This week we continue our conversation with Mark Newberry, our International Projects Director.

TAL Engineering: Can it be said that façades follow trends?

Mark Newberry: To some extent, yes. Many projects undertaken around the world have taken inspiration from some of the greatest Architects of the 20^th Century, Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano and Zaha Hadid to name a few. We can see this in one particular project in Sofia, B73. A beautiful design by Svetoslav Stanislavov of STARH, aligning with the trend of Zaha Hadid. For me B73 is the greatest example of excellence in low rise façade design and engineering in Sofia.

TE: Design vs Functionality

MN: Architects continue to push the bounds of design, thus coercing the façade contractor to look at more ingenious and complex engineering solutions. In many aspects functionality is sometimes overlooked for the sake of the buildings final visual appearance. Many would argue functionality is only how the façade performs in respect to weather, acoustics or thermal operations over the duration of the buildings life time, many forget the complexity of maintenance, repair and replacement over the same period to maintain the latter.

TE: Can the simplest looking façade sometimes be the most challenging to realise?

MN: Of course, yes. Having had the opportunity to work with some of the largest and most famous Architectural Practices around the globe, I would say with the greatest of respect, “Architects have a very specific vision and are extremely driven to have exactly what they want to see in the detail of the façade”. This creates the challenges in realizing the end result that is anticipated. Society never gets to see the inner workings, only the end result. What may look simple on the outside is not necessarily true of the inside.

TE: What would you say is a façade crime?

MN: For me, its glass distortion incorporated by sub-standard glass processing procedures and installation. You can design, engineer, manufacture and install a masterpiece within the sub-construction. Then you ruin the whole building by installing glass, that either has excessive roller-wave which distorts the reflection, coating problems due to lack of QA/QC procedures and the most common, over tightening of the pressure plate screws, thus deforming the flatness of the glass.

TE: Which project are you most proud of? What were the challenges you have overcome during your work on it?

MN: The Glass Box Front Entrance to Burj Daman Building in DIFC, Dubai. The whole process from start to finish was the most stressful experience in my 38 years in the façade industry, but definitely the greatest achievement of my career.

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview Mark Newberry, our International Projects Director.

Mark is an Operations Executive with over 38 years of international experience overseeing the Engineering and Construction of façade envelopes on high profile projects around the Globe. Having worked on the likes of Index Tower, Dubai, The Gherkin, London, both of which were Foster & Partner Projects, and having completed the Operational Management of over 75 high rise towers in the Middle East and the UK, Mark has gained a considerable amount of experience in the Façade Industry. From Designer to COO over his tenure, Mark currently leads the International Projects Division of TAL Engineering, in which they have to date completed 5 high rise buildings in London, UK and 3 low rise projects in the USA.

TAL Engineering: Mark, in your opinion, is there a need for the façade to become an independent part of the investment project, alongside other specialties? Why or why not?

Mark Newberry: Yes, without a doubt. Aligning with the ongoing requirements for certification for buildings, Developers must start to look at the cost of the façade independently. If you only want to look at a short term ROI that’s one thing, but if you are looking at the long term, a strategic investment in the façade at the front will have a better return long term. Energy bills are rising at an exponential rate, façades can and do assist greatly in reducing costs, but only through investment in practical engineering and correct material selection.

TE: Observing the trends abroad, do you believe that façade engineering in Bulgaria is approaching the world standard? What do we need to do to match that standard?

MN: I have no hesitation in stating that “the Engineering Design capability in Bulgaria is definitely up there with the best”. Bulgaria currently has world class Façade Engineers. What we need is greater attention to QA/QC on all products produced and installed on projects. We need to follow closer all the European Standards and guidelines drafted for our industry.

TE: Façade engineering in Bulgaria vs UK vs Dubai?

MN: NV Tower placed Bulgarian Façade Engineering on the map within Europe.  Now we can move forward with confidence, but this will be determined by the investors in the country and more importantly the open mindedness and vision of the authorities who stamps “APPROVED” on the planning application.

