area . 700sqm
status . Concept Design 2015
program . Public Space
client . Bucharest City Council
architects . Alexandru CHIRITA, Bogdan BOGOESCU
collaborator. Marian GHEORGHE
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

area . 2000,14sqm
status . Concept Design 2015
program . Dwellings
client . Private
architect . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Alexandru CHIRITA, Matei BOGOESCU
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

area . 2420sqm
status . Project 2014
program . Apartment Building
client . Private
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Liviu MIRICA    
renders . Liviu MIRICA

Intro
Jean-Louis Calderon street is situated in a traditional interwar neighbourhood in central Bucharest, in an area that was spared from contemporary invasive interventions. Houses and apartment buildings in this area preserve their original facades that belong to both the eclectic and modernist (1930) styles, an architecture of walls and green loggias. The speed of the city is slowing down here, in this oasis of quiet serendipity, which is nevertheless in walking distance from the bustling centre. The main ingredients of the site are the greenery and the cozy (lazy) atmosphere.

Idea
horizontal and vertical gardens: 
The external courtyard which follows the perimeter of the plot is intensively planted to create intimacy and quietness for the ground floor apartments, while the main facade is covered in climbing plants which generate a green buffer in-between the main street and the shady apartments of the upper floors.

2 courtyards:
While the external courtyard is planted and shady, the inner courtyard is mineral and white, maximising the amount of natural light penetrating the rooms.

different apartments, even facade:
The living spaces are different ranging from big apartments fit for large families, to duplex apartments destined to younger couples and smaller 2 rooms units for students. The upper floor accommodates 2 lofts that offer prime views of the neighbourhood. In spite of this interior diversity, the facade is even, addressing the general scale and aesthetic of the street.

Anatomy
The building is made of 3 “walls” that expand and shrink accommodating the apartment facilities and vertical circulation. In between these walls a flowing space is generated, and the transversal facades are dematerialised as transparent glass, opening the living rooms towards the rear garden and the vertical garden on the main facade.

Atmosphere
The apartments were thought as minimalist in form but rich in precious materials, such as wood and stone. The cosiness and warmth of the wood typical for prewar Bucharest houses would be combined with the sculptural white walls which include the hidden facilities.
At ground floor a small shop/cafe generates an intimate gathering space for residents and neighbours.

area . 2660sqm
status . Under Construction 2013
program . Offices
client . Private
architect . Matei BOGOESCU  
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Batistei street is directly connected to the ground zero of Bucharest, University Square. Even if in scale is similar to other traditional streets of the inner city, the proximity to the centre made it a very heterogeneous environment accommodating different scales, styles and architectural programs ranging from private luxury villas, apartment buildings to cultural and state institutions such as ArCub and Inalta Curte de Casatie si Justitie. The main ingredients of the site are the preciously decorated stone facades and the articulated volumes of different scales which constitute the street front.

Idea
a facade without scale and form:
The facade is made of stacking horizontal stone layers which hide the real height and scale of the building. Similar to piled stone cuts in a quarry, the general configuration of the skin highlights the material and camouflages the shifting volume which enlarges towards the 4th floor and then shrinks towards the top.

the openspace and the rooms:
The vertical core, typical for office buildings, which accommodates vertical circulation and facilities is split in 4 volumes and eccentrically placed on the south facade in order to produce one large working space and 3 individual offices for each floor. Therefore without using partitions, the structure itself models the office space.

2 historical height references lead to a split facade:
The street is populated by prewar buildings which have a height of 10 to 12 meters and interwar modernist buildings that go up to 17-18 meters. The new office building addresses both historical references generating a split in the facade with a completely glazed floor detaching the lower part of the building which is related to the prewar cornice from the upper part of the building which is levelled with the interwar buildings.

Anatomy
The building is made of an horizontal openspace free of structure and 4 vertical cores. The shape of the site generated a triangulated structure which participates in the interior design generating a dynamic space which shrinks from the core area towards the facade. The facade is a stacking structure in itself, made of layers of stone intercalated with spacers.

Atmosphere
The horizontal stone layers generate a pleasant shady working environment and the all-white interior multiplies indirect light. The general layout of the plan allows for a generous white and abstract openspace which is fully glazed but not exposed and 3 individual offices which are intimate and cozy, finished in wood veneer, offering views towards the neighbouring gardens. The total continuity of the ground floor cafe and the garden generate a warm and intimate social environment for gatherings and recreation.

area . 87000sqm
status . Approved Masterplan 2007
program . Residential, Commercial, Offices
client . Total Fidelity
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Bogdan BOGOESCU
collaborators . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

Intro
Soseaua Iancului is a bustling street in between two typical Bucharest neighbourhoods - the interwar development of Vatra Luminoasa and the Iancului socialist housing estate. The differences between the two environments are radical, both in buildings scale and typology of exterior spaces. The shift in scale between the two-storey interwar houses and the 11 stories blocks of flats generates two different street fronts. The gardens and the english squares of Vatra Luminoasa create a different social environment with respect to the alleys and inner streets of Iancului.
The program is the same as in Iancului Housing Estate, but the site is in the middle of Vatra Luminoasa. The challenge of this project was to mediate between the maximum density required by the client and the small residential scale of the neighbouring urban environment.

Idea
the skyline as a method to articulate different scales:
The brief required for an extremely high density (FAR > 4,5) which would have generated a conflict with the context. The maximum volume was therefore constrained into a wave section with two lateral 4 storey wings which relate to the scale of the neighbouring houses and a central 8 storey wing situated in the middle of the plot. The street front on Iancului Boulevard is represented by a 10 storey Office Building which acts like a vertical sign and gate for the new developments, addressing the scale of the existing housing estates. 

the linear park connecting two boulevards, the small courtyards and the roof gardens:
A linear park was created in the eastern part of the development which connects Soseaua Iancului to Strada Vatra Luminoasa, acting like the main gathering space for social interaction and recreation. On the ground floor commercial spaces and cafés serve the perimeter of the linear park. Towards the west part of the plot, smaller squared courtyards are lined with daycare facilities and residential services, while on the roofs of lower wings a series of private gardens offer spaces for reading and resting above the hustle-bustle of everyday city-life.

Anatomy
The different volumes are structured as a grid which generates different levels of publicness and intimacy. The wings above the linear park have a vierendeel type structure, floating above ground and allowing for total continuity of the public space, similar to the central section of the office building which opens to the boulevard to create a continuity between interior and exterior. With the density increasing towards the middle of the plot, the central wings becomes much higher than the lateral ones allowing for spectacular views of Vatra Luminoasa neighbourhood. 

Atmosphere
The projects tries to accommodate different atmospheres corresponding to different levels of intimacy. If the linear park is a bustling social space in direct continuity with the street attracting both local residents and visitors, the smaller courtyards represent protected spaces of the community where small children or older couples can recreate, in a more quiet and resting environment. A lot of greenery is invading the public spaces in direct continuity with the gardens of the historical district. Above the lower wings a series of roof gardens provide the most private outdoor space of the development, invaded by flowerbeds and decorative bushes.

area . 87000sqm
status . Approved Masterplan 2012
program . Shopping Gallery, Hypermarket, Public Garden, Sports
client . Total Fidelity
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Bogdan BOGOESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
The second project in Iancului 90 recycles a series of ideas from the first project, mainly with regards to the generation of further public space within the private development. The new program is a commercial gallery including a hypermarket and boutiques as well as restaurants and cafes.
This project was the first attempt to propose a roof garden above a commercial development, offering beautiful views of the neighbourhood (idea which was later incorporated in another retail development - Promenada Mall).
The scale /vs/ density challenge which was so important in the first residential proposal was replaced here by the conflict between the quietness of the residential neighbourhood and the noisy large transport trucks which would supply the gallery.

Idea
a floating public square and garden:
As described above, the main idea for this development was to allow the public to enjoy the views from the roof of the commercial gallery without restricting the access to this space to the period in which the gallery stayed open. The roof was conceived as a public square with restaurants, cafes and sport facilities shaded by trees and floating 10 meters above the existing neighbourhood - a reinterpreted “La Motoare” (the famous public terrace of the National Theatre). This space should become a gathering place for the whole community, encouraging social interactions of people of all ages and supplementing the poor offer of existing services in the area. In order to ensure 24h accessibility to this space (independent from the commercial gallery) a series of exterior ramps linked the sidewalk to the garden generating an interesting design of the street front, reminding of suspended parks of Rome.

Anatomy
The main bulky volume of the gallery was composed in fact of two adjacent spaces - the retail area and the unground parking structure - both topped by the green roof and hidden behind a green facade. On the street front was placed the cafe-restaurant volume shaped like a control tower overlooking the entrance to the garden through its large glazed surfaces.

Atmosphere
The space on top of the gallery was thought as a series of microspaces with unique atmospheres: the noisy children playgrounds, the sport courts for teenagers and youngsters, the flower gardens shaded by small decorative trees as a quiet oasis for talks or reading, the pergola connecting the main volumes lined with tables for card-playing or chess and the posh restaurants and cafes overlooking the street. In a small public space above the rooftops, all these environments attempted to reproduce the complexity and diversity of other social gathering places within the city.

area . 8800sqm
status . Built 2006
program . Residential
client . Private
architect . Matei BOGOESCU   
collaborator . Oltea DIACONESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Barajul Arges cul-de-sac is an alley accessible from Soseaua Nordului, directly adjacent to Herastrau Park. This area used to be the largest nursery garden of Bucharest and since 2000 was quickly transformed to one of the most expensive and posh neighbourhoods of the capital due to its position of walking distance from one of the largest parks in the city.
The built environment is mostly made of apartment buildings closely stacked together due to high land values and small plots. The main challenge of the project was to built apartments that can be sold as expensive as houses, providing the surfaces and the general atmosphere of an individual residence.

Idea
urban villa and double height loggias:
The brief in itself asked for a programmatic innovation: how can we generate a villa-type quality of living in a collective apartment building? The starting idea was that all apartments had to be duplex units with large sizes up to 600sqm. The facade would be mostly glazed allowing for large amounts of natural light and spectacular views. The exterior spaces would be configured as double height loggias contradicting the horizontality of the floors. The large footprint of the floor generated two inner courtyards providing inner spaces of facilities and vertical circulation with light and air.

Anatomy
The flexibility required by the plan imposed a pillar structure without load-bearing walls except for the vertical circulation core. In order to minimize the pillar volume a cross-section was used which eliminated room corners and other spatial inconveniences produced by regular load-bearing pillars. Furthermore, the sculptural appearance of the structure participated to the interior design.
The perimeter of the building is cantilevered allowing for loggias and facade to be free of structural elements, introducing a high degree of formal freedom in the design.

Atmosphere
The interior of the apartments is finished in wood veneer in high contrast with the white exterior. The cozy, velvety and woody interior reminds of prewar houses in Bucharest and the large loggias correspond to small courtyards - the typical social spaces of the city. The duplex allows for a split in use between the two floors which is typical for individual houses - a day floor and a night floor.
The intimacy of the interior spaces in spite of the totally glazed facade is provided by sliding panels which allow light but not direct views to the interior. The ground floor gardens generate a buffer of intensive greenery separating the building from the adjacent blocks.

area . 124,11 sqm
status . Built 2009-2012
program . Residential
client . Private
architect . Matei BOGOESCU   
collaborator . Miruna MALDARESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU / Matei BOGOESCU

> AN AREA IN TRANSFORMATION
Snagov area (20km north of Bucharest), where this project is located, is going through a period of transformation (from rural to suburbia) of its built landscape that started back in 2006 and still goes on today, with a totally new type of architecture, a new resident population and new living standards.

> GLOCALISM_EXTREME CONTRASTS
Snagov is one of the most striking examples of GLOCALISM in Romania since rural practices mix with intelligent homes, the plough with the Audi and Mercedes and business people that work and live the largest part of their day in Bucharest live next door to country folks that never left their county. In this contrasting milieu a new suburban environment is being shaped.

> THE ROMANIAN SUBURBAN STYLE – THE MANSION
The new architecture populating this rural environment is mainly composed of villas designed in what we can call SUBURBAN STYLE – large built volumes, complicated pitched roofs, a mix of styles and expressions, massive plot occupation.
No space for modernism in the SUBURBIA, where mansions reign supreme.

> G-VILLA – A GLOCAL ARCHITECTURE
The architecture of G Villa is not inspired by the romanian vernacular, although is situated in this quasi-rural landscape by the lake Snagov. In this respect, the design of the house is closer to examples of rural modernist villas of the 1930’s, contaminated with classical concept of registers and postmodern concepts of hybridity and contradiction (Venturi).
THE CONCEPT is classical – the house is divided in  3 horizontal registers
. the basis partially sunk into the earth containing the spaces related to the garden and the pool – large kitchen with dining, fitness and sauna, wine cellar.
. the main corpus of the house floating over the garden with a spectacular view of the lake Snagov containing living room, terraces and bedrooms.
. the attic of the house with a panorama of the whole village containing a separate apartment/loft for the youngest member of the family.
THE FORM is a hybrid – the house is conceived like a scrinium that is mainly a box dissolving into a series of shelves/platforms that advance towards the lake.
very floor has its own terrace extruded from the main body of the house, overlooking the landscape through glass rails. The proportion of the living room view is 2.40:1, the cinemascope format.
THE SURPRISE / THE CONTRADICTION is one of the main elements that was included in the design. By walking around the house, the aspect, proportion and size changes continuously, making difficult for the viewer to grasp the whole concept of the building in one glance.
he ribbon windows situated at the ground level of the south facade (quote LeCorbusier, but also Romanian Modernism) are hidden behind the solid fence, giving the impression of a massive back facade with only one window. By circling the house, one discovers that this apparently massive facade is de-materialized at the ground level where it floats above a continuous strip of glass stretching the entire length of the facade.
nother contradiction is embedded in the design of the east and west facades, where the presence of the first level terrace is not revealed – there is a continuity between the inside and the outside of the house expressed in the horizontal cut that accommodates the ribbon windows.
Finally, the boxy appearance of the house from the south dissolves into a completely open architecture of slabs/platforms and glass towards the lake.

area . 838,25sqm
status . Under Construction 2013
program . Residential
client . Private
architect . Matei BOGOESCU
collaborators . Mara BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU
renders/photos . Liviu MIRICA, Alexandru CHIRITA

Intro
Ciofliceni is a hybrid suburban landscape north of Bucharest, where village houses, second homes and permanent luxury residences share the same space in close vicinity of Snagov lake. The rural plots are narrow and long, perpendicular to the lake. Back in the day, when Ciofliceni used to be a village, the build footprint of each plot was minimum, the houses used to be orientated towards the street, while the back of the garden, was destined to orchards. Today, new residences are pushed forward toward the lake to enjoy the best view, while the front gardens act like privacy buffers.

Idea
each room with a view
In spite of the narrow plot (10m), the client wanted views of the lake in each room, which led to a telescopic plan (in which the main volumes narrow down towards the waterfront) and a vertical development which is rather unusual in this area.

parallel surfaces - no corners
The general volume of the building is de-constructed in a series of horizontal and vertical plans. While vertical divisions operate tomographic cuts of the landscape, the horizontal slabs cantilever towards the lake like the decks of a luxury yacht. The vertical surfaces are perforated with large round openings which reinforce the continuity of the surfaces and carry the structural loads to the ground. 

