been keeping conversations going with larger and smaller architectural firms and specialist design experts, sharing ideas and knowledge, and combining our practices to add value. For us, the rationale for collaboration is always quality and creating the right conditions in order to deliver projects of the highest standards.”

Vora, Santorini, Greece, 2018. Photo by Stale Eriksen

A detective-like approach to design

Konstantinos believes that in order to design buildings that merge light, wind, topology, human needs, and intentions into a holistic approach, an architect must display the ability to think analytically and to have the kind of mind that is constantly seeking to find ways to fix problems and overcome challenges.

Barbouni, Costa Navarino, Greece. Photo by Yorgos Kardakis

“One could argue that each project we’ve been invited to collaborate and work on is —at least in the beginning— a collection of imperfect conditions. Some of them are obvious. Like having a location with strong winds and great views… what do you do when the views are so great? Or, how do you stop the wind from hitting the building face-on?” 

A good example of such a project is the Barbouni beach restaurant in Costa Navarino, K-Studio’s first collaboration with TEMES Group, a leading investor, developer, and operator of high-end tourism and real estate destinations in Greece. “Keep the views, stop the wind” was one of the client’s main requests but K-Studio came up with the idea to “keep the views, use the wind”. The structure of the building is formed by a grid of natural wooden columns. Over the dining area, an inverted field of hanging fabric sheets forms a canopy that sways soothingly in the dissipated wind, allowing air to circulate and the space to stay cool.

“Each project has its own quirkiness,” says Kostantinos. “The first thing we do is try to think like a good detective. We break down all the parameters of the project —what is good and what needs to be reevaluated. Then we investigate every aspect of it creatively.” 

Dexamenes, Kourouta, Greece. Photo by Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann

Sometimes, doing less is even better

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we cannot possibly anticipate what the world will look like even in five years’ time. But that doesn’t keep Konstantinos and his team from looking to the future, rethinking the way things are done, and coming up with fresh ideas to deliver long-term value.

“I am optimistic because I believe that technology will bring a merging of knowledge and expansion of the mind, allowing us to better understand nature and ourselves. I also believe it will bring forward the need for more sustainable building projects. I am hopeful it will shine a light on the things we don’t do so well. It can teach architects to be less extravagant, less invasive, and a little bit more thoughtful; because bulldozing your way through and building something from scratch is not always the most energy-efficient way of doing things.” 

This “treading lightly” philosophy is evident in the way K-Studio approached the project of Dexamenes, a seaside hotel that opened in 2020 at the site of an abandoned old wine factory in western Peloponnese. “From the outset, it was clear that the strong history and raw beauty of the existing buildings should not only be preserved but showcased in a design that would breathe new life into their walls. I can safely say that the success of this project lies in what we didn’t do; in what we preserved and what we reused.”

Shared Beliefs, Shared Goals

With regard to their current projects, K-Studio has been working alongside Tombazis & Associates Architects for the design of the Mandarin Oriental 5* hotel at Costa Navarino, the first property of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Greece, due to open in 2023. “ This project has proved a great challenge for our practice, mostly because of its size and ambition. But it’s been wonderful working with Tombazis & Associates Architects and we have learned so much from this collaboration.”

Dexamenes, Kourouta, Greece. Photo by Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann

For Konstantinos, the importance of collaborations bound by shared beliefs and goals is indisputable. “When different people —or in our case, clients, architects, and contractors— are united around a common cause, it’s indeed, something very special. Such is the relationship we have with Orama Minimal Frames. During this project, with seamless transitions between inside and outside spaces being of the utmost importance, we became truly aware of Orama’s great understanding of window systems, their eagerness, and skill to rethink things in order to cater to architectural needs.”

Villa Mandra, Mykonos, Greece. Photo by Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann

A visionary is someone with a positive outlook

“Architects live in a different time zone than most other professionals, because it takes digitally, physically, practically, and mentally such a long time for a project to come to life. So, for me, in order to be a visionary one needs to be able to imagine a positive future, to have stamina and a good team by his side; a person who plans, makes the effort, and works around obstacles in order to reach his goals.”

Konstantinos Karampatakis, Athens 2022

“Our work is about continuing the history of an existing site and bringing value to all its scars.”

Brecht De Geest, is co-owner of VIEW and Orama’s business partner for Belgium. In this edition of the VISIONARIES he joins architect Patrick Lefebure from Archipl Architects, to talk about the transformation and repurposing of the historic Hanet Castle in Ghent, Belgium.

