MAZi - the Greek word for “together” - more than a name; a manifesto.
MAZi Architects is a global constellation of designers who believe architecture is a dialogue, a co-created act of listening, shaping, and empowering.
We see design as a collective process. One that brings people together, builds shared ownership, and creates places that feel purposeful, inclusive, and alive.
Working across borders and scales, we approach architecture not as a solitary gesture, but as a social act rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and care.
An international practice operating at the intersection of architecture, masterplanning, design & research.
MAZi began as a shared idea and was shaped through years of conversations and collaborations.
Evolving into an established practice, MAZi brings together over 15 years of global experience gained at leading practices including Foster + Partners, OMA, and Grimshaw. That experience shaped our belief in alliances and in forming bespoke, adaptive teams that respond precisely to each project’s context and ambition.
Rather than a fixed studio, MAZi operates as a flexible network assembling the right constellation of architects, engineers, sustainability experts, heritage specialists, and landscape architects for each challenge.
As a female-founded practice, MAZi is shaped by curiosity, optimism, and a playful seriousness about design.
Founded by cousins Despoina Papadopoulou and Katerina Examiliotou, the studio emerged from a desire for a more agile, equitable, and thoughtful way of practising architecture - one that values listening as much as authorship, and collaboration as much as expertise.
While modest in size, MAZi is ambitious in thinking, combining an international perspective with hands-on involvement at every stage of a project.
Our values are both compass and catalyst.
Togetherness
Architecture is collective. We succeed by connecting people, ideas, and disciplines.
Curiosity
We are explorers - always learning, questioning assumptions, and embracing discovery.
Context
Place matters. We design with specificity, sensitivity, and respect for local cultures and environments.
Responsibility
We are accountable - environmentally, socially, and ethically - aiming to do more with less.
Joy
We take our work seriously, but always seek delight, generosity, and optimism in what we create.
Less a studio -
more a constellation