Anatomy
The whole anatomical concept of M Villa orbited around the idea of structural one-directional walls and cantilevered slabs. The walls become massive since they need to accommodate lateral wind and earthquake loads and sometimes they become structural spaces (like the middle wall), while the slabs are reinforced with a grid of structural beams which participate to the ceiling design.

Atmosphere
M Villa was designed as a yacht, anchored on the site, overlooking the lake. The large terraces and cantilevered balconies allow residents to float above the landscape, offering panoramic views of the entire village. The east-west orientation of the main parallel walls allows the sun to wash the interior walls, flooding spaces with light. All fixed furniture elements are included in the structural walls, generating an open-plan layout where spaces are interconnected and fluid from one end to the other. The interior is a combination of wood veneer and whitewashed walls and ceilings. The domestic coziness of the veneer is complemented by the all-white finishings reflects light throughout the interior spaces. The wooden sundecks on different levels offer the best views allowing the desired privacy. 

area . 2000sqm
status . Concept design 2008
program . Residential
client . Private
architect . Matei BOGOESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
The site is located in the north of Bucharest, close to Herastrau Park, in a newly developed area with mixed typologies ranging from one-family villas to large condos. Once a green oasis in the city, this space was one of the speculative “el-dorados” of the capital and today displays high density development with narrow streets and little sunlight. The plot is exposed on two streets - the main street and a cul-de-sac to the south and west, bordered by a one-floor house to the east and an apartment building on the north. 

Idea
4 different facades
Two different streets, a blind wall and the facade of an apartment building - 4 different contexts that inspired us to produce different facades and therefore a chameleonic volume that changes from one side to the other. Vertical strips define the north facade towards the apartment building, horizontal “fénètres en longeur” offer views of the main street, large loggias and a roof garden enjoy the quiet privacy of the cul-de-sac, while to the east one large opening perforates the blind wall above the existing neighbouring house.
If we go around the building from east to south there is a progressive dematerialisation of the volume from maximum closure to maximum porosity.

The hidden roof garden
The program asked for a photo studio on the ground floor, 3 apartments and 1 duplex loft on the last two floors. The duplex has a smaller footprint than the regular floor and therefore a third of the regular floor plan is dedicated to a double height roof garden. From the main street the facade composition is such as to hide the existence of this garden misleading the viewer. The garden is revealed only by turning the corner on the cul-de-sac where a high metal fence shows the green oasis situated on the roof.

The interwar-modernism quotes
While this building responds to present-day lifestyle and displays a minimalist interior design, there are elements in the facade which remind of the modernist style that is omnipresent in Bucharest featuring horizontal and vertical window stripes, reinterpreted in a contemporary key.  

Anatomy
Each floor is composed of 3 programmatic stripes - a wide massive wall in which the vertical circulation and wet spaces are situated, a tube corridor which allows the connection of all rooms and a strip of living spaces - living-room and 2 bedrooms. The subdivision of this programmatic strips is made by fixed wall closets.
The structure respects the three programmatic strips which compose the plan, featuring load bearing walls and beam-less slabs.

Atmosphere
The 3 programmatic strips present 3 different interior atmospheres. 
The carved wall generates a cold environment made of tiled stone or concrete. Floors and walls are finished in the same material generating the image of a quarry in which each space is a different stage of excavation.
The corridor with wall-in closets is finished in wood with the doors that give access to the carved wall having the same dimension as the closet doors. The floor and ceiling are made in the same material, transforming the space into a cozy and warm “tube” which perforates the whole length of the volume.
The separate living spaces are finished all-white with white parquet allowing the furniture to play the leading role in the definition of space. The whole south wall is glazed creating total continuity between the living-room and the loggia / garden.

area . 2945sqm
status . Concept design 2010
program . Hotel
client . Private
architect . Miruna MALDARASCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Popa Nan is a street in the middle of traditional Bucharest. Subject of folk songs and part of the collective memory of the capital, this neighbourhood was aggressively reformed during the 1980’s with the introduction of new collective housing units along Calea Calarasilor. After this ample intervention, the scale of the neighbourhood changed, and buildings that have been built in this area since 1990 are often out-of scale with respect to the traditional urban fabric. 
The program we were asked to develop was a 42 rooms hotel with a FAR of roughly 3000 sqm which would have been a massive presence in itself in the general image of the street.
It was our intention to build respecting the height of Calea Calarasilor,, but to break the volume in different parts in order to diminish the impact of the new construction on its context.

Idea
breaking the volume - 2 parts or more???
In order to fragment the general volume of the building, the floorplan is split in 2 areas - a general service and vertical circulation area and the main body of the building, containing rooms, restaurant, lobby etc… A vertical strip of U-Glass detaches the two parts of the volume while the facade that corresponds to the main spaces of the building is furthermore subdivided by vertical strips of windows which creates a desired confusion regarding the interior composition.
We avoided the functionalist modus operandi in designing a facade in which all interior elements are directly expressed to the exterior. We are more interested in introducing elements of contradiction and therefore the fragmentation of the main volume prevents the simple and direct interpretation of the building. 

different contexts - different facades
Since in the aesthetic apparatus of the prewar and interwar architecture the openings are limited in size and shape and we operated in a traditional neighbourhood we decided to adopt different strategies for the main two facades facing Popa Nan and a perpendicular cul-de-sac. While the Popa Nan facade is dominated by opaqueness with a limited number of vertical openings going the whole height of the building (and continuing on the roof which becomes the 5th facade), the facade facing the cul-de-sac is fully glazed in order to open the hotel rooms to more light and various views. The north and south facade become the frame for the west facade, while the east facade is completely opaque.

Anatomy
As often in our projects, the concept of the space coincides with the structural approach. The structure of the hotel is made of a vertical tube where all services and vertical circulation are concentrated, structural facades towards north and south, and pillars along the west facade - this allows maximum flexibility in re-arranging the rooms in the future to meet any evolution of hotel standards or branding. From this frame created by the main and the rear facades a series of rooms describe a grid which participates in the design of the west curtain wall.

Atmosphere
The idea behind the atmosphere of this project was to exhibit as much as possible of the existing neighbourhood which becomes present in each room as well as to fragment the interior in small intimate spaces. An interesting feature is the underground bar which is visually isolated from the neighbourhood but is permeated through its english garden by the perfume of linden trees which is specific for Popa Nan. The decor is minimalist, featuring white common spaces and private rooms finished in wood veneer.

area . 1400sqm
status . Project 2014
program . Apartment Building 
client . Private
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Liviu MIRICA
renders/photos . Liviu MIRICA

Intro
Popa Tatu lies in a quiet neighbourhood in very close vicinity to the city center - an area with small scale architecture of 2-3 floors, engulfed in greenery (gardens, trees) and one of the most beautiful public gardens of the capital - Cismigiu. The population of this neighbourhood is mixed - people of all cultural dimensions - even if lately this area is branded as the creative hotspot of Bucharest.
The main arhitectural themes extracted from the context are the front garden acting as a buffer, the backyard as a private outdoor space, the opaque facades with small openings, and the colours which are mostly whites and browns.
The client wanted a contemporary apartment block with large glazed surfaces, continuity between indoor and outdoor.
The client has a very difficult narrow plot, perpendicular to Popa Tatu, resulted from a bigger plot - once an industry - that has been subdivided between owners.

