International Architectural Bureau AQSO signs MOU with Property Georgia
AQSO arquitectos office is an interdisciplinary studio dedicated to contemporary architecture, design, urban planning and cultural research.
AQSO has signed MOU with Property Georgia to support environmental and social responsibility of built environment.
Exclusive interview of Property Georgia with Luis Aguirre , director of AQSO.
1. When was your company established and what services do you offer?
- AQSO was established ten years ago, offering architectural services and design consultancy both in China and Spain. The Asian market was in the midst of a profound change and we had the opportunity to explore interesting conceptual developments. At the same time, the projects in Europe were smaller in scale and more detailed. Today, the practice balances both approaches focusing always on the design.
2. In which countries does AQSO operate, and do you see Georgia as an attractive destination for business?
- The studio thinking and competence is quite contemporary in the way we work and collaborate remotely with clients and consultants. We want to go where design take us, so the practice is guided by the work itself rather than being limited to a particular region. We look for opportunities in dynamic markets where design can add value to investors and developers, and we believe Georgia is one of them.
3. Tell us more about your projects.
- The studio is currently engaged in a range of exciting projects across Europe, Africa and Asia. We are expanding our expertise in areas and building typologies such as healthcare and hospitality. We are working on a mid-rise office tower, a hospital, a boutique hotel and a co-living development among others.
4. You have signed a memorandum of understanding with Property Georgia. What are your expectations from this partnership?
- We work in a highly specialised industry that relies on the collaboration between particular agents. We often lack a common platform for communication, exchange and dissemination of ideas an opportunities. Property Georgia provides a network that can help not only in terms of business, but also promoting environmental and social responsibility. We look forward to being part of that conversation.
5. How has COVID-19 transformed architecture and urban design?
- The pandemic and particularly the great lockdown imposed in many countries has made us think about our vital space in a different way. We are taking advantage of the telecommunications that expand our relationships beyond the physical space, but at the same time the social distancing rules have a direct implication on the real estate required to control the virus.
As a consequence there is an inevitable force that reshapes the balance between cities and rural areas at a territorial level, imposes some limits to the density of the compact city at urban level and calls into question the traditional work-life balance reconfiguring the use of the space at a domestic level. We, as architects, are not only considering these factors to provide safe designs, but also learning that buildings and cities have to be flexible enough to adapt to unexpected circumstances.