TE: What does Sofia need? How about Bulgaria?

MN: Consultants! They can be the greatest asset to a Façade Contractor and the Project. We don’t know everything and we continually learn, so during the process to have fresh vision, guidance and a third party to assist is immeasurable in time, engineering, cost and quality.

Expect Part 2 of TAL Engineering’s interview with Mark Newberry next week on our blog.

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview arch. Angel Zahariev, from architectural bureau A&A Architects.

TAL Engineering: Arch. Zahariev, tell us about our latest joint project – building NV Tower, which won a number of awards and quickly became one of the most notable buildings in Sofia.

Arch. Angel Zahariev: NV Tower is a remarkable project. It embodies the latest world architectural and technological trends, making the building a benchmark for future projects of similar scale in the country and the region. The combination of a complex functional program and complex geometry posed a number of challenges for designers and contractors. I’m happy to say the impressive end result is a source of pride for all participants in the project.

We have proved that world-class buildings can be created in Bulgaria, and this is confirmed by the assessment of the specialists and the audience alike. Of course, the efforts to create such a project are enormous, however I believe that with this type of project we are obliged to create new landmarks for the city and the country.

I will try to concisely explain what makes the building remarkable.

NV Tower is the first real multifunctional high-rise building in Bulgaria. It includes: public service area with restaurants, sports facilities, including swimming pool and SPA, medical center, retail outlets, conference center; offices and homes.
The building is very well integrated on the ground floor with the surrounding urban environment; the ground floors are as open as possible, with public green space in front of the building.
NV Tower is the first tall building in Bulgaria with extensive landscaping on façades and roofs. Hundreds of trees and other plants are located along the entire height of the building.
From a technical point of view, this is one of the most complex projects implemented in Bulgaria. The construction of the building includes a huge number of inclined columns, planting a column bearing 16 floors, consoles of 9 meters, steel beams bridging over 30 meters at the top of the building and much more.

The architectural image of the building requires many innovative façade solutions, some of which are applied for the very first time in our country. The complex shape requires thousands of details, the aluminum cladding is composed of three-dimensionally shaped panels, the sloping façade has an integrated opening, on the ground floor there are curved double-glazed windows with massive dimensions.

TE: In the 21st century, the main discussions are around the energy resources of the planet and their optimal use. The façade is the skin of the building and is responsible for creating and maintaining a microclimate in the building, which is a major consumer of energy. Tell us more about this aspect of your design. Are compromises needed, is it difficult to combine energy efficiency and aesthetics, and in the end, which is more important?

AZ: Decisions to increase energy efficiency must be an integral part of the building’s architecture. Just as energy-efficient solutions should not be an excuse for bad architecture, so achieving a certain architectural vision should not be an excuse for poor energy efficiency.

We live in times of serious climate change caused by human activity and the role of the construction sector in overcoming the crisis is great. That is why we need to look for the right solutions for greater sustainability of buildings.

The façade is one of the most important elements when it comes to energy efficiency. It has been proven that investments in improving the energy efficiency of the façade are the most efficient and long-lasting in terms of energy consumption of buildings.

We need to choose systems and materials very carefully, monitor new products on the market and implement their use, make simulations and test real samples, look for the optimal balance between price and efficiency.

Building  NV Tower won the Special Award in the category BUILDINGS WITH ELEMENTS OF GREEN ARCHITECTURE AND INNOVATION in the “Building of the Year” 2021 competition.

TE: Does your initial idea for the Building correspond to the final result and to what extent this is thanks to the company, contractor for the façade – TAL Engineering?

AZ: I am very pleased with our joint work with TAL Engineering on this project. I believe that TAL Engineering is the only company in Bulgaria that can complete such a complex project as NV Tower. Without the precise working design and quality execution of the façade by TAL Engineering, the project would not have been possible.

