[ feminine ]  /'izola/

Isola, island in English, is closely related to the verb isolare which means to isolate, which is essentially what an island is; a piece of land surrounded by water. Philosopher Massimo Cacciari suggests that it's exactly this state of separation that defines its existence. Islands become points of reference, navigation, and hope across the rough sea.

Isola is an Athens, Corfu and New York based, multidisciplinary architecture, design and research studio working across scales and categories, since 2021. For us architecture is not merely the construction of a building but a wider connection between complex social, political, environmental, and technological geographies. We strongly believe that design has the power to provoke social change and we are constantly searching for innovative ideas to create more inclusive and resilient spaces. We are committed to investigating the ever-changing models of inhabitation in the Mediterranean Sea and the social and ecological tensions that affect its landscape. For us design practice is not about the final object but a process of learning, engaging with people, deep understanding of societal values and struggles, collaboration, transformation, and regeneration. To achieve this, we draw inspiration and conduct exercises using multiple media ranging from art, photography, sketching, poetry, writing, theater, traveling, and dancing. Through our practice we seek to be able to critically respond to the urgencies of our times and contribute to shaping more caring future worlds.

People

Chaido Kaproulia, Co-founder

Chaido Kaproulia is an architect and territorial designer. She holds a Master’s degree from the joint program in Urban and Territory Design from ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne and a Master’s degree in Research in Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens. She has previously studied architecture at the University of Thessaly. Prior to her own practice, she has worked as an architect in Vienna and Athens for several years, participating in a wide range of programs from housing and hospitality to public spaces and winning competition proposals. Her work aims to evolve architectural practices beyond the boundaries of the built, by understanding its relationship with landscape, ecology and agriculture. She has presented her research work in various scientific conferences.

Eva Lavranou, Co-founder

Eva Lavranou is an architect and curator. She holds a Master in Design Studies from Harvard Graduate School of Design, graduating with Distinction in 2022, following architecture studies at the University of Thessaly and Politecnico di Milano. At Harvard, Eva served as a teaching assistant for interdisciplinary design courses, curatorial assistant for the Department of Exhibitions, and curator at the GSD Kirkland Gallery. She participated in the 2021 Venice Biennale and has worked on residential projects and award-winning competitions in Greece. Until last year, Eva was part of the Ambasz Institute at MoMA in New York, organizing exhibitions, events, and publications, and researching the history of ecological design. Today, she is focused on her work with Isola Studio, exploring alongside her architecture work, critical curatorial practices through exhibitions, interviews, and events, that focus on design and climate change research.