{"id":69442,"date":"2021-04-29T08:45:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T12:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/?p=69442"},"modified":"2021-04-21T03:27:51","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T07:27:51","slug":"a-serbian-success-story-zabriskie-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/industry\/a-serbian-success-story-zabriskie-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"A Serbian Success Story: Zabriskie Studio on the Business of Architecture and Learning by Doing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><i>Architects: Showcase your next project through\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/register\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>Architizer<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>\u00a0and sign up for our\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/architizer\/newslettersubscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>inspirational newsletter<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I had been back in Belgrade for over a year before I stumbled upon the Mia apartment building in the city&#8217;s oldest neighborhood, Lower Dorcol. With its understated yet refreshingly bold brick fa\u00e7ade, the building presented itself as an enticing invitation to get reacquainted with the vibrant architecture scene of the region. The authors of Mia \u2014 the designers of local firm\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/zabriskie.rs\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Zabriskie Studio<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> \u2014 are among the most prominent emerging voices in Serbian architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I got in touch with the studio&#8217;s founders, Vladimir \u0110ori\u0107, Lela Alempijevi\u0107 and Milka Gnjato, to talk through this project and the firm&#8217;s broader work, as well as the business of architecture and the role of designers in public activism.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69448\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69448\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69448 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-1024x452.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-1024x452.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-768x339.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-1536x678.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-2048x904.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia@2x-1-400x176.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69448\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Mia Dorcol, Belgrade, photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reljai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Relja Ivanic<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Lidija Grozdanic: Can you talk a little bit about the beginnings of Zabriskie?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Milka, Lela and I are the founding partners of Zabriskie. We were classmates at university. All had extensive experience within the industry before teaming up; each of us worked as an architectural designer in other offices. I spent a few years in public service, and Lela ran her own business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It\u2019s sort of customary for young studios to establish themselves through competitions. Our path was different. We made it clear from the start we wanted to be market-oriented and our beginnings were thus rooted in the more practical aspects of designing architecture. It\u2019s only been a couple of years since we started entering competitions which brought us critical acclaim and wider recognition among peers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Even though we never thought of making distinctions between our respective roles in the company, it organically happened that Milka became our Creative Director, Lela our Chief Executive Officer and that I became as Chief Operating Officer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> At the beginning, as a young firm, we were offering good design as a sort of added value to projects that, initially, were primarily technical. Now we have clients coming to us specifically for the kind of value architectural design can offer, which is incredibly satisfying. That\u2019s what we architects do; we often have to push for good design decisions in small increments and build ourselves into entities with more leverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We\u2019ve always found the notion of perfectionism in architectural design to be potentially destructive since it rests on the premise of creating something revolutionary. Our idea of progress, which is well established in architecture, is based on evolution, not revolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69449\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69449\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69449 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mia1@2x.jpg 1324w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69449\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Mia Dorcol, Belgrade, photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reljai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Relja Ivanic<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What was the first project where you felt you\u2019ve accomplished most of your design goals?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milka:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0I think we would all agree it\u2019s Krfska 13. We were co-investors on the project, which is exactly why we could have more control over the entire process and realize our design idea. Although this was limited to a degree, considering budget constraints, we consider it to be a successful example of pushing the envelope as a young studio just starting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> We call it \u201can honest house.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201d\u00a0<em>(Vladimir smiles).\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69450\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69450\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69450 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Serbian architecture Krfska 13, Belgrade, photo by Relja Ivanic\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/MG_6366-Pano-HDR3-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69450\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Krfska 13, Belgrade, photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reljai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Relja Ivanic<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Was this experience any different from others, considering you were co-investors?