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Left Casa Popea, a dilapidated building transformed into an 11-room boutique hotel
Right The hotel’s design combines characterful original features with modern touches
Below, opposite page Adrian Manea
Below Elena Kella
sustainability. Considerations of local identity and sense of place go hand in hand with our belief of creating sustainable places. We understand that social sustainability is at the core of this, and seek to create places that are well planned, well built, that convey a strong sense of wellbeing.
What role can architects and designers play in helping clients develop new ways of doing business in the years to come? EK: We fi nd that understanding the business, its people and the challenges they face to be a fascinating process – writing the project brief together with the client is very exciting. We tend to build relationships with both our private and corporate clients in equal measure – building relationships with the latter involves engaging not only with the chief executive but also with those that make up the organisation, in order to understand it better.
Please tell us about a recent project that has utilised new ideas, new technology or innovative creative thinking. AM: Since establishing our practice in 2017, we have embedded thoughtful design and sustainability at the core of our practice. Whenever possible, we always think fi rst
‘Our main
consideration when it comes to post-pandemic hotel design is a rethink of what is important – safety, comfort and wellbeing’
and foremost about reusing, be it reusing material to reusing structure. We value high-quality materials and our love for craft informs our approach. At Casa Popeea [in Romania], we transformed a dilapidated building into an 11-room boutique hotel, delivering high-quality facilities that enhance the experience for guests and members of the public. We balanced practical solutions with a concerted eff ort to create a boutique hotel that provides not just comfort and security but character and charm, a place that speaks to both its historical context and contemporary city life. Our approach to projects always involves exploring volume, light and a sense of space. T is infl uences the aesthetic of our projects and we tend to value simple, high-quality, often natural materials. We believe that architecture can be rich in character and distinct in identity while also addressing both social and environmental concerns. We advocate drawing from local traditions in construction and vernacular architecture. In addition to the selection of low-embodied carbon materials and the integration of renewable strategies, we strive to harness the natural attributes of a project’s surroundings.
maneakella.com
LEFT AND RIGHT: COSMIN DRAGOMIR
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