Filippos Assimakopoulos, Safety engineer and Technical Consultant of the Shareholders of C.H.C.L., Kórinthos, GR, architect / project manager

Although I’ve been given the chance and the honor to start working from a very young age with my father (Civil Engineer, University of Athens) and the shareholders of Club Hotel Casino Loutraki (one of the biggest casino resorts in the Balkans) and Beograd, I have also always had the desire to leave Greece in order to broaden my horizons and hopefully, find a new family of architects and engineers who would be happy to welcome me abroad. Although I have mentioned this in my CV, I want to briefly explain why I consider myself an appropriate candidate for a suitable architect position in your company by highlighting some inspirational moments in my previous work experience.

After finishing my BA in Architecture at the University of Cyprus, and while trying to concentrate on my thesis, I was attracted by small-scale projects which I was requested to participate in. What I was motivated by was the invitation of the shareholders of C.H.C.L. to attend their meetings as an observer in order to gain an insight on all their projects in Greece and abroad. This experience gave me the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of managing and construction issues, considering big scale projects, such as the Club Hotel in Loutraki, Greece and the Casino building in Beograd, Serbia. Fortunately, I also managed to use these influences as an inspiration for my thesis and graduate with honors with a Diploma Degree in Architecture.

University of Cyprus (UCY), Department of Architecture, BArch, Bachelor of Arts in Architecture / Architectural Design

Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (4 years, B.A.Arch)

The Professional Diploma and Bachelor of Artsin Architecture have been established as an academic program, within the Department of Architecture under the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law at the University of Nicosia.

From the outset the Department’s strategic plan entailed a well thought-out and progressive expansion into the area of architectural design studies. For over seven years, we have been offering a high quality, accredited academic program in architecture and interior design. As a consequence of which, we have created the essential infrastructure (library resources, computer labs, art studios, workshop, design studios) that serves both the demands of the academic program and the research efforts of the faculty.

The program has been academically accredited by the ECPU and is approved by ETEK (Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber) and has been designed in accordance with the eleven points of the European Commission’s Architects Directive for the transformation of higher education in Europe initiated by the Bologna declaration; at the same time, it acknowledges the importance of constructing a unique identity and fostering diversity in architectural education.

The mission of the Department of Architecture at the University of Nicosia is to create critical thinkers who are intellectually acute, socially aware, and technically skilled architects/designers. Our graduates are conceptual thinkers who are equipped both with time-tested methods and skills, as well as superior knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge technologies. Our graduates understand that design is an investigative process that relies on critical analysis, experimentation, and intellectual inquiry – always asking ‘why’ and re-thinking existing techniques and design paradigms. Our aim is to produce creative, inquisitive, confident, and responsible, architects/designers who are able to utilize ecologically and sustainable techniques in their work. Our graduates are qualified to collaborate on and to lead a design project from conceptual development to realization. Our program equips students to recognize and respect diversity and teaches them to be sensitive to the social, environmental, and cultural contexts in which they design. As such, the program is organized into the following five themes:

1. Architectural Design
Studio courses form the core of the curriculum in the Architecture Programme at the University of Nicosia. Here, students learn to develop coherent architectural designs that integrate analytical and critical thinking. They are introduced to a variety of design strategies to generate, implement and evaluate new ideas and forms at a variety of scales, and they are encouraged to sensitively consider site, context, aesthetic and ethical values.

2. Architectural Technology and Environment
In these courses, students learn about building technologies, environmental design, and construction methods. They practice thinking about structure in relation to human activity and the natural world, and they develop an understanding of visual, thermal, and acoustic environments as well as properties of materials.

3. Architectural History and Theory
In these courses, students learn about the history of architecture and theory from pre-history to the present. Emphasis is placed on understanding the cultural and social contexts that have informed the design of both significant and everyday buildings. Students are expected to develop keen analytical and research skills through frequent reading, looking, and writing assignments.

4. Architectural Communication
Students learn and experiment with standard and cutting-edge techniques for communicating design to a wide audience. These courses encourage students to develop their visual, verbal and written skills in a variety of media, including drawing, modelling, and computer aided design.

5. Architectural Management and Practice
Before graduation, students need to develop an understanding of the practical aspects of architectural practice. Through courses and internships, students learn different strategies to manage their careers in design. In addition, they learn about contracts, statutory requirements, and professional responsibilities.

When students graduate from the Architecture Program they will have the following:

1. an ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements;
2. an adequate knowledge of the history and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences;
3. a knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design;
4. an adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process;
5. an understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their environment, and of the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale;
6. an understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors;
7. an understanding of the methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project;
8. an understanding of the structural design, constructional and engineering problems associated with building design;
9. an adequate knowledge of the physical problems and technologies and of the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate;
10. the necessary design skills to meet building users’ requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations;
11. an adequate knowledge of the industries, organizations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning.