Architecture carries a profound ethical responsibility, given its role in shaping how people live, interact, and experience the world. I believe it should be approached with honesty, both tectonically and in its response to the needs of communities. The expression of structure, volume, and space should be meaningful, with what inhabits those spaces contributing to a wider cultural offering.
Architecture is not simply the production of objects, but a careful orchestration of materials, people, places, histories, and circumstances. Collectively these elements influence how spaces are experienced in any given moment, and must be considered with care and intention.
I believe buildings should be designed to adapt and evolve over time, allowing them to remain relevant as social, environmental, and functional needs change. Such a long term thinking can ensure architecture does not become obsolete but can continue to serve its users.
It is also crucial to engage with both past and future contexts when designing. By understanding historical narratives alongside future demands, architecture can create a more holistic response that fosters a sense of belonging and continuity.
In my practice, I aim to create architecture that is honest, adaptable, and culturally grounded, contributing positively to both present and future communities. Thinking of every detail that goes into a building, from the expression of the structure, finishes, and door handles, to curate the correct experience and assist the users.
Education
DipArch, The Glasgow School of Art
Contact
daniel2002solomou@gmail.com
Kunsthåndværk
Final Design Thesis
2025-2026
Kunsthåndværk : art hand worker
Synonims : Craftworker, Artisan, Maker, Designer, Handcraft Artist, Fabricator, Porduct designer, Industrial designer, Tradespeople
Synopsis
The thesis explores the idea of how a space with a series of workshops inspires and improves the products of the daily objects we use in life. It delves into product design and craft, as the world is in a vast consumerist environment where objects are just regarded as visual objects, rather than objects with a thought, a craft and a purpose behind them,
‘ Product design has come to resemble a form of plastic surgery, something like a Botox injection to the forehead, suppressing frown lines to create a brief illusion of beauty’
Deyan Sudjic, The Language of Things.
As craft is a vast spectrum with various disciplines within it, there is a lack of spaces (outside education institutions) where different disciplined practitioners can create, collaborate and innovate. Such spaces that can individually inspire each discipline and create a collective atmosphere, also bring craft to the 21st century, with the assistance of technology.
To achieve such a space, there must be a level of flexibility,
- as to allow for future technologies and machinery to be accommodated
- allow practitioners to work from the smallest-scale objects to huge
The thesis explores the manmade island of Dokøen, previously a part of a naval base complex in the heart of Copenhagen, overlooking the Historic city and the Design Museum across the water, and the Design Academy right at its footsteps.
The site was not chosen due to its historical past, but due to its new function of hosting creatives, creating a new creative district in Copenhagen. This dynamic and tension across the water, of Denmark’s history of design (Design Museum) and the future of Danish design (Design Academy), fosters the right environment to look at the past of design, but without getting caught up in the melancholy of it, whilst the future of it is projected.Full Final Thesis Design Report The Tradition of CraftThe Modernity of Craft The Reflection of Craft The Manifestation of Craft City Axonometric Floor Plans South ElevationWest ElevationLong SectionCross Section Raw Material Movement Fabrication Movement Final Product Movement Exploded AxonometricStructure Construction Delivery of Raw MaterialDistribution of more than Objects Façade SystemWorkshop Structural Support Workshop Movable Partitions
The Architecture of Perpetual Becoming
The Værk represents a departure from the traditional architectural lifecycle of “build, occupy, and demolish”, By investing in a heroic, high-performance structural chassis, the project establishes a permanent civic infrastructure that is prepared for a century of unforeseen industrial and social shifts. It is a design that prioritises resilience over rigidity, acknowledging that the needs of the city in fifty years will differ vastly from those of today.
Through the lens of Design for Disassembly, every component, from the Vierendeel beams to the kinetic acoustic panels, is treated as a “material loan” from the environment. The building does not hide its complexity; instead, it celebrates the “Spectacle of Making” by making its own metabolism visible to the public. The integration of heat-harvesting cycles and adaptive facades ensures that the building’s high initial carbon investment is justified by its extreme longevity and operational intelligence.
Ultimately, the Værk is more than a workshop or an archive, it is a
Material Bank / Idea Bank / Design Bank.
It stands as a testament to the idea that architecture can be both massive and nimble, providing a robust stage for the evolution of craft, industry, and city life in an uncertain future.