Joining longevity and innovation

Ghent —or Gent in Flemish, Gand in French— is Belgium’s fourth-largest city with a vibrant, even quirky history. It is the city that once controlled Europe’s lucrative textile trade and the major river routes to the North Sea; it is where Jan Van Eyck created ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ one of the most significant works of art in Europe, and finally, it is the city that Prince called “the funkiest place in the world.”

Kasteel Hanet, Ghent, Belgium

The historic Kasteel Hanet was built originally in the outskirts of Ghent and began its life as the residence of alocal textile baron. In 1934, it was purchased by the Cistercian nuns and converted into the renowned‘Maria Middelares’ hospital.

Kasteel Hanet before building conservation & repurposing. Photo by Archipl Architects 

“Being based in this unique city, we are quite familiar with historic building conservation and repurposing; with working to connect the past and the future,” Patrick Lefebure tells Brecht De Geest at the beginning of their conversation. “In this sense, our work is about continuing the history of an existing site and bringing value to all its scars.”

Kasteel Hanet before building conservation & repurposing. Photo by Archipl Architects

This was particularly true with this site. By 2015, when the AZ Maria Middelares hospital moved to its new premises, the building of Kasteel Hanet had undergone numerous alterations on various occasions which had changed its appearance substantially. When Archipl Architects started working on the reconstruction of the decommissioned hospital and its conversion into a mixed use space, most of the original structure had already been torn down.

“Instead of restoring the building to an exact copy of its original state, we started to roll back time, so to speak, and deconstruct. The volume has remained the same, but we sort of amputated the rear side of the castle, resulting in a two-faced building, with one side proudly representing the past and the other, so to speak, looking into the future.”

Kasteel Hanet after the building conservation & repurposing, Ghent, 2021

For the newly built facade, Patrick Lefebure and his team took inspiration from the old conservatories of the late-19th century mansion houses and designed a large orangery-like construction featuring a complex grid of metal pillars. “The building has a great orientation so the idea was to use glass panels that could fully open the windows in the evening sun and connect with the park. And so, we called upon Brecht De Geest and VIEW to realise this beautiful concept where the corner windows can be fully slid open.”

Kasteel Hanet, Ghent, Belgium. Open corner sliding solution by Orama Minimal Frames

Shift your thinking, change your perspective

Brecht de Geest & Patrick Lefebure during the interview, Ghent, 2021

Brecht De Geest and VIEW worked alongside Patrick Lefebure and his team to bring this project to life. “We have been working for a long time with Orama Minimal Frames.And in projects like Kasteel Hanet when the stakes are high and the deadlines imminent, we try to put all our knowledge and expertise into the hands of the architects to help them realize their aspirations.  On the other hand, Brecht continues, we are always looking forward to working with architects who will ‘stretch’ our standard way of working, who can make us shift our way of thinking. Most often, this type of collaboration benefits the design and the final result.”

People who are able to change their perspective, to reflect effectively and purposefully in order to facilitate ongoing personal and professional learning, practitioners who probe the boundaries of their profession and the possibilities it provides -those are the Visionaries according to Brecht De Geest. “Together, these people can build things that are renewing and inspiring for the whole community, much like the Kasteel Hanet.”

Kasteel Hanet, Ghent, Belgium. Photo by Archipl Architects

“A visionary is someone who can touch people’s lives, even in small ways”.

Samer Noureddine, Founder and General Manager of Gutmann Lebanon, is Orama’s business partner for the Middle East. With a career that spans over 30 years and countless projects in Dubai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, he talks to us with intuition and insight about the role of architecture in the evolution of minimal frames and what it takes to move forward in business and in life.

The art of moving forward

“You either show initiative, or you don’t.” Samer Noureddine recalls the words of his first employer some 30 years ago when he called him into his office after his first few days at work. “This has been the single piece of advice that has impacted my career the most. Working hard and always being prepared; Following things through; Spotting and acting on opportunities; Keeping an open mind to new ideas and new possibilities.”

Five years ago, he took the same proactive approach and realized his long-term career dream by establishing Gutmann Lebanon. “Skill, flexibility, and courage are what pushes our team to innovate and to overcome challenges.” When asked what makes his company so successful, it became evident that Samer Noureddine has a deep understanding of what it means to provide the benefits your customers seek.