Idea
breaking up the volume - 3 smaller buildings
The main idea regarding the scale of the apartment building was to break the volume in three parts, hosting one apartment on each level. The three wings are separated through front gardens which generate a buffer with the street. Planted with fast growing bamboo these gardens will become natural dividers in between the wings offering privacy to apartments on the same level.
The loggias which border the gardens on different floors replace the back garden (which is typical of this neighbourhood), acting like an exterior private space, protected from view, wind and sun.

the fake facade - the mask
How can we solve the conflict in between the client’s desire for maximum transparency - continuity (from the interior spaces of the apartments to the exterior large loggias) and the existing aesthetic of the context expressed in small openings and mostly opaque facades?
The answer was a fake facade with small square alternate openings in a chess pattern which conceals behind the real glazed facade of the building. By generating this double facade the continuity interior to exterior is respected while loggias are shaded and the privacy of each apartment respected. 

Anatomy
The structure of the building is situated exclusively on the perimeter in order to avoid beams in the interior spaces. The street facade with its small openings carries the structural loads to the ground allowing the continuity of the glazed facades.
The floor plan is divided into a front area where the living rooms are situated, maximising views, glazed surfaces and sun exposure and a back area which is dedicated to kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms in a more protected, shady and intimate position. 

Atmosphere
The interior spaces are divided into 2 radically different atmospheres - a shady, intimate, secluded area for services and bedrooms which is finished in warm colours and textiles and a front area which is white, sunny, minimal, where the only colours come from furniture elements and green plants - either vertical bamboos in the front gardens or pot plants which grow in the double loggias and carvings in the facade.

area . 1000sqm
status . Concept Design 2012
program . Beauty Center
client . Private
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU
collaborators . Petru DRAGOIU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Staicovici street is situated in the centre of Bucharest in the middle of the bourgeois Cotroceni neighbourhood. The architecture of Cotroceni is eclectic and pretentious, with stone or stucco facades, decorated with profiles and statues, lush gardens and beautiful entrances.
The theme was a new building for a beauty centre which had to be at the same time glamorous and contemporary while respecting the prestige and standard of the area. The designated plot is narrow and long attached on one side to an existing building.

Idea
the detached pure monolith
The first arhitectural choice was to place the vertical circulation and services into an adjacent volume, attached to the existing house and to detach the main volume of the building containing the treatment spaces as a pure prism situated in the middle of the plot.
The prism was treated like a monolith made of horizontal layers of stone and glass. While the exterior is pure and smooth, the interior form of each stone layer is rough and irregular taking the role of bris-soleil, shelf or seating. This vertical fragmentation of the facade reduces the height effect, while allowing maximum view from the interior and maximum privacy from the exterior.
Each person undergoing treatment procedures is able to enjoy the views of the neighbourhood without being seen from the outside.
Vertical shafts within the building connect spatially different floors generating a feeling of continuity.

the hedonistic garden
The ground floor is the place where people rest and relax in between procedures. This space is fully glazed towards the garden and can be completely opened in summer in order to allow interior and exterior to work in perfect continuity. The whole spa/garden becomes an Eden populated by chaise-longues intercalated by exotic plants in the interior and flower shrubs in the exterior.

the underground baths
In the underground level are placed all the wet procedures in rooms which become arched niches reminding of classic termae. All the spaces are illuminated through vertical light shafts or skylights situated in each room.

Anathomy
The whole structure is made of small diameter round steel pillars with prefabricated concrete layers which are then finished in stone. This combination generates a structural mesh in which horizontal elements are most visible while the vertical pillars seem to disappear in the horizontal light “blades” penetrating the volume. 
The vertical voids offer a perspective of the whole volume, separate the functional areas and allow light to penetrate the inner spaces and the underground level.
The vertical circulation and services define a separate volume connected to the main volume only at ground level.

Atmosphere
The horizontal stone layers are sharp and clean at the exterior, but irregular and sculptural in the interior. The result is like a CATSCAN of the interior of a cavern, with pieces of rock intercalated with blades of light, generating a conflictual feeling of protection mixed with insecurity. The garden aromatic shrubs and the interior exotic plants generate a perfume which permeates the whole interior passing through the vertical voids and openspaces.
The ground level is designed like an interpretation of EDEN, where plants, furniture and people fill in a space which is detached from the outside world following a different rhythm.

area . 800sqm
status . Built 2010
program . Offices
client . UNPIR
architect . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU  
collaborators . Matei BOGOESCU, Cristian POPESCU 
renders/photos . Matei BOGOESCU

Shortlisted  for “Anuala de Arhitectura Bucuresti”

Intro
The project is situated in one of the most historically relevant areas of Bucharest which was aggressively destroyed by the urban renewal interventions of the 1980’s. Today most houses are empty and derelict, except for a handful of interwar buildings and small houses which are still intact. 
The plot is situated in a continuous street front, adjacent to a modernist apartment building and therefore the project has only two facades - the front and the back of the house.
The clients asked for a transparent building (being a lawyer firm the transparency is functional but also symbolic) and therefore the main question was - how can we integrate a fully glazed facade in a historical context?

Idea
The facade - a cross and 4 different quarters
The first idea was to enhance the facade through a large compositional cross which would become the main design element, with effect also in the interior subdivision of space.
The cross itself which replicates the section of an out-of-scale steel profile, divides the facade in 4 zones: 

_a fully glazed display window which corresponds to the entrance
_an area shaded and protected from view by horizontal bris-soleils which belongs to the coffee corner, services and vertical circulation  
_the main office openspace which is realised in a simple curtainwall with a burberry type subdivision
_the access to the back courtyard which is a void closed during the night through a storefront type steel partition

The extruded cross corresponds to the functional subdivision of the building, from the most public to the most private areas.

The loggia
In the upper part of the openspace curtainwall an extruded box defines a loggia at the last floor which has a special view of the whole neighbourhood. Through the loggia that acts like a cornice, the whole city is brought to the interior of the building.

Anatomy
The closed tube and the open tube
The main structure of the building is determined by 3+1 walls and 5 slabs which create 2 types of spaces: the first is a closed tube opened to the main facade with a series of service and circulation spaces linked by the main staircase and the second is a open tube destined to the main working space, with views to the street and the private backyard.

Atmosphere
The building is all-black and glass on the outside, while the interior is abstract white much like a scale model. The interior furniture with vivid colours and the different images of the city and  backyard are the only elements which decorate the inside space.

area . 95000sqm
status . Approved Masterplan 2007
program . Residential, Commercial, Offices
client . HL1 GROUP
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Bogdan BOGOESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Timisoara 14-1 is an approved masterplan for a 95000 sqm of mixed-use development in one of the fastest developing areas west of Bucharest, part of old industrial platforms and infrastructures.
The program is divided in two buildings - a vertical one (the office tower) and a horizontal one (the apartment block). The development was thought to be realised in one go, with a general underground level for parking and technical spaces.
The office tower is placed perpendicular to the boulevard in order to achieve the best views and to make room for an outdoor plaza, acting as a gate to the new development. The building is shaped like a vertical frame with two solid and two fully glazed facades.
The apartment block is shaped like a horizontal frame generating an inner courtyard acting like the main gathering space for the community. The garden is bordered by services and cafes at ground floor as glass boxes in a continuous portico. The general volume of the apartment block is carved - while on the first floors it describes a full ring which encloses the semiprivate space of the garden, at upper floors is opened towards east and west to allow maximum sunlight and spectacular views of the city.
The exterior plaza is designed with a barcode pattern including trees of different colours and dimensions much like an abstract orchard or vegetal sculpture, while the garden should have a sauvage atmosphere with lower plants, flowers and shrubs.

area . 95000sqm
status . Masterplan 2014
program . Residential, Commercial
client . HL1 GROUP
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Alexandru CHIRITA
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

