Bllend Design & Research Office centers its projects on the Architecture of Well-Being
The catalytic effect that the environment has on humans and the achievement of the state of well-being are at the heart of the projects designed by the Bllend Design & Research Office.
- 26/07/2022
Bllend Design & Research Office, based in Alimos, incorporates in its projects the quality that a space should have to enhance its essential interaction with the people who live in it. The Design Director and Founding Member of the architecture firm, Mrs. Eleni Brasinika, analyzes to NouPou this philosophy around the study and implementation of projects. At the same time, she presents the innovations they apply and the characteristics that make them stand out.
Focus on well-being
Bllend Design & Research Office is a multidisciplinary design and research office staffed by Greek and international partners. It provides personalized proposals for architectural design, landscape architecture, interior, furniture, and lighting design, color consulting, and project management. Its portfolio includes residential and commercial / hotel projects, which have received 26 international awards and distinctions. Among them are the World’s Best 2015 International Property Award Office Interiors Greece, Best Europe 2016 Leisure Project Adaptive Re-USE, and Best Multidisciplinary Design & Research Office Greece 2022 from Build UK Magazine.
It is characteristic that all its projects, despite their scale, are approached with the sole aim of achieving a generalized state of well-being through daily experiential and multi-sensory interaction with the space. From the microcosm of the interior space to the design of useful urban landscape objects, urban planning, and social impact studies, the methodology is standard: the starting point is research, always taking into account the various interactions and associations of the man with the place, space, historicity, and materiality, while the goal is always targeted, human-centric design. This is why sustainability and innovation take a central position in enhancing the creation of functional and necessary furniture, spaces, and urban neighborhood, which create the ideal conditions for an educational, interactive, and experiential environment for every person who comes into contact with the space.
“The firm’s design experience in demanding projects that aim to enhance human contact, to create a unique experience or therapeutic conditions, has permeated and determined the culture and methodological approach to the design of urban housing,” says Eleni Brasinika to NouPou, adding: “whether it is an urban environment that follows an established and prevailing housing typology or in newly-built neighborhoods, for new constructions or the restoration and upgrading of existing ones, the starting point is the human and the unique relationship he develops as an experience in the space. The body, with all its being, meets the elements of space”.
The features of Bllend’s projects
The goal of Bllend’s residential projects that are in progress or for the future ones is to incorporate all the qualities that a space should have, to enhance the essential interaction of the human being. The residential projects of Bllend are characterized by:
- Modern design methodology with a human-centric starting point.
- Use of current data and bases to design sustainable buildings with a low energy footprint.
- Use of innovative and green materials produced with a circular economy approach.
- Advanced technology and multidisciplinary approach.
International design standards
All the new buildings, which mainly concern apartment buildings in Alimos, Voula, and Varkiza and ultra-luxury single-family homes in the Athenian Riviera (Vouliagmeni and Varkiza), are designed based on international design standards in the construction industry. They aim to achieve health and well-being, such as the WELL standard, which works in addition to the BREEAM sustainable building rating system.
Each project begins with the principle that “the human being is the priority.” And introducing many years of experience in the design of wellness, healthcare, and residential spaces, Bllend attempts to organically adapt international research and empirical data to the Greek reality of the modern home, as it has been dynamically evolving recently. As Mrs. Brasinika points out, “Bllend has gradually developed its portfolio of projects, from the small-scale upgrading and restoration of residential projects and professional building facilities mainly in Attica to residential and commercial projects in Greece and abroad, which require experience, know-how, and emphasis on new methods of production, material and construction technology.”
Expansion abroad
In the last 10 years, the business has expanded in design, research, implementation plans, and project management in very demanding projects in Bulgaria, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates.
“It is a catalytic experience that requires hard work, order, knowledge, adaptability, and evolution. However, the collaborations and the diversity of the specifications, requirements, and methods lead to an alloy whose application to the Greek circumstances constitutes a valuable tool and know-how. Through the collaboration also, with different cultures and researchers, a different approach is forged, as balances must be constantly negotiated between the project specifications -strict schedules, financial and technical requirements, limitations- without deviating from our goal, which is to improve the daily life of people, whether they are visiting or live in”, notes the architect.
Improvement in lifestyle
Mrs. Brasinika underlines that “each residential project in the planning phase has sparked a different inspiration and a determination to improve the way of living, putting a small stone in the new urban fabric. Small or large sustainable scale, affordable sustainability and innovation, natural lighting conditions and human-centric lighting, reintegration into the natural environment, and standards that respect diversity and reinforce the feeling of security, completeness, and disposition for meaningful communication are our primary goals”.
In particular, two model detached houses in Varkiza and Vouliagmeni incorporate innovative LED lighting management with occupancy sensors, which adjust the output and intensity of the lighting depending on the natural light patterns and the presence of people in the space. Natural vegetation, always with an autonomy of water supply and the use of rainwater with hidden water collection and management tanks, is a tool that aims to restore man’s relationship with the natural environment to regain the biorhythms of health and state of well-being. All the materials specified for the configuration of the interior spaces are certified and follow the circular economy of production and distribution.
STUDIOBLLEND – the new step
STUDIOBLLEND was created based on the specification of products and furniture that contribute to the sustainability of interior spaces. It is a start-up company that integrates many years of experience in the design of furniture and utilitarian objects, combining only certified products, advanced technology, Greek production, and product life cycle. The starting point is a promise to make personalized design, high standards, and innovation a common commodity at every scale of a residential project.
Pandemic and Wellness / Well-being
Regarding the pandemic, which has marked our planet for about 2.5 years, Mrs. Brasinika emphasizes that: “the positive side is that people have become more aware of the impact of the environment and living or working space in managing balance and achieving well-being. Clean air, natural lighting, safety, and contact with nature have highlighted the primary importance of the essential design of the spaces. The microcosm of interior spaces is proving to be a catalyst for improving living conditions and existence. More than ever, we are experiencing the necessity to remain committed to architecture and design to achieve well-being”.
She adds that “all the projects in progress in the southern suburbs, but also in areas that will follow the expansion and modernization of the infrastructure, aim to forge the conditions that will empower residents or visitors to achieve balance in every aspect of everyday life. A valuable ally can only be the study of nature and the experiences we have gained”.
A few words about Eleni Brasinika
Eleni Brasinika, a founding member of Bllend and StubioBllend, is a Design & Research Director with an international career steeped in the culture of three continents. Mrs. Brasinika has 20 years of experience in projects of high international standards and scientific training in fields that are balanced in the interaction between Architectural & Spatial Design, Product Design & Engineering, Lighting Design, on the one hand, Urban Sociology, Ethnographic and Quantitative Research Methods on the other. Her works have been published in domestic and international publications, including PLD (Professional Lighting Design), World’s Best 2015-16, and Most Innovative Interior Designers from the British magazine Build Magazine 2016. She has received international honors and awards for various Interior & Corporate Design, Creative Reuse, Tourism, and Furniture Design projects. In contrast, she was awarded the title of Designer of the year 2015 by the International Association of Designers based in Milan for her multifaceted contribution to the field of Design. Fields of research interest and specialization are the Sociology of Space, Qualitative Research Methodology, Ethnography, Luxury Client Psychology, and Responsive Urban Design. At the same time, she was a member of the Architectural Committee and SIA (Social Impact Assessment) for the Residential Development Master Planning of Sofia Ring Park near Vitosha Mountain in Sofia, Bulgaria.