Samer Noureddine during the interview, Beirut, 2021

“We have a great product to offer to the construction industry. But quality is more than making a good product. Quality for us is primarily customer-driven, not technology-driven, production-driven, or competitor-driven.”

Saifi 477, mixed use tower, close to Beirut’s harbor. Designed by Mohamad Arayssi, Batimat Architects

To be dedicated to your clients, listen carefully to their requirements, and use your critical thinking and engineering skills to fulfill their vision, are traits that Gutmann Lebanon shares with George Tsimpikos, Francis Flamant and the Orama Minimal Frames team. “I have known George and Francis for a very long time, and I deeply admire them as people and as professionals. We have the same goals and values; We share our successes, but we also support each other through difficulty, challenge and change.”

A double challenge that Gutmann and Orama Minimal Frames are currently facing together is the rebuilding of a 10.0 m by 5.5 m fully motorized minimal sliding facade of a penthouse in Beirut that got destroyed from the port blast on August 4, 2020. “It is ironic, but that’s life. One of the most challenging projects of my career so far, and I have to do it twice! But joking aside, the August explosion was a huge thing, a devastating thing. And Gutmann, the team, myself, everybody around us is helping in every way they can to rebuild our city.”

Beirut’s port after the blast of the 4th of August, 2020

A dialogue between performance and aesthetics

Samer Noureddine is a firm believer in the importance of collaboration between architects and constructors or facade designers. “Architects are a catalyst in what we do. If it wasn’t for their visionary designs, we might still be selling aluminum systems out of a catalog.” This continuous dialogue between aesthetic and performance driven invention is one reason Samer loves his job. “Architects conceive of something, and we enter this virtuous process of innovation and experimentation until we come up with the right solution. It’s a hard process, but when you see the finished product, it is such an amazing sensation.”

Saifi 477, mixed use tower in Beirut. Designed by Mohamad Arayssi, Batimat Architects

Starting up a business from scratch and building your team’s capabilities—their ability to innovate, to respond to customers’ changing needs, and to create more and different value with each new project they complete—is Samer Noureddine’s idea of a business visionary. On a more personal level, he believes that “a visionary is someone who can touch people’s lives, even in small ways.” And before concluding our conversation, he adds, “while we are on the soft side of things, I would recommend that people take it easy; Happiness and success rely on being humble, thinking constructive thoughts, acting with intent, and creating strong relationships with others.”

Samer Noureddine, Beirut, 2021

Gutmann Lebanon is the number one licensed partner in Lebanon for the Orama Minimal Frames systems.  Samer Nouredinne is currently collaborating with Batimat Architects and Mohamed Arayssi for the rebuilding of the Saifi 477 tower in Beirut, using Orama Minimal Frames.

Read the interview with Mohamed Arayssi from Batimat Architects 

“We are all connected, even when separated by great distances”

Mohamad Arayssi is Managing Director and Design Principal of Batimat Architects. He was born and raised in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon and one of the oldest cities in the world, a city that has emerged as a global center for culture and new architecture despite its turbulent history and ongoing political tensions. We met the architect in Paris where is currently living and had a conversation about his work, his vision as an architect and the sense of belonging to a place and to a wider connected community.

Live and rebuild with purpose

“I do not doubt that the way I am wired is shaped by Beirut, by its diversity and multiculturalism, and by the constructive energy of the Lebanese people” who live every moment intensely, as one never knows what tomorrow brings. Living with purpose and being able to do what needs to be done now, proved a particularly important trait to have, especially after what happened in Beirut on August 4, 2020. There are points in our history that we can’t help but look back on as signaling a profound change in how we live, work, think, and even view other people. The devastating explosion of that day “was beyond anything we’d experienced before, even during the Lebanese Civil War. Whilst this awful blast came at a very sensitive time for our country, it did also serve as the long-awaited catalyst to rethink the city of Beirut.”

Beirut, Lebanon

Saifi 477, mixed use tower in Beirut, close to the harbor

At the time of this apocalyptic accident, Mohamad Arayssi and his practice were about to hand over the Saifi 477 project, a 17-floor mixed-use tower, built at the edge of a traditional neighborhood just 900m from the explosion site. The building was heavily damaged, not a single aluminum glass frame remained, and the handover was set back for another year and a half. “Everyone is determined to refinish this project. Not only because we have an obligation to the buyers and the developer, but also as a sign that Beirut will rebuild. We will rebuild.” 