Timisoara 14-2 and 14-3 are design concepts for the site of Timisoara 14-1, having the same residential-oriented program, but with a different development strategy. If Timisoara 14-1 was thought to be developed in one go (given the high market demand for apartments in 2007), Timisoara 14-2 and 14-3 adopt a more prudent approach (the development in stages) based on a residential building prototype which can be implemented gradually in coordination with investment stages and the contemporary market demand.
While the residential buildings are to be built on individual plots, the general automobile and pedestrian circulation as well as parking (which is restricted to the ground level) is to be realised on a separate plot in shared property.
The architectural prototype Timisoara 14-2 is a dynamic building which is composed of a V-shaped wall with random openings and a back facade with individual balconies. The shape of the building makes it slender in proportion and special apartments can be obtained at both ends where spectacular views open towards the city and the periphery.
The urban composition of Timisoara 14-2 integrates the V-shape of individual blocks in the design  of inner roads which follow a sinuous path, making speeding impossible and adding a supplementary element of safety. The pedestrian path is separated from the automobile route generating a central promenade leading from the entrance to the plaza situated at the end of the plot, where the main community spaces are located. 

area . 95000sqm
status . Masterplan 2014
program . Residential, Commercial
client . HL1 GROUP
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Liviu MIRICA
renders/photos. Alexandru CHIRITA

Timisoara 14-2 and 14-3 are design concepts for the site of Timisoara 14-1, having the same residential-oriented program, but with a different development strategy. If Timisoara 14-1 was thought to be developed in one go (given the high market demand for apartments in 2007), Timisoara 14-2 and 14-3 adopt a more prudent approach (the development in stages) based on a residential building prototype which can be implemented gradually in coordination with investment stages and the contemporary market demand.
While the residential buildings are to be built on individual plots, the general automobile and pedestrian circulation as well as parking (which is restricted to the ground level) is to be realised on a separate plot in shared property.
The architectural prototype Timisoara 14-3 is a vertical prism (small tower) with a chess board composition of openings and community services and facilities on the ground floor. Each apartment has a dematerialised wall, fully glazed towards the loggia, while the bedrooms have lateral vertical openings towards the same loggia. This allows for maximum privacy for the night part (bedrooms) of the apartment and maximum exposure for the day part (living-room). All service spaces (bathrooms and kitchens) are located adjacently to the vertical core.
The urban composition of Timisoara 14-3 is also based on a chess-board pattern with individual blocks shifted to allow maximum views and sunlight. To each block corresponds a garden which is destined to community activities and children playgrounds. The large sidewalks can accommodate exterior spaces for cafes and restaurants within the complex, bringing a natural lively atmosphere within the complex, eliminating the ghetto atmosphere typical of such developments.

area . 72000sqm
status . Approved Masterplan 2007
program . Residential, Commercial, Offices
client . HL1 GROUP
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Bogdan BOGOESCU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Laminor 25, was an old recreational area during the communism - today a derelict garbage dump on the waterfront of the lake in the Grivita neighbourhood, north of Bucharest. The master plan for this area was approved in 2007, and contains a mixed-use program of offices, residential and commercial spaces and services, divided in 3 main parts. 
The first part of the development, shaped like a W opening toward the lake contains the commercial spaces and services as well as smaller apartments for single people or small families.
The open courtyards with views of the lake were designed as gardens and hosted playgrounds and an infinity swimming pool.
The blocks have different heights with a maximum of 13 floors for the wings which are perpendicular to the lake and do not close the view and a smaller height of 5-6 floors for the wing parallel to the road.
The second part of the development contained courtyard blocks with larger apartments and interior gardens which were opened to the lake. The program of this area was strictly residential and the outdoor spaces enjoyed maximum privacy. 
The height of the buildings is restricted to 6 floors arriving at the same level as the small hill to the south, allowing for an unrestricted view of the lake.
The third part of the development was a 30 floors office tower which acted as a sign and symbol of the new development, a landmark which would attract further investment to the area.
While the project generates a serious density, it also offers large public spaces (promenade) along the water. Through the design of the public promenade this project contributed to a change in strategy of the municipality regarding private projects on the waterfront, making public access and development of public amenities a must for further developments. 
The typological variation creates particular environments with distinct atmospheres and the different heights generate a spectacular skyline. Each piece of the greater project becomes a micro-world which opens in a very specific way to the water.

area . 34000sqm
status . Built 2007
program . Residential, Offices
client . HL1 GROUP
architect . Matei BOGOESCU   
collaborator . Oltea DIACONESCU, Ioana NICOLAE
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Delea Veche is located in one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Bucharest within the inner ring. Due to its vicinity to Calea Calarasilor, a boulevard which was redefined in the last years of the communist regime, a large area of this neighbourhood was demolished and replaced with prefabricated blocks of flats. The diminutive scale of houses with ivy covered facades and small gardens was hidden by the high street front of new buildings cutting through the existing urban fabric.
The project site is on the spot of an old textile factory, located on the border between this two urban ecologies - the stark communist development with concrete boulevards and grey facades and the picturesque and soft neighbourhood made of villas and interwar apartment blocks.
The project should have related to both environments creating a link between these apparently conflictive typologies.

Idea
The reinterpreted modernist residential block - 4 typologies
The first challenge of the project was to use a typology used by the modernist architecture (largely implemented during the communist years in Romania) and to reinvent it. Therefore we adopted the slab - the abstract prism - as the main volume to be used in the new development. What used to be a simple abstract box with small openings became a multilayered facade with large windows and loggias. Different materials describe distinct patterns on the facade generating diversity, reintroducing the concept of ornament as abstract composition of vertical and horizontal surfaces.
As the development is composed by 4 blocks at different angles we tried to specialise and diversify each one in direct relation to their position within the composition.

_Block 1
The program of block 1 is offices and its volume is a pure prism - the main compositional element is the horizontal stripes of windows which are a quote of modernist principles. The lateral facades are almost blind with small openings and hanging balconies for smokers, which allow panoramic views.
This block is the highest volume of the project and is positioned perpendicular to the road in order to minimise its impact.

_Block 2 and 3
The two residential blocks are impure prisms since their upper floors recede in order to generate large terraces with spectacular views. The volume seams to be eroded from on end, where corner windows link compositionally one of the short facades to the two main facades.
The other short facade, facing the office block is pierced with a grid of very small openings which protect the privacy of the apartment building.
Blocks 2 and 3 are positioned parallel to Delea Veche street offering panoramic views of the old neighbourhood.

_Block 4 
Block 4 acts like a gate for the whole development, containing administration and other small offices for the maintenance personnel. Underneath this block is the access to the courtyard and the acces to the underground.
This block is smaller - only 5 floors - an average height which corresponds to the general scale of the street.

Anatomy
The concept of this project was to disconnect the aesthetic of facades from the general structure of the building which is conceived of short structural walls and circulation cores. 
In order to liberate the long facades from structural loads a 2,5 meter cantilever was realised, allowing the possibility of continuous glazing or corner windows which dematerialise the volume. 
The short facades are structural and therefore allow for small scale openings only.
Each block is composed as a closed frame - the office buildings - or an open frame - the residential buildings.
The dimension and position of openings are the only elements that can offer hints on the role that different facades have  within the structure of the building.