A huge number of specialists were involved in the process. They all completed an incredible amount of work of very high quality in a very short period of time. We maintained wonderful communication during the design and construction process. We managed to find solutions to many complex cases.

The creation of this type of building is always done with close cooperation between architectural offices and façade companies, there is no other way.

TE: The variety of different details of sheet metal, in combination with the desired vision, made the task of cladding the most challenging for our team. What was the biggest challenge for you and how did you overcome it?

AZ: Absolutely, one of the most complex elements of the building was the design and manufacture of various details of sheet metal cladding. They are a major part of the building’s vision and without them it would not be the same. They emphasize the shape, create a rich level of detail, enhance the dynamic design, in some places have a functional purpose – to hide the technical installations. That is why it was very important to produce them as precisely and qualitatively as possible.

In buildings of this scale it is very important to have a rich detail in the dense parts of the façade, especially in areas close to the terrain, because they are perceived by visitors in the immediate vicinity. We wanted them to both shape the overall image of the building when perceived from afar, but also to give an extra level of detail when we are close to NV Tower. This, of course, complicated the task of designing and making them, but it was important to follow a unified approach to design at different scales.

Modern design tools provide almost unlimited modeling possibilities. At the same time there are still a number of technological limitations in production. The big challenge is to find solutions that are impressive from a design point of view, but at the same time can be produced with the available technologies.

TE: In many cases, the façade is a manifestation of the function of the building inside. Was the façade design a priority over what is happening inside the building and what did you want to provoke in the people who look at it from the outside?

AZ: Function and form are always connected. Perhaps in NV Tower the form stands out because it acts as a unifier of the various functions in the building. At the same time, the various functional areas are reflected and highlighted. For example, the first three levels, which have wider public access, differ from the others, and the residential floors in the upper part of the building are highlighted by the terraces on the façade.

For tall buildings, it is very important how their architecture contributes to the formation of the urban silhouette. Their visibility is much greater than that of a low-rise building and has a great influence on the identity of the city and its perception by residents. Therefore, one should carefully study the different points of view and different distances of perception, to explore different options for height, volume, color, slenderness, etc., and finally choose a solution that would enrich and complement the urban skyline.

In the case of NV Tower, we decided to create an attractive scene of the city against the backdrop of the mountain with the unusual and dynamic image of NV Tower in the foreground. The combination of the human work against the background of the mighty nature is most impressive in the perception of architecture. When the architecture of the building is related to nature, masterpieces beyond time can be obtained. Brilliant examples of this are the Fallingwater house by Frank Lloyd Wright or the two fallen World Trade Center towers against the backdrop of the Hudson River. This logic prompted us to look in the architecture of NV Tower for the connection with Vitosha Mountain and its peaks.

https://www.aaa.bg/

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview arch. Georgi Katov from I/O architects.

TAL Engineering: Arch. Katov, your buildings have a recognizable design. What message are you trying to convey with your buildings and do you think that you have achieved it with the Boyana 49 project?

Arch. Georgi Katov: In different buildings the messages are different and individual. The main object for the building in Boyana was the creation of a large building, which would not oppose its natural environment, but would  rather benefit the most from it. I think we have achieved it.

TE: Often the minimalist look of a façade is difficult to achieve due to the installation technology. What creative process does your architectural idea go through in order to reach a technically feasible option that leads to the desired end effect?

GK: It is very important in this case to work together and create a dialogue with the contractors to find the best feasible solution.

TE: Can it be said that façades are subject to trends? If so, what are they and how does your studio express them?

GK: We try not to follow trends, but to be find individual approach for each project. If we do notice a trend, we rather avoid it!

TE: What do you think the architectural environment in Sofia needs? And in Bulgaria?

GK: In Bulgaria we need more quality original architecture as well as people who are looking for it and people who are offering it.

TE: One of our favorite projects that still impresses our followers is Observation House. What are your favorite collaborative projects with TAL Engineering?

