Spring 2021

30 Jan21268 Amazing Space ARHITEZA is a dynamic architectural office in Maribor, Slovenia, that encapsulates a symbiosis of architecture and synthesis by redefining the relationships between culture, environment, structure and space. Inspired by the past, present, and future, ARHITEZA is championing evolution and leading a revolution in architectural design. Now the recipient of numerous awards for its recent work on a public skatepark for the people of Maribor, the female-led firm is exploring where innovation can take it next. Born from a mutual creative connection between Slovenian architects, Mateja Katrasnik and Polona Lipicnik, ARHITEZA is a dynamic architectural firm located in the city of Maribor. Specialists in architecture, interior and landscape design, ARHITEZA is named for its cohesion of architecture (ARHI) and synthesis (TEZA), which together represent the synergy of the theoretical backgrounds of the architects’ ideas and their designed proposals. The firm, which serves private and public clients such as municipalities, ministries, and public service companies, seeks to bridge the gap between clients’ needs and expectations and a final product realised in harmony with its surroundings by opening a dialogue between the specifications of an existing site and the new structure. Each project grows around the inherent mental background of a space, using natural resources of light and space and incorporating logic, function and form into the design concept so as to align architecture with its local environment. Inspired by technological innovation, preservation of the environment, and the wellbeing of inhabitants and users of architecture, ARHITEZA masters contemporary architecture and civil engineering to deliver cost and resource-effective designs. The ARHITEZA team collaborates closely with clients, involving them in every step of the design, construction and decoration in a process which attunes clients to the space that they are creating, integrating human emotion and thoughtful creativity into the very structure so as to generate a unique and refreshing user experience. In the words of Mateja and Polona, ARHITEZA fulfils the role of architect as an identity provider, who helps to, ‘establish a sense of place or community for a targeted group of users’. To that end, ARHITEZA draws inspiration from the past and the future, redefining the relationships between culture, built environment, structure, space and functionality and bestowing a history, soul and identity upon each project. ARHITEZA’s most recent project, the award-winning skatepark in Maribor, is an apt representation of this philosophy. The firm created Slovenia’s largest skatepark by transforming a previously deprived area of the city into a large green space in which the community could explore the realms of creative freedom and reconnect with their city. The urban development project has been a tremendous success in developing the city’s green belt, reshaping perceptions of an unloved district, and inspiring cultural and social programmes for the community of Maribor. Empowered by visions of innovation and revolution, the ARHITEZA team are united in a vision of creative perfection. Brought together by mutual respect and united by longstanding friendships and teamwork, the team of architects works nationally and internationally to drive architectural design into the future. The firm is inspired by both technology and emotion, striking the balance between the two to aim for better, nobler, more sustainable and more inspiring architecture that represents humanity and its perceptions of the world around us. This mission has been unimpeded by the ongoing pandemic. Instead of seeing lowered financial margins as an obstacle, the ARHITEZA team has been given the opportunity to fully exploit ingenuity and creativity, streamlining their design and development processes and evolving their offering to better benefit a world afflicted with Covid-19. The team are currently collaborating on a design project for a medical object designed to help patients suffering with the virus. The process requires efficient and effective solutions to ever-evolving challenges, and the process is a draining one that is putting the capabilities of ARHITEZA to the test. However, driven by an ethical mission to serve society, the firm is thriving in the project, learning and growing as a team of creative innovators, seeking to improve the world we live in. Thus, ARHITEZA is looking to continue challenging concepts related to space and tangible details through innovation and inspiration. As physical location becomes less important to the way we work and socialise, architecture is evolving to become more intelligent, integrating high-tech connectivity into spaces that we want to be in, rather than have to be in. As Mateja, Polona and their team continue to dissect the relationships between culture, built environment, structure, space and functionality in this cultural shift, ARHITEZA will continue to play a crucial role at the forefront of modern architecture. Company: ARHITEZA Contact: Mrs. Mateja Katrasnik and Mrs. Polona Lipicnik Website: www.arhiteza.com