In this installment of Media Matters, Fublis delves into the fascinating journey of Eirini Makarouni, an architect who has carved a unique path as a writer and editor in the field of architecture. Currently balancing roles at a Greek architectural magazine, a New York-based architectural journal, and pursuing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Eirini merges creativity and academia to reshape how we perceive and narrate the built environment.
With a profound focus on storytelling, speculative design, and interdisciplinary thinking, Eirini shares her insights on sustainability, the cultural impact of architecture, and the transformative power of narrative in the architectural realm.
Can you tell us a little about your current role and what you enjoy most about it?
Eirini Makarouni: I am an architect who writes. Currently, I work as an editor in a greek architectural magazine and a writer in an architectural journal based in New York, while also doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. Choosing writing over design was not a very conscious move at first, although writing always came more naturally to me. However, what I slowly realised during these past couple of years is the fact that writing is somewhat more immediate than traditional architectural design in terms of influencing the field and making people think. To be more specific, writing as a process its a lot faster. Designing a space, constructing it and occupying it takes a lot longer than writing a couple of paragraphs; in design there are many logistic issues to consider. At the same time, I think that writing about architecture offers a perspective that many people may disregard, since they usually focus more on appearance, form, materials etc. – writing can take a space and transform it into narrative, a performance.
What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture and design?
Eirini Makarouni: I always loved fantasy and mythology and I think those were the two things that made me want to study architecture. I was always very excited to create worlds that seemed unnatural and impossible to construct. I also wanted to explore questions like how would people occupy these worlds? How would a society function within them? What type of buildings, infrastructure and technology would they need to run? I was more intrigued by the possibilities that architecture offered rather than the architecture I saw around me and I think that ultimately, I treated architecture not as a discipline related to space-making but rather as an engine for world building.
How do you approach incorporating sustainability into your architectural projects?
Eirini Makarouni: First, I want to point out that I have not designed a space recently, in the traditional sense. I have been designing speculative spaces and creating installations and drawings through my PhD, but in terms of tackling a more “traditional” architectural project and actually materialising it is something that I haven’t done in a long time. That being said, I think the world sustainability is a very overused word in the field of architecture and it is often associated with carbon emissions and eco friendly materials. I am not saying that these factors are not important and that architects should not consider them however, designing sustainably is more than having an overall awareness and strategy regarding climate change. It can also be about respecting the cultural heritage of a place, their customs, their traditions, the existing urban fabric. A building lasts, so it is important to consider its wider impact, and whether a building or a space is truly the answer to a particular issue. I think we, as architects have the responsibility to first ask ourselves what exactly is it we are trying to sustain before picking up the pencil and start drawing.
Could you share an example of a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of?
Eirini Makarouni: I think my favorite project so far was not a building or a space but actually a film that I made for my PhD that talks about an image of Maritime Athens. The film basically sets up a futuristic narrative where Athens is flooded and narrates Plato’s myth of Critias, i.e., the story between the island of Atlantis and primeval Athens. The film was made by recording a series of footage (archives, the filming of water, images related to Athens and the sea) projected on a site model of the Athenian coastline made from transparent acrylic. In parallel, three female voices recite the myth in both Greek and English. The reason I feel particularly proud about this work is because out of all the things I have designed, I think it is the most immersive. The format, the story and the atmosphere are all very powerful and allow the viewer to enter a completely different world.
How do you balance creativity and practicality in your design work?
Eirini Makarouni: Again, I think these two terms are a bit vague, when it comes to architecture. I believe that one cannot happen without the other. For example, there is a very great deal of creativity when you are trying to figure out how to literally build something, which can be easily characterised as the “practical” aspect of architecture. Personally, I think that creativity is all about opening up your “field of operation” and letting other things influence your work – texts, artists, architects, even work from other disciplines. Practicality then comes in when you are trying to put some structure to all this content by using tools such as drawing, model making and even writing. These tools are often universally known and require a great deal of discipline and skill in order to be utilised, but ultimately they become the means to communicate the conceptual chaos from which a project is born.
What role do you think architecture plays in shaping the way we live and interact with our environment?
Eirini Makarouni: Architecture is everything when it comes to our environment. It’s something that exists by default, but ironically we don’t pay much attention to it. Still, it’s always there and that is why I think architects have a very big responsibility to create things that make our lives more vibrant and more adventurous. It is both a great deal of pressure but also a very great deal of joy to design something that essentially stimulates all five senses.
What do you think is the most important quality for an architect to have?
Eirini Makarouni: I think architects need to have the ability to think interdisciplinary. Architecture is not just one thing. At university architects are taught design, philosophy, history, craft, art, physics, maths; and eventually they realise that there are so many things that can influence the making of a space. I think the most successful architects are the ones that can combine different disciplines in their process because ultimately that’s how a space can have “depth”. If the design process focuses too much on form or function or a specific construction technique then the result becomes one-sided. I think that people can immediately feel the difference between a space designed by a “specialist” architect rather than a “generalist” architect.
What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey in architecture and design?
Eirini Makarouni: I think the best advice would be to keep an open mind because, prior to entering university, most architecture students think that it is a very straightforward field. I would say don’t rush to attach a specific role to the “architect” title; instead try and approach the discipline through different perspectives: read texts that architects have written, experience spaces that non-architects have designed. Lastly, I would say be patient because the first thing architecture school teaches you is that “architecture is a marathon and not a sprint”.