GK: Every one that we are working on currently!

https://www.ioarchitects.com/

Photography: Assen Emilov

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview arch. Svetoslav Stanislavov, CEO of architectural bureau STARH

TAL Engineering: Arch. Stanislavov, your buildings have a distinctive and  recognisable design. Do you consider the façade as an independent element of the design of a building?

Arch. Svetoslav Stanislavov: On the contrary. I believe that a building should be a holistic organism, a complete structure that works in sync. As a starting point in the creation of a harmonious and complete architecture, our creative search always starts from the function of the building and ends with the façade. Don’t get me wrong – we don’t follow any protocol or system, for us it’s a creative process of finding the best solution for a particular building. The façade is not an end in itself, it is part of the whole idea and is subordinated to the functional features of the building, not vice versa. Our buildings are recognizable because of the aesthetics and the attention we pay to their creation. Façades, as part of the whole architecture, are generally accessible to the observer and most strongly influence one’s emotions and perceptions.

TE: Can it be said that façades follow trends? If so, what are they in the different categories of buildings and how does your studio express these trends? Do you follow them at all or do you try to create your own?

SS: We live in a time of technological and informational progress, in which we can monitor the development of each area in which we work almost in real time. Architecture is no exception. The world’s major architectural platforms with audience of millions of people determine the quality of aesthetics and trends that inevitably affect, for better or worse, all of us. It is normal to be influenced by these processes and the big names, but as I said earlier, we perceive architecture as art, as a search process in which we leave a trace of our own aesthetics and individuality. Our own approach is to be bold, to dream and to create buildings that only few dare to make for fear of stepping out of their comfort zone. We are a studio that dares to work with innovative, not yet tested in Bulgaria materials and to impose them successfully.

TE: Building B73 is one of the most innovative buildings not only in Sofia but also in Bulgaria at the moment. TAL Engineering made a façade in a radius, which required bending of the façade profiles and glazing, as well as installation of complex shapes of solid surface material. In the price / quality / aesthetics equation, when deciding onfaçades, which part prevails when you want to achieve an extravagantfaçade?

SS: B73 is a bold and different building that does not need a beautiful story to be perceived. The beautiful story is the building itself. I am glad that such a building can be realized in Bulgaria. Of course, this is possible only because all participants in the process of creating this building are dreamers, great perfectionists and admirers of the beauty, innovation and aesthetics of free geometry, which bequeathed us the phenomenal Zaha Hadid. The façade of B73 is the most complex we have designed, because of the elegant and clean line we wanted to achieve. The façade is like a Picasso drawing with one line – you have no right to make a mistake, it must be perfect. I will not bore you with details of the physical execution process but will say that façade engineers and contractors are virtuosos, without whom architects like me cannot realize their ideas. TAL Engineering, Soliform, Bigla Detail, Bigla III, Reynaers Aluminium, Guardian. Let us not give the false impression that the architect, no matter how brave, can determine for himself how far he can go in his ideas. In this building, as in all others, it is the investor who determines the overall direction, the budget limit and the entire assignment. If we, as architects, manage to create from these frameworks a project that the client recognizes as his own, then the price-quality-aesthetics equation is solved with great ease. Such was the case with B73. Let there be more investors like Boris Shalev and Krassimir Shalev.

TE: If we accept that finances along with regulations are a major factor in the orientation in the design of a façade, what are the factors that give rise to the need in the architect to make the façade in a certain way? Which is more important for you – to create buildings that are clearly visible or that merge with the environment?

SS: A good architect is a combination of many universal skills and knowledge that accumulate over the years. This knowledge at some point turns the constraints in a project from a negative to a starting point for creating something different and unique. Someone had said that the hardest thing was to start with a white sheet of paper. And this is true until you realize that in fact this process of searching for the truth is the most beautiful thing in the work of an artist. Each project is different and the approach to it is individual. When there is a context that is interesting and meaningful, we comply with it, but in any case I would prefer the buildings we create to have their own character and to evoke positive emotions in the observer.