Atmosphere
The contemporary flats are often quite small, especially if situated in central areas of the city. It was our intention to counterbalance the dimension of flats with the special design of spaces and the large windows. Kitchens are within the facade and filled with morning sunlight, while living rooms have glass walls opening towards the loggias and glass guardrails maximising the views of the neighbourhood.
Entrances and staircases are contemporary, with minimal design of metal and glass, while the interiors are cozy with wallpapered walls and wood floors.

area . 6300sqm
status . Project 2012 (concept 1)
program . Offices
client . STARNET Chisinau
architect . Matei BOGOESCU   
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Competition designs C1 and C2
In march 2012 our office won a competition between different architecture firms to design an office building and datacenter in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. 
The competition organizers were STARNET, the leading telecom and IT company in the Republic of Moldova, which had the intention to develop a flexible IT cluster within the TRACOM Technological Park in Chisinau in 4 phases. The first phase was the project of the first three buildings of the general development. 

The program of the buildings was split in 3 volumes:
_VOLUME 1 located next to the entrance hosted an underground datacenter, ground floor services and commercial spaces, mezzanine meeting rooms and showrooms and 4 floors of openspace offices.

_VOLUME 2 placed to the far end of the site was identical to VOLUME 1, minus the underground datacenter, which was replaced by parking

_VOLUME 3 located in between VOLUME 1&2 was a 2 level cafeteria / restaurant opened to the general public and the employees of STARNET. 

The outdoor spaces should have contained the access plaza and lateral parking spaces.
The organizers asked for two different concepts from each team of architects.

C1
In the C1 version the underlaying image that structured the whole concept was a PIXELATED CUBE. 
The lobby of VOLUME 1&2 were dematerialized and fully glazed giving the impression of a sectioned cube with its upper part floating. The structure was cantilevered in all directions from the core, while the facade albeit not structural was massive with small square piercings. Due to the size of the square windows, the scale of the construction was distorted and therefore gave the impression of a huge object rather than a regular building.
The cafeteria VOLUME 3 seemed the lower part of the sectioned cube constrained between the two office blocks.
The design of the lobby made full use of the double height of the space with a dynamic oblique balcony overlooking the access and reception. On the mezzanine, manager offices and meeting rooms enjoyed of privileged views of the plaza and the public ground floor.

area . 6300sqm
status . Project 2012 (concept 2)
program . Offices
client . STARNET Chisinau
architect . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU   
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Competition designs C1 and C2
In march 2012 our office won a competition between different architecture firms to design an office building and datacenter in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. 
The competition organizers were STARNET, the leading telecom and IT company in the Republic of Moldova, which had the intention to develop a flexible IT cluster within the TRACOM Technological Park in Chisinau in 4 phases. The first phase was the project of the first three buildings of the general development. 

The program of the buildings was split in 3 volumes:
_VOLUME 1 located next to the entrance hosted an underground datacenter, ground floor services and commercial spaces, mezzanine meeting rooms and showrooms and 4 floors of openspace offices.

_VOLUME 2 placed to the far end of the site was identical to VOLUME 1, minus the underground datacenter, which was replaced by parking

_VOLUME 3 located in between VOLUME 1&2 was a 2 level cafeteria / restaurant opened to the general public and the employees of STARNET. 

The outdoor spaces should have contained the access plaza and lateral parking spaces.
The organizers asked for two different concepts from each team of architects.

C2
In the C2 version the underlaying image that structured the whole concept was a GLASS FOREST. 
The whole space of the second version was generated by the structure made of waffle slabs, tilted A shaped columns with structural roles both in horizontal and vertical forces and spiral staircases which connected freely different office floors.
The forest concept was generated by the tilted vertical columns with he floating slabs like platforms suspended between trees on different levels. The glass envelope makes the building reflective and abstract during the day and completely exposed during the night.
Shading technologies were included in the window design.

area . 6300sqm
status . Under construction 2014
program . Offices
client . STARNET Chisinau
architect . Matei BOGOESCU   
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
In 2013, 4b-arhitectura was assigned the contract to design the new flagship building for STARNET Offices in Chisinau. Due to financial issues, only two of the three initial buildings were set to be built in the first phase and therefore a new concept was needed which would ensure full functionality of the  partial structure. Our task was to design the building to have a finished look at each stage and to be flexible enough to allow further developments.
The main volumes were “1 cube” for the main office wing and “1/3 cube” for the services wing which had to be connected and integrated through a unique facade design. 
The site was located at the north end of TRACOM technological park, on a long plot bordered by a derelict factory building to the south and the river to the north.

Idea
Breaking up the volumes
The final volume of 1 and 1/3 cubes was the optimal solution determined by the datacenter in the underground of the office wing and the office organisation, but was challenging from the compositional point of view. The exaggerated bulkiness of the main wing as well as the unhappy proportion of the whole were deeply unsettling, so we decided to change the volumetric distribution of masses. The main cube was divided in two slender thirds by a glass atrium and balconies while the west third was connected to the horizontal volume of the restaurant, thus generating an artificial subdivision of volumes. This design decisions reduced the bulkiness of the main cube while connecting the restaurant wing to the main building. In order to reinforce the slenderness of the resulted volumes a series of profiles were included in the facade design reinforcing its horizontal / vertical movement. 

Green Restaurant
The restaurant and bar of the new IT centre were thought to be spaces with an active role in the marketing of STARNET brand, open to the public, and therefore a unique dining environment had to be developed including western and local motifs. The main concept for these spaces was the garden, including trees, plants and a water fountain (which reminds of the old ottoman “havuz”).
The evergreen plants reached the mezzanine balcony climbing on steel cables, while a decorative tree enjoyed the natural light flooding the space through the atrium. The recessed facade allowed for the growth of a vertical garden behind the horizontal profiles.

Anathomy
In order to allow for maximum light and flexibility, the whole structure was based on columns reinforced by steel diagonal profiles and balanced horizontally through vertical circulation cores. The spatial composition was based on an “b-a-b-a-b-a” rhythm where “a” were double heights or full height atria and “b” were regular stacked office and services floors. This composition allows for a dynamic perception of horizontal and vertical spaces along the main axis of the building from east to west, as well as natural light and ventilation - major sustainability requirements for an A-class office building. 

Atmosphere
The work environment of STARNET flagship office building was thought to be modern and minimalist, with full transparency between office spaces and services, interior and exterior. In order to protect the working space from sunlight automated shading solutions were integrated into the facade design. While the offices have an austere design with face-concrete ceilings and columns, glass and minimalist furniture, the lobby and service spaces are decorated with vivid colours, with gathering spaces, recreational activities and green areas.
If the working space reflects the high performance and professionalism of the company, the hedonism of the common spaces illustrates the young and cheerful STARNET team.

area . 23630sqm
status . Concept Design 2011
program . Residential, Offices
client . Total Fidelity
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU   
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Vasile Lascar is a concept for an office and residential complex to be developed in central Bucharest. Dacia Boulevard is one of the important thoroughfares crossing the urban core of the city, whose construction led to a brutal reconfiguration of the old urban fabric, leaving behind architectural “scars” still visible today. One of the areas that suffered most from the urban intervention was the intersection between Vasile Lascar and Dacia, with major plot fragmentation, blind walls, empty unbuildable plots or improvised constructions facing the boulevard. 
Following the indications of an approved masterplan which reconfigured the street corner, our proposal introduced two buildings - an office building and a residential block with a commercial ground floor and a shared courtyard. 
A pedestrian connection is linking Vasile Lascar with Strada Viitorului in a sequence of spaces which include a commercial street, a hidden garden and a residential street.
The project aimed to reconstruct a specific atmosphere and specific spaces of small scale Bucharest, while reinforcing the urban image of the street.

area . 24000sqm
status . Concept Design 2010
program . School
client . Private
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU 
collaborator . Ioana NICOLAE
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

Intro
In 2010 a large residential neighbourhood was planned to be developed in Mogosoaia, a small satellite suburb north-west of Bucharest. Given the large size of the development and the nature of targeted clients (expats and employees of multinational companies), educational facilities had to be integrated in the project. The operator of choice for this facilities was chosen to be the British School of Bucharest which was in search for new spaces to expand. 
Queen Elisabeth School in Mogosoaia was conceived as the first integrated educational programme for all ages following the british curricula - it also included spaces for impaired and disabled children. 
The architectural program was developed together with the principal of BSB and was mainly developed in two parts: the classrooms / educational spaces for each age group with the student and professors accommodation on one side and the workshops, laboratories, auditorium, lobby and sports hall on the other side.