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0On this project, we learned just how important it is who\u2019s on the other side of the table. The fact that we had a chance to, as co-investors, experience the entire development process first hand made us more aware of all the different factors that influence architectural design, including budget allocation and market demands, among other things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The architectural community can become a bit antagonistic \u2014 it can cultivate an almost adversarial relationship with investors. Through this project, and subsequently others, we became even more aware of the importance of empathy and communication with clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milka:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> What distinguishes us from many other studios in the region, when it comes to the relationship with clients, is perhaps the fact that we provide consulting services that span planning, market research and offer other practical knowledge that supports the possibility of generating architecture. We\u2019ve all seen examples of great designs that ended up as paper architecture simply because there was a lack of practical knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0What we as architects need to acknowledge is that architectural design is added value to investors. It is our job to push for that value as hard as we can but remain aware of the primary drivers of the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69451\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69451\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69451 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-1024x452.jpg\" alt=\"Serbian architecture Mia Dorcol, Belgrade, photo by Relja Ivanic\" width=\"1024\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-1024x452.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-300x132.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-768x339.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-1536x678.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-2048x904.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/detalj_mia@2x-400x176.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69451\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Mia Dorcol, Belgrade, photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reljai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Relja Ivanic<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One project that seems like a great example of the marriage between market demands and outstanding architectural design is Mia Dorcol.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milka:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0That was due primarily to a great and rather unorthodox collaboration with the developer. He was extremely open to experimentation and encouraged us to come up with \u201cbrave\u201d design solutions. The design is deeply rooted in the historical context of the location. Right across the street from Mia is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/figure\/Nikola-Boskovic-Banks-warehouse_fig4_306028625\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Warehouse of Nikola Boskovic Bank<\/a>, a protected historic building with an industrial legacy that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Mia\u2019s fa\u00e7ade is a sort of reinterpretation of that heritage; it is a reminder of the process of industrialization that captures that pioneering spirit through the use of recycled brick. We went through a long process of experimentation with brick- the shapes, coloring, patterns, depth, etc. The plan is also unusual for a commercial open space as it features a permeable border between the inside and outside, which allows it to feel like a kind of public living room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Mia has had a considerable impact on our work, especially since it was <a href=\"http:\/\/cdn.world-architects.com\/en\/architecture-news\/headlines\/eu-mies-award-nominees-announced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe Award<\/a> and won the prize awarded by the National Association of Architects. Even more fundamentally impactful is that it garnered a landmark status that is changing the way the public and investors see that part of Dorcol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0It was a great reminder to investors in general that the value of good design can have very measurable, tangible effects.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69452\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69452\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69452 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Serbian architecture Merin Hill, Belgrade, photo by Milos Smiljkic\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-66x50.jpg 66w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Merin-hill-photo-credit-Milos-Smiljkic-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69452\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Merin Hill, Belgrade, photo by Milos Smiljkic<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That touches upon a prevalent pain point among architects \u2014 the initial lack of business acumen. Architecture schools, in general, are still to incorporate business classes into curriculums in a significant way. What were your experiences as emerging architects?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> As a young architect, first you have to realize, often painfully, that you need to get better at the business side of things \u2014 then you try to figure out how to do it. Our goal is not to become a corporate environment focused solely on numbers, but we recognize the need to become more efficient. For example, we are learning about project management along the way, and we hired a business consultant to help. I believe that established schools are recognizing the need for teaching business skills to architecture students, but it takes time to catch up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> One of the projects that wa<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">s groundbreaking for us in that sense is the soon-to-be-completed commercial and residential complex <a href=\"https:\/\/zabriskie.rs\/en\/zabriskie-project\/merin-hill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merin Hill<\/a> in Belgrade. Its scale alone made us recalibrate our tools, and these lessons informed most of our subsequent projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0It was a sort of David-versus-Goliath situation that educated us on all the technical, legislative and financial issues that we haven\u2019t had the chance to learn about before.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69453\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69453\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69453 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"serbian architecture Merin Hill, Belgrade\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/RE1_Merin-Hill-2-400x267.