TE: We all spend our lives in and around architecture – at home, at work, in public places. Does society model architecture or does architecture model society?

SS: I really like Ayn Rand’s thoughts, in which he says that an artist is never inspired by the need to serve society – his driving force is his own truth. Creation, not its users and the benefits they derive, is above all. Again, she argues that there is no collective mind, that reason is inherent in the individual. The agreement reached by a group of people is a compromise, the arithmetic mean of individual thoughts. The thought and creative process is performed by the individual. If we accept this as true, it follows that the architecture created by an artist changes society.

starh.bg 

Photography: Dian Stanchev

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview arch. Radomir Serafimov, Studio Director of “Atelier Serafimov Architects”.

TAL Engineering: Many people perceive architecture only as drawings. What is it for you?

Arch. Radomir Serafimov: Architecture is everything that surrounds us in everyday life – landscape, buildings, facilities, environment… Each new project for us is different from the previous one, be it a residential, public or industrial building, interior design, public square or park environment. The boundless variety of issues, analysis, public and economic interest in the wide range of our projects make our profession a real inspiration and pleasure for us, and last but not least satisfaction from a job well done.

TE: What are the main principles that guide you in the implementation of a project?

RS: For me, architecture, above all, needs to serve society, not the Architect. And in this sense, our profession is one of the most humane. I believe that in realizing his idea, the architect should not look for a short-term phenomenon, fashion or sensation, rather to create a convincing work that will carry its message long-term in the urban silhouette and the surrounding landscape, and to cultivate the perception of  future aesthetics. . What we are looking for in our work is the “Human scale” – the commensurability of human perception of interior and exterior space, so that аrchitecture does not dominate, but has a positive impact on both occupants and bystanders. We look for and analyze how the project would affect the occupants of the building, how the space outside the volume of the building contacts and overflows with the space inside. When creating the appearance and shaping of the building, it is necessary to take into account the surrounding space. Here the role of the architect is to suppress his ego and desire for personal expression,  realized in bold, curious and extravagant decisions of the façade and to create a balanced and confidently placed architectural structure in which to show an intelligent approach and respect for the context of the environment.

TE: Tell us about the façade of our latest joint project – building NOVA TV.

RS: The new building of Nova Broadcasting Group – an extremely complex in terms of  functionality and installation project. The specific location of the property – main street, part of an industrial and business area. The project is characterized by a simplified volume, in which the proportions and plasticity of the façade are of major importance. For this purpose, a specific division has been created by means of sun protection elements of the façade in height. The first two floors of the building are separated as a base from the others and the volume ends with a light openwork façade united in the general silhouette with a pavilion style. The entrance from Nedelcho Bonchev Street is shaped like a “portal”, sinking into the volume of the building through two floors.

The façade grid is sought to provide optimal daylight by helping the rooms maintain their energy balance. The plasticity of the façade forms “niches” in which the windows are located.

Our intention is to achieve a façade with a distinctive, memorable character, through which the building to become recognizable and to become an individual emblem for the Nova Broadcasting Group.

TE: In 2020, due to unavoidable circumstances, all areas that could afford to work from home did so, leaving many offices empty. How do you think this trend will affect office buildings and spaces in 2021?

RS: The world pandemic has posed fundamental questions to humanity and changed values ​​by shifting the focus of our goals! The quarantine forced society to think introvertedly of the family and home. When people lost the freedom to travel and go out, they began to rethink their homes, which became a place for work, study and rest. These processes are expected to continue while the attitude towards housing as a “place to sleep” will change and in the long run this will have a significant impact on the development of the industry. On the other hand, we are rethinking already and designing public buildings according to the necessary measures for work in emergency situations. A large part of the existing buildings will have to be rebuilt or adapted. New hospitals and medical facilities together with the restoration of respect for the most humane profession – medical workers. The pandemic forced companies to reorganize work in “home office” to optimal extremes, and this led to the manifestation of all the shortcomings associated with such type of work organization. Therefore we believe that companies will quickly reorient to the conventional way of working in office spaces once the pandemic is over.

