2X22 STUDIO ARCHITECTURE: NEW LIFE FOR OLD BUILDINGS

A rather depressing sight. But for architect Daniela Byutyuneva, CEO and co-founder of 2x22studio-architecture, these sad ruins can be brought back to life. Her mission is to help investors find the best way to reuse and adapt old buildings into effective and functional spaces by combining innovative and creative solutions.

How did you get the idea to focus on the restoration of old buildings?

When I was studying architecture in Germany, I worked in a small studio specialising in the renovation of old buildings. I have always been impressed by the sheer number of abandoned places in Bulgaria. When my husband and I returned from Germany, two years ago, we founded 2x22 – a family studio working in two directions. 2x22studio focuses on brand and web identity services, and 2x22studio-architecture is dedicated to preserving and restoring the past by creating sustainable and meaningful architecture for the future.

Currently, the prevailing attitude of Bulgarian investors is to destroy everything old and build from scratch. I hope that our work with 2x22studio-architecture will raise awareness of the possibilities of reusing and re-imagining old buildings.

What kind of buildings have the most potential for a new life?

All around Bulgaria there are former schools, community centres and kindergartens that were well built and are still in good condition despite years of neglect. They are also flexible as spaces and can easily be converted into a range of new functions, such as co-working spaces, which are now all the rage. Former schools are particularly suited to this type of transformation because they allow for different designs and can be further transformed in the future.

For me, the profitability of a conversion is key. This is only possible after a thorough analysis of the building's condition, its place in the environment, its context, the existing infrastructure, the activities that take place around it and what new function will be best for it. Through quantitative and qualitative research, we build variants of market models that provide investors and clients with a clear structure of possible interventions. This helps them to test the concept before it is implemented.

Our aim is to help our clients find the best function for old buildings by guaranteeing that each project is carried out to the highest standards of quality, care and sustainability.

What are the main challenges in transforming old buildings?

There is the technical part, which involves assessing the existing electrical, water and sewerage systems, the building structure and the potential for energy efficiency solutions. And then there is the Bulgarian bureaucracy. The process is far from streamlined; many buildings with potential investors cannot be renovated because their legal status does not allow it. With the work of 2x22studio-architecture, we want to pave the way in this respect by building up expertise that will help in the implementation of future projects.

daniela@2x22studio-architecture.com
+359 895 895 666
www.2x22studio-architecture.com