Idea
The 3 courtyards
The split in the architectural program produced a separation of activities in two distinct volumes: a central wing dedicated to all creative and presentation spaces within the school and two lateral wings for classrooms. The classroom wings were organised around two inner courtyards which represented a closed and safe environment for play and recreation, gathering spaces for small children in the crib, creche pre-school and lower school (year 1 to year 6). 
The accommodations wing develops like a tail connected to the sports hall and protects the school from the noise and visual exposure towards the bordering rail tracks to the north. In between the accommodation wing and the educational wing is generated the third courtyard destined to sport courts and quad.
While the two closed courtyards are green and sandy, the sports courtyard is mineral and coloured.

The creative core
One of the main requests of the school principal was to organise all creative activities and presentation rooms in a central core in order to maximise visibility and allow access to all parents during the collective activities. A central double height lobby becomes the heart of the school, its main social space like the square in a small town with all laboratories and workshops lined on the perimeter and natural light pouring from the glazed ceiling.
The playful and cheerful atmosphere of the activities themselves is completed by the pavement in vivid colours and display boards with the drawings and work of pupils which decorate the central space.

Anatomy 
The body of the school is made of two interlocking volumes and structures: a circular structure which accommodates the silent spaces of the school creating two inner courtyards and a perpendicular volume centered on the main lobby which gathers all “public” and “collective” spaces and extends to the north with the sports hall and accommodation. 
The structure is mainly columns in order to allow maximum flexibility.

Atmosphere 
The main materials used inside the school were face-concrete and coloured resin pavements for the central core, parquet, wood and textile finishes for the classrooms. Educational spaces are warm and cozy, while the apparent austere design of collective areas is balanced by the presence of children art and craft products displayed on the walls and cheerful pavements. We saw the school structure only as the neutral support frame for children’s activities which will fill the space with their personality.

area . 8700sqm
status . Concept design 2009
program . Hospital
client . Private
architects . Bogdan BOGOESCU, Ioana NICOLAE
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU    

In early 2009, 4b-arhitectura was asked to develop a concept for a private clinic in east Bucharest for GRAL Medical. The new structure offered a diversified range of medical services including: Trauma and Emergency, Surgery, Internal Medicine, Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine. 
The building has a total of 9 floors with different spaces organised around a central corridor, with the exception of the Surgery level where the fluxes are separated for hygienic reasons.
The interior program is visible in the facade with the Ambulatory occupying floors 3 to 7, the Emercengy and Reception as well as Diagnostic Imaging and Non-Invasive Testing placed on the ground and first levels and Surgery with Intensive Care at the upper floors in a cantilevered structure.
A supersized cross is the main feature of the street facade containing the vertical circulation and the Diagnostic Floor.

area . 4051,2sqm
status . Concept Design 2014
program . business hotel
client . Private
architects . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Alexandru CHIRITA

Intro
Baneasa is a neighbourhood north of Bucharest, close to Henri Coanda Airport, acting like a gate for the whole city. The area has been developed with residential blocks of flats in the 1980’s and remains almost untouched with a few exceptions that display a generic nondescript architectural style. On one of the main boulevards connecting the airport with the inner ring we were asked to transform an existing hotel which was built completing two unfinished residential structures abandoned after 1989. Due to the nature of residential architecture before 1989, the hotel lacks in room flexibility and comfort and has a dated facade with small openings and balconies.
The client wanted a new contemporary concept for a 3* business hotel, with minimalist design of scandinavian inspiration.

Idea
The ribbon windows
The client asked for a unique facade design that would integrate the existing volumes which was challenging due to their different heights and structural systems. Our proposal was to demolish the existing facade and to completely strip the interior. The new facade wraps around the stripped structures and the main design element becomes the ribbon windows which adapt to both different room heights and elevations and interior functionality.
The ground floor is completely glazed integrating the two accesses which are highlighted through a CANOPY and a CORTEN tube. 

The prefabricated bathroom modules 
The bathrooms should be completely prefabricated as individual design units and fitted in the existing structure like furniture elements, detached from the main body of the building. Each bathroom is designed with integrated furniture and appliances.

Anatomy

Given the different structural systems of the two existing wings (columns and load bearing walls) as well as their poor execution which requires further reinforcement to meet present day standards, two different anatomies were developed, providing a diversified experience of the interior:

_the light partitions and flowing spaces of the columns wing

_the excavated cavernous space of the load-bearing walls wing

Both spaces are connected through different vertical circulation schemes - a concrete tube with a spiral staircase for the corner wing and a straight staircase in the lateral wing.
The two wings communicate on the ground floor and superior levels, being completely separated on the middle levels.  

Atmosphere
Within the project brief the atmosphere was required to be consistent with the hotel destination - business and corporate clients - and a certain scandinavian aesthetic in which the predominant materials are wood and glass.
We chose to introduce a radical difference in between the rooms and circulation spaces. While the rooms are a minimalist mix of wood, glass, textile and wallpaper - a cozy but serious look, the circulation spaces are rough and abstract with white floors and walls and a dynamic ceiling of dark wood and led strips.
The reception is focused primarily on the main desk which is a sculptural and dynamic wood piece integrating electronic devices, lights and ventilation. The main feature of the ceiling, similar to the accommodation floors is represented by the light strips which run the whole length of the space.

area . 1870sqm
status . Project 2012
program . Offices
client . Private
architect . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU
collaborator . Matei BOGOESCU   
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

area . 54000sqm
status . Under construction 2007-2008; 2014
program . Residential
client . GEA Prasa
architect . Matei BOGOESCU, Ioana NICOLAE
renders/photos . Alexandru CHIRITA

area . 96,5sqm
status . Concept Design 2011
program . Bridge
client . Bucharest City Council
team . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Matei BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU, Paula DUMITRESCU, Silviu VULTUREANU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

SPACE_THE THIRD SPACE
When thinking of a bridge and a pavilion / installation in the same time, it becomes interesting to mix the character of the two spaces: the mere pragmatic and functional dinamic crossing specific to the bridge, with the static and alienating situation produced by the installation / pavillion.

STRUCTURE_THE GOSSAMER
The limits of the 3rd space have to be evident, but in the same time diaphanous, to allow the contemplation of the outer world (especially the river) but to create a unique environment nonetheless...
The inspiration for the form of this bridge-space  came from the structure of the GOSSAMER, a fine web floating above the water.

ATMOSPHERE_THE WATER GARDEN
he atmosphere of the 3rd space pays tribute to tradition, which is re-interpreted as a water-garden floating above the river. Gardens are fundamental spaces in Bucharest, providing the city with a particular character.
ithin this space, the garden works as a thin green membrane, a folded living surface providing shadow and intimacy.