From an architect’s point of view, “I hope that the 4th of August will bring forward a more mature approach to property development in Beirut, in terms of being more mindful of the long-term consequences of what we construct, balancing market supply and demand, and creating more resilient, ecologically and economically sustainable and human-scale buildings.”

                                                                            We are all connected, even when separated by great distances 

As we face not one but two global crises—the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change— Mohamad Arayssi is already thinking ahead and speaks passionately about the need to create better cities for the future. “Projects to be used in ten years are being planned today. I believe there is a definitive responsibility that lands in the hands and on the sketchpads of architects and planners, in making urban environments, the cities and buildings around the world, more responsible, more ecological, and more humble.”

The fact that architects and designers ought to reassess our cities’ infrastructure needs to understand not only how they deliver value today, but what citizens will consider value-adding in the future, came up many times in our conversation. After an anxious year of quarantine, self-isolation, and social distancing, Mohamad Arayssi believes that “a more humanistic approach to architecture and urban planning is impending. Creating healthy environments that foster people’s physical and mental well-being, while strengthening human interaction and the bonds of the community, will become necessary qualities for the success of every new project.”

“Le Bureau” office tower built in Beirut / Achrafieh

Each of  Arayssi’s projects, although completely different from the other in regard to its physical manifestation, represents these concerns. “Le Bureau” office tower built in Achrafieh, Beirut, quickly became a market reference point that “challenged the stereotypical office building and introduced a novel model by integrating multi-level gardens within its volume”.

The simplicity with which it maximizes its orientation for natural light without overheating and glare, the richness of the floor plates (allowing multiple corner offices but also extending further the perimetrical glazing and therefore creating deeper spaces), the way one perceives it scale-wise from a distance, are all tactical design interventions with a big impact both for the people using the building but also for those who experience it from the outside. “This dialogue is really representative of the discussion that we keep having when we are tackling different architecture projects.” 

Having worked as a professional architect for almost 25 years, there is a definite maturity and swiftness in the way that Mohamad Arayssi approaches his projects. “This is not to say that there isn’t still a certain sense of innocence every time we start working on a new building; in a manner of exploring different approaches to the design situation presented, of not yet knowing how these ideas will translate into a physical building product. Certain aspects of the work are much more immediate in terms of technicalities, but the thinking process is always the same; it still takes time, patience, investigation, sketching, big picture thinking, then delving down to the tiniest detail.”

When asked what qualities define a visionary, Arayssi replies with passion and a focus on keeping all that is necessary “Humility, Sensitivity, Simplicity, Accountability, Knowledge.”

Mohamad Arayssi during the interview, Paris, 2021

Mohamad Arayssi is currently working alongside GUTMANN Lebanon for the rebuilding of the Saifi 477 tower in Beirut, using Orama Minimal Frames.

“Visionaries are the ones who realize their childhood dreams”

George Tsimpikos is the co-founder and Managing Director or, as he would rather be referred to, the team principal of Orama Minimal Frames. Over this post, he gives us an insight into his world and the minimal frame business, the company vision, the people he enjoys working with and the international network the company has developed.

How it all started

In the midst of the Greek financial crisis, as the aluminum frame trading and installation business George and his brother had inherited contracted, they began thinking about the potential future. The new business venture was named after the Greek word for Vision (=όραμα) and Orama Minimal Frames was born in 2014 as a partnership with EXALCO, a major extrusion unit, with a mission to “develop a complete range of state-of-the-art  window systems that maintains the architects’ design intent –no matter how extreme or ambitious”. 

Orama’s Headquarters in Loutraki

Outside of Greece, the first countries Orama exported to was Belgium and Luxembourg. “We started small, but we dreamt big” and gradually the Middle East, Australia, Italy and the US were added as new export markets. Today, almost 10 years since its founding, Orama Minimal Frames is a Greek brand with an increasingly international presence in China, Indonesia, the Philippines and soon throughout Asia, with the support of a network of “trusted partners who value the European identity of the products, their outstanding quality and flawless appearance”. 

George’s respect for his team and partners is evident. “Our greatest success and most valuable asset is our people; first and foremost all our company employees, from the technicians, the administrative staff and the account managers, to the sales team headed by my dear colleague Francis Flamant, and second Orama’s network of partners, which extends to over 35 countries. We all share the same passion for the job and a desire to overcome challenges”.