TE: One of our favorite projects, which still impresses our followers 4 years after its completion, is the building of Biovet in Peshtera. What are your favorite joint projects with TAL Engineering?

RS: The architectural and façade decision of the administrative building of Biovet AD is influenced both by the specifics of the production process and by our desire to create an emblematic building not only for the company, but also for the city.

As an example of good collaboration with Tal Engineering I will point out the Head Office of Alpha Bank in Sofia, executed in an excellent symbiosis between designer and contractor. The project for Alpha Bank building was an extremely complex task both of a functional nature and due to the fact that it had to be realized in a familiar, already built and functioning urban environment.

www.asa-bg.com 

TAL Engineering had the pleasure to interview arch. еng. Klimentin Chernev, managing director of Alukönigstahl Bulgaria.

TAL Engineering: In your opinion, is there a need for the façade to become an independent part of the investment project, alongside other specialties? Why or why not?

Arch. еng. Klimentin Chernev: Glazed façade constructions are an important element for buildings from an architectural, aesthetic and constructive point of view. The competence of architects in Bulgaria in terms of façade engineering is still not at the optimal level and often in the architectural part of investment projects many mistakes, inconsistencies and unresolved problems are allowed, which are a prerequisite for poor quality of the end product. I believe that there should be changes in the Spatial Development Act to put in place and regulate at least the minimum requirements for glazed façade structures.

TE: The partnership between Alukönigstahl and TAL Engineering helps implement debut products for our market. Do you think that our joint work leads to innovations for the industry in Bulgaria?

KC: Leading manufacturers in each industry stand out from the competition through the continuous development and implementation of innovative products and technologies, ensuring their technological advantage. Through its long-term partnership with proven world leaders in our industry – SCHÜCO and JANSEN, Alukönigstahl regularly offers innovative products on the market. For the successful implementation of such, however, we need a reliable partner – a contractor, which for us is and I hope will remains TAL Engineering. During the years of joint cooperation in Bulgaria we managed to realize together a number of private and public buildings with technological innovations used for the first time in our country. This joint collaboration undoubtedly radiates positive impulses to the entire construction sector, which indirectly raises its level.

TE: Observing the trends abroad, do you believe that facade engineering in Bulgaria is approaching the world standard? What do we need to do to match that standard?

KC: Contemporary Bulgarian architecture in terms of design is successfully reaching world class. In recent years, more and more Bulgarian fellow architects have been nominated and awarded in a number of architectural competitions around the world. Growing number of Bulgarian projects are presented on the pages of authoritative architectural magazines. In modern architecture, one of the main parts is the facade, so we are certainly approaching the world standard. Moreover, as architecture changes through the integration of new materials, technologies and processes, so companies that put facade engineering in the focus of their work  must constantly invest in machines, software, ERP systems, training and quality professionals that provide them with technological advantage.

TE: What are your favorite joint projects with TAL Engineering and why?

KC: Over the last twenty years of partnership, we have implemented many projects that shape the modern urban environment of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and other cities in Bulgaria and abroad. Their number is significant, many of them I could give as an example of great work and collaboration, but in fear of missing someone, I would refrain from quoting names.

In addition, for me every successfully completed project leaves a sentimental mark in my heart. For your readers I could say that many jointly realized buildings can be seen on the websites of our two companies – https://www.alukoenigstahl.bg/ and https://talengineering.com/.

TE: You are one of the most skilled specialists and a leader in the facade engineering in Bulgaria. What advice would you give to young professionals in this field, which is gaining popularity as an autonomous industry?

KC: I advise all young professionals dealing with this challenging subject to devote enough time to research, self-training and training conducted by leading international companies in the industry. They need to learn and understand the “language” of both architects and engineers so that the outcome of their work is uncompromising.