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69453\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Merin Hill, Belgrade<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>A few years ago you won first prize in the prestigious competition for the new KOLO building on Kosancicev Venac in Belgrade. How do you characterize the significance of architectural competitions in Serbia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Milka:<\/strong> There is a deep rooted flaw in the system that prevents these projects from getting built. The turbulent history on the region has affected\u2026 sometimes it seems we are not good at learning from our mistakes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vladimir:<\/strong> I would add that we, as architects, can be quite inert when it comes to engaging this topic on a large scale; we rarely involve media in any structured way, and sharing information with the community is scarce. The exchange of knowledge and opinion among peers and the public is what is greatly needed for us to shift things in the right directions.<\/p>\n<p>We also need to build awareness about the broader scene in Serbian architecture, which is becoming increasingly vibrant and includes strong design voices. What sometimes upsets us is when investors hire foreign design studios for projects built in Serbia because they\u2019re unaware of, or lack trust in the creative potential this part of the world has to offer. Architects also need to be more prepared to engage the media to share the truth about our profession.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69454\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69454\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69454 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"serbian architecture Kolo Kosancicev Venac winning competition proposal\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-2048x1024.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-1140x569.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-625x312.jpg 625w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-368x184.jpg 368w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/kolo_03_render_-400x200.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69454\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Kolo Kosancicev Venac winning competition proposal<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How do you see the role of public activism in architecture today?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Milka:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> The sometimes vitriolic reaction of the public to the seemingly uncontrolled and overwhelming building trends is not endemic to our region. This response is happening all over the world, and I believe it is partly a reaction to wider political, economic, social and cultural shifts taking place, as well as how liberal capitalism affects the way our cities are built. Urban planning is experiencing a crisis, not just in Serbia but in many other countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0As professionals whose work affects the built environment, we should and do expect a high level of scrutiny when it comes to our designs. However, this needs to be based on competency and research; otherwise, it becomes meaningless. Systems that protect the rights of any individual or legal entity need to be failsafe- otherwise, public activism can quickly turn into a kind of terrorism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Vladimir:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Public activism is vital in the city-building process; I myself have been a participant in some. We need workshops, panels, venues where all actors \u2014 architects, investors, activists and media representatives \u2014 can meet and exchange information. That way, if exceptions are made, they will surely be made based on expertise and expert opinions, devoid of ideological connotations.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_69455\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69455\" class=\"lazy lazy_media_item wp-image-69455 size-large\" style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'segoe ui', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'helvetica neue', sans-serif;\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"serbian architecture Vega IT HQ Competition proposal\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Vega-IT-HQ-Competition-proposal.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-69455\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Vega IT HQ Competition proposal<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On a final note, how did you fare through the first few months of the pandemic and having to work remotely? Unfortunately, this has become a commonplace question, but so far, the answers I\u2019ve received from creatives and business owners have been surprisingly varied.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lela<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">: Actually, that entire period made us look more closely into optimizing our workflow \u2014 the flaws of our current setup and ways of changing it. If one can talk in any way about silver-linings in a terrible situation like this one, I would acknowledge it as a catalyst for change in terms of how we run our studio. It reminded us of the need to reevaluate our work on a more regular basis, which we plan to do in the future. Thank you!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>Architects: Showcase your next project through\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/architizer.com\/register\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>Architizer<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>\u00a0and sign up for our\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/architizer\/newslettersubscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>inspirational newsletter<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vladimir \u0110ori\u0107, Lela Alempijevi\u0107 and Milka Gnjato discuss everything from the Mia Dorcol Apartments to the role of designers in public activism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":70716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"architizer_featured_type":"insert","architizer_featured_image":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2],"tags":[],"architizer_project":[],"architizer_brand":[],"architizer_firm":[],"architizer_product":[],"class_list":["post-69442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry","category-practice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Serbian Success Story: Zabriskie Studio on the Business of Architecture and Learning by Doing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vladimir \u0110ori\u0107, Lela Alempijevi\u0107 and Milka Gnjato discuss the Mia Dorcol apartments and the firms broader work, as 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