Architecture has always been driven by human needs

The need for shelter, security and sanctuary. Today, it is also about the need for flexibility, environmental considerations, personalization, innovative materials and technologies. “As a company specialising in the design of minimal frame solutions, we relish the challenge of bringing our expertise to the table and working alongside our partners to develop the products that will bring the architects vision to light”.

MADE EXPO, Milan 2019

Architects are unique in their way of thinking; they have to be savvy as engineers and businessmen but they are also deeply engaged as designers and artists, and George Tsimpikos knows this all too well. “This brilliant balancing act of analytic and artistic creativity has inspired the design of our products and influenced the way we collaborate with the architects”.

Every project starts with a clean slate. Orama Minimal Frames designs and develops tailor-made window systems, working closely with its partners-manufacturers and offering know-how and support throughout the project. “Our expertise lies in developing custom solutions for our clients. If someone told us they needed a pivot window 5 meters high, we would sit down together with our partners and find a way to make it happen. This is what we love about our profession and what we thrive on”. The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences in Dubai is the largest project of Orama with almost 35,000sqm of minimal window panels “for which we offered our expertise and raw materials”.

Royal Atlantis By KPF

Just before the Covid-19 pandemic brought everything to a standstill, George Tsimpikos used his travelling to oversee a project as an opportunity to experience and draw inspiration from the work of modern-day architects who lead the industry with their brilliant building design. “One of our projects that really made an impression on me is Álvaro Siza’s newest housing condominium developed in partnership with the Portuguese office COR Arquitectos and built in Gallarate, in the Italian region of Lombardy”. The complex recreates two local typologies – the Italian courtyard and the secluded villa – in a set of volumes that hints at the shapes of another one of Siza’s masterpieces, the Porto School of Architecture. “I have also seen some very interesting examples of residential architecture in Santa Barbara, Malibu and Palo Alto, in California. Regardless of whether the architect is famous or not, there are indeed modern buildings that have a truly sophisticated personality”.

Pool House by Arplus / Ar(+)

A well-designed building, whether residential or commercial, is one that abstains from distractions in favor of mindful connection to place. “Looking at some recent examples of housing built into the ground, I sense that connectivity has maybe reached a saturation point for many, and we are now in search of spaces that maximize our experience of nature”. 

Climate change is the fundamental design problem of our time. Countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg with generally mild winds, are gradually adopting new vertical glazing regulations in the wake of extreme weather conditions that until recently were characteristic of regions surrounding the Mediterranean sea or Asia. “Technical challenges like improving window statics or water drainage, while at the same time maintaining extremely narrow window frames and allowing for more glazing area, are open-ended problems that require creative solutions and rigorous technical precision”.

Do something new every day

Tackling technical challenges, brainstorming for new products, collaborating with partners or analysing commercial prospects for Orama, no day is the same in the life of George Tsimpikos. “Throughout my career I have grown by accepting the challenges that are placed before me. I always look forward to spending my day working with other people, solving problems, finding ways to create something that is new and exciting”.

Orama’s Headquarters in Loutraki

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has created a ‘hybrid’ way of working that has greatly impacted the way people communicate, connect and create. “Sitting around the table to discuss a project is such an important part of my work philosophy. Having to give this up and rely only on electronic communications to do business has proved a great challenge for me”. 

Creating life balance to achieve success

According to George Tsimpikos, having a clear understanding of what we want to achieve and striking the right balance between the time spent with family and loved ones and the time we spend working, is a good starting point for achieving business and personal success. “It is about having all forces in equilibrium, about living with purpose and loving what you do… It is just so important. As my friend and colleague Francis Flamant says and I quote, it is very essential to have fun at your job, to love what you do for a living and have fun doing it”.

Moving his home and the headquarters of Orama to Loutraki, a coastal town on the Corinthian Gulf just 78km from Athens, and a popular holiday resort during the 60s and 70s, might have seemed an unorthodox business decision a few years ago, but according to George the move has been beneficial for many reasons. “Part of the draw of coming here is that you are so much closer to nature; you go out for lunch and you can just smell the sea; everyone comes back to the office refreshed and ready to go”.

Visionaries are the ones who realize their childhood dreams

“The people who have a clear idea of how the future should look; the ones who never settle for ‘good enough’, who are resilient and resolute, and never give up; who embrace creativity and value collaboration; who see the world differently and strive to leave a legacy for the generations to come. Those people are the visionaries”.