Established in 2003, by Stephania Kallos and Abigail Turin, Kallos Turin is an international design firm based in London and San Francisco providing both architecture and interior design services. The firm’s work combines the restraint and rigor of minimalism with a desire to challenge a more purely reductive approach to form making. Moments of whimsy, extravagance or eccentricity are used as counterpoints to the stark simplicity of the form. The goal of these moments is not to warm or soften the architecture but rather to present a contrast that deepens and clarifies the original idea – the equivalent of adding a dash of salt to a dessert. Designs are generated by first imagining the ideal form or concept for each project and then allowing the demands of the site, program, client and budget to alter and distort that form. Past and current projects include high-end single family homes and residential developments as well as office, restaurant and retail projects. In 2010 KallosTurin was awarded the prestigious International Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for its design of the Villalagos Residences in Uruguay.