Area . 4000sqm
Status . Competition 2014
Program . Gas station
Team . Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Matei BOGOESCU, Liviu MIRICA, Alexandru CHIRITA
renders/photos . Liviu MIRICA, Alexandru CHIRITA

area . 9000sqm
status . Concept Design 2011
program . Public Space
client . Bucharest City Council
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Paula DUMITRESCU, Petru DRAGOIU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Urban Design Competition organised by Bucharest General City Council - 3rd PRIZE 

3 SPACES
University Piazza,  the central void of the project, is a mineral circular surface of almost 3000 square meters, centered on the monumental statue of “Mihai Viteazu” and the archeological ruins of “S.Sava Church”. The term “Piazza” was borrowed from italian in order to explain the spatial choice: a circular, empty space “crossing” the boulevard, almost touching the stairs of Bucharest University, recalling the primary function of this void that was created to emphasize the prestigious building. The austere design of this space is delicately spiced through the insertion of a constellation of recessed floor lights; this subtle presence of light is symbolic, suggesting the universal centrality of this space for the citizens of the city. The statue of the Great Romanian Ruler and the recall of history through the church foundation and their retracing in the square’s pavement represent the center from which the whole project is generated – the ZERO kilometer.
South of this void, a large artesian fountain creates a climatic and visual attraction articulating this area with the other parts of the project. The seating layout on the perimeter recalls the configuration of an amphitheatre whose “skene” is the University Building itself.

The Garden Strip is composed of 3 typologies of Gardens.
The Lawn represents an almost flat green surface of grass which is dominated by two spatial rules: the cross and the grid. The cross is created by a linear green promenade flanked by benches and illuminated bollards and a small square which meet around the statue of Spiru Haret. The grid is generated by a series of hybrid objects (benches + lights) which create a cartesian space placed on the abstract surface of the lawn. This empty lawn is thought to support a series of recreational activities, through its apparent neutrality (just like Circus Maximus in Rome).
The Chestnut Tree Gardens are situated to the South-West and South-East, creating a screen between the Central Void and the Buildings on the South edge of the Site. The majestic trees create shadow and freshness along the facades reconstructing the historical layout of the Piazza.
The Savage Garden is somehow the most specific to Bucharest’s atmosphere: a compact area covered in multiannual shrubs which we imagine proliferating to an al most compact dense vegetation body in which a series of exedrae were excavated to create spaces of retreat and silence.
The Restaurants and Cafes Strip represents the living-room of this project. A meeting and socialization space adjacent to existing cafes on the Toma Caragiu Street, we imagine this place to be intensely populated by tables and chairs, people sitting up and down, strolling around from the Historical Center and the Russian Church to the University Piazza. In the middle of this area emerges the Pedestrian Acces to the Underground parking which is coupled with a MULTIFUNCTIONAL KIOSK treated like a design sculpture. The two lines of Maple Trees flanking this space create a natural roof of green leaves above, while the natural aspect of the area is reinforced by the deck pavement below. Isolated benches are placed around each tree in order to create resting spaces.
All the urban elements proposed within this project are integrated aesthetically and functionally. The white paving flags are destined to thresholds from one space to the other, while the light-brown paving flags are dedicated to transit areas. Porfiry stone pavers are dedicated to the main space and the exadrae which are all circular in form. Elements of light and seatings were designed in a minimalist and austere fashion in an attempt to complement the architectural exuberance of the edge buildings.
THE VOID is the key concept of this project. We avoided filling up spaces, but we defined them clearly. We avoided to imagine pre-fabricated behavior in these spaces as it cannot be previewed. We tried to restore elegance and monumentality to the Bucharest University Building by re-creating its “Sagrato”. We insisted on the importance of urban elements of high quality and high simplicity. We agree on the fact that the re-construction of public space must start from the controlled VOID as a framework for the social and cultural evolution of the city.

area . 5000sqm
status . Concept Design 2011
program . Residential, Theatre, Public Space
client . Bucharest City Council
architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Petru DRAGOIU
renders/photos . Petru DRAGOIU

Intro
Manifest Icoanei 2-8 was a competition launched by APSC (Asociatia Prietenii Scolii Centrale), ASAUIM (Asociatia Studentilor Arhitecti si Urbanisti “Ion Mincu”) and Pro-Do-Mo (Asociatia pentru Protectia si Documentarea Monumentelor si Patrimoniului din România) as a reaction against speculative developments in a central historical area of major importance in Bucharest. The competition was also supported by OAR (The Romanian Order of Arhitects) interested in creating awareness for public and architects regarding arhitectural projects in the city centre.
The site was in a small scale neighbourhood of traditional houses and consisted of a general reconfiguration of 4 plots in front of Scoala Centrala - a major architectural monument belonging to the neo-romanian style.
The brief was established by the private developer with the only constraint being the facade of the corner building which was to be preserved as it is and the public part of the program - a theatre and exhibition spaces - located on the corner which were a request of local community.

Urban Concept (Open spaces)
The area of the project belongs to a rich urban environment where all major historical typologies of Bucharest are present: the linear house with lateral courtyard, the representative villa with front garden, the old school with an interior courtyard, various modernist apartment buildings from the 1930’s with private gardens in the back of the plot.
All this diversity was addressed in the proposal by generating 3 courtyards:
The interior courtyard of the theatre organised as a cultural hotspot - a bookshop / library / restaurant.
The meandering linear courtyard of residences which is partly covered / partly open generating dynamic perspectives to the residential colony above
The hidden garden - the most private open space of the project with access for residents only.

Architectural concept (Layering / Multiplication / Tetris)
The volumetric concept was generated by the main characteristic of the site - overlapping / layering of multiple typologies / programs / volumes which makes this place unique in Bucharest.
The main volume should not be a unique building mass, grown out of scale and disconnected from its context. We chose instead to perform a multiplication of a basic module similar to a traditional house bent on its own to become a duplex. This basic unit of the project generates a small vertical village interlocking modules like a 1 to 1 tetris with a porous / permeable ground floor opened to the public. 
The program is hybrid generating a 24h activity area which consists of housing, commercial spaces, restaurant, bar, theatre, exhibition space and offices.
By breaking up the program in smaller overlapped modules similar in scale to the existing urban fabric we achieve maximum density with minimum impact.

Real-Estate Branding Concept (Urban Villa and Panoramic Restaurant)
What makes a real-estate development attractive in the very centre of Bucharest besides location, justifying density and pricing? This was one of the questions which led us to develop a special brand for this development which would make it unique on the Romanian market.
We conceived each apartment like a small villa and the resulted volume where this small villas interlock creating a larger structure is anything but the regular apartment building. We called this concept the urban villa. 
The hybrid program with cultural activities, commercial and office spaces besides apartments is also a specific quality of this project. Since the central location implies a vibrant and dynamic urban life we made sure our project was open 24h of 24h.
Finally, this area is mostly low in height with no public spaces offering panoramic views of the neighbourhood. We decided that the roof of theatre should become an exterior room overlooking the city, the Icoanei Garden and the bustling Magheru Boulevard. A panoramic restaurant crosses diagonally the theatre roof cantilevered towards the south-west where it marks the corner of the public garden.

area . 177sqm

status . Technical Project 2023

program . Single family house

client . Private

architects . Matei BOGOESCU, Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Paula VULTUREANU

collaborator. Andrei AIOANEI

renders/photos . Paula VULTUREANU

area . 2828sqm

status . Technical Project 2020

program . Consolidare, Conservare și Restaurare a Fațadelor Exterioare ale Palatului Cantacuzino de la Florești “Micul Trianon” (PH-II-a-A-16490.01)

client . Domeniul Floresti s.r.l.

architect . arh. Andrei ATANASIU (expert atestat MC), Mara VERGU-BOGOESCU, Matei BOGOESCU

colaborators. Horia Mihnea (structura), Eugen SABO (expertiza tehnica), Viorel CHIRIAC (instalatii), Mihaela CRITICOS / Anca BRATULEANU (studiu istoric), Marian DABULEANU (specialist restaurator MCC)

renders/photos . Graphein S.A.