TE: What do you hope we could achieve together in 2021?

KC: In recent years, your company has formed itself as the largest engineering company in the industry. You have a seriously developed hierarchical structure of specialists. Alukönigstahl’s services are also diverse and in different areas, so I wish an even deeper and more effective interaction between the departments of the two companies in each area, which is guaranteed to lead us to success in the future.

alukoenigstahl.bg

TAL Engineering: Most of the buildings designed by you are becoming a distinctive part of the urban environment in Sofia. What messages are you trying to convey with your buildings and do you believe that you have achieved it with building Capital Fort?

Arch. Angel Zahariev: The buildings our studio designs are both a product of the place where they are located and the time in which they were created. For us, the connection with the surrounding environment is extremely important – how the new building “communicates” to other buildings, how it fits into the city skyline, how observers perceive it from near and far.

Moreover, it is very important for us how the project presents the era in which it is built, how human achievements are used and presented, how trends in the way of living are captured, how consumers react to the architecture. In short, the building is a function of its environment and time. This also applies to building Capital Fort – the building is designed to connect the surrounding buildings in a common ensemble, forming the “eastern gate” of the city, and at the same time convincingly presents the moment of creation and current trends in the beginning of the 21st century architecture.

TE: Is the facade of a building a mirror of society or a self-portrait of the architect?

AZ: The facade is a mirror of society in a broader sense – of economic development, of values, of relationships, of technical achievements and opportunities, of understanding of aesthetics. Architects, working alongside other participants in the process – investors, builders, suppliers – are part of society and their work is strongly influenced by social processes. The desire to break away from these processes can lead to a work of genius that revolutionizes the processes in society, but the likelihood of this happening is minimal. In most cases, detachment from social realities leads to inadequate architecture for its time. For me, the evolutionary approach is better – architecture should try to anticipate trends in society and materialize them.

TE: Building Capital Fort opened in 2015, five years later, would you change anything about it?

AZ: Looking at the building as a product of its environment and time, if we were to start designing Capital Fort now, it would look a little different, because the design trends have changed a bit, as well as our understandings. If we started designing Capital Fort in 10 years, the changes would certainly be bigger.

I am far from thinking that an architectural work can be perfect. In order to develop their work, artists need to rethink and self-analyze. This applies to any art, including architecture.

TE: Where does the architect end and the facade engineer begin? At what point did the collaboration between A&A Architects and TAL Engineering originate?

AZ: The work between the architect and the facade engineer is joint and interactive. The creation of the facade is not a linear process in which one participant completes their work and then begins the other. The collaboration starts at the beginning of the design, when technical requirements, budget and technological limitations of the project are determined. In the design process, different architectural solutions are consulted with the facade engineers, alternatives are considered and a working solution is established. Subsequently, when the facade engineers develop working designs for the facades, they work alongside the architects to connect the facade with all other elements of the building.

Overall, it is a collaborative work that follows the process from the  beginning of the design to the end of the construction of the site. Our experience in working with TAL Engineering covers all these stages.

TE: Architects are designing buildings that will characterize cities for decades to come. Now, more than ever, the future is unpredictable. How difficult is it to design buildings for the unknown future?

AZ: It is a fact that we live in very dynamic times where acceleration in the processes is huge – technological development, social changes, global processes, including pandemics, are changing very quickly the way we live and inhabit buildings and cities. Sometimes these processes are so fast that if we compare them with the time for realization of a large-scale investment project, it may turn out the project is already obsolete or unnecessary even before its completion. On the other hand, many of these processes are predictable, however in order to anticipate them, it is necessary to invest a serious intellectual and financial resource for the research of processes and trends. Nonetheless, modern technologies allow rapid adaptation to new realities and readjustment of business and lifestyle. For this to happen, we need to be more flexible and innovative. If we translate this to buildings – they must be sustainable, flexible and innovative enough to meet future challenges.

https://www.aaa.bg/