The architectural team

aka lab is an architectural practice and construction firm based in Athens, Greece. Its core values are integrated design and construction solutions that optimize all available resources, personalized involvement in customer’s expectations and close monitoring of materials and technology. We are involved in urban planning using ‘space syntax’ techniques, commercial and corporate developments, private housing, ephemeral structures, custom edifices and art exhibitions. Our core competencies includes architectural design, interior design, usage adaptation and option analysis, landscaping, high integral visualization, graphic design and project management. Parent company Apex S.A. has a 35-year proven record of reliability and professionalism in a range of public and private projects ranging from schools, courts, public squares and clinics to public squares, colleges and hotels.

Stathis Kataropoulos

Director • Architect

Stathis worked for three (3) years at the architectural firm FluidOffice in London where he specialized in techniques of ‘public consultation’ and participatory design for large scale masterplanning projects. His expertise of data gathering and communication information comprised by the innovative use of new media - interactive platforms, video presentations and so on-, as well as various mapping techniques. He participated in major projects such as the London Olympic Bid of 2012 and the major masterplan project for the development of King’s Cross in London, where he gathered and processed information and data to feed back the developers and the public. Stathis worked as a lead designer for a youth community centre in London and was part of architectural team for the community cricket club in Devon.

In 2006 he worked as a freelance architect and product designer for commission based projects, mostly for the advertising industry. In 2007 he co- founded aka lab architects and joined with Apex SA, to form the design team of the company. He is a major shareholder of Apex S.A.

Stathis Kataropoluos

Professional diploma in Architecture, London Metropolitan University, 2003

BA(Hons) Architecture, University of North London, 1999

Chryssie Arabatzi

Creative director - Architect

Chryssie has carried out her degree in architecture at London Metropolitan University. She continued her studies and graduated as a registered architect from the National Technical University of Athens in 2005. During this time she worked in different architectural practices, including Apex SA, where she was developing her wide architectural knowledge. As she was interested in the arts and theatre, she completed various seminars for dance & space, set design & architecture. Chryssie worked in the theatre and dance industry as set designer for various theatrical productions.

Chryssie was a core member of the architectural office ODDworks in 2005, where she worked for two years in various projects mostly for private clients as well as a free-lance product designer for commission based projects. In 2007 she co-founded aka lab architects and plugged in with Apex SA, to form the design team of the company. She is one of the shareholders of Apex SA.

Architect National Technical University of Athens
BA(Hons) Architecture - London Metropolitan University

Dimitris Kataropoulos

Senior Architect

Dimitris is an Architect Engineer with more than 45 years of experience in a wide variety of projects.

His career started very dynamically with the collaboration with Jason Rizos and the winning of the competition of the landmark building of Law Court Complex of Athens (Dikastiko Megaro) on Alexandras Avenue. Since then he has been the main partner of “OMAS Group of Architects Engineers and Associates Ltd” where they designed a variety of large scale buildings in the Middle East. Dimitris was responsible for the refurbishment of Zappion Hall for the occasion of the official signature concerning Greece’s admittance into the European Common Market. He has participated and won many national and international competitions and was part of the team that proposed the unification of the archeological sites of Athens.

In 1990, he found Apex SA which specialised in large scale, complex buildings, mostly from the public sector. Apex S.A. focused on competitions and commissions of cultural institutions such as the competition for the new acropolis museum, the archeological museum in Vergina and also on a variety of urban scale developments such as the redesign of the Syntagma square (3rd prize). At the same period he participated in the design of 2000 passive solar workshops in Spain, establishing his expertise and knowledge in environmental design.

During the last 20 years, he has completed a wide range of buildings from the conversion of a large old tobacco warehouse into a shopping mall in Kavala, the extension of the Law School of the University of Athens, the offices and garage space of Mercedes Benz in Athens, the police station headquarters of the municipality in Agrinio, the MRI building in Halandri, a community centre for the elderly in Athens and many more.

Post Graduate studies in Hospital Design, England, 1968
Architect - National Technical University of Athens, 1967

Myrto Zirini

Interior Architect • Ceramicst

Myrto Zirini is an architectural and interior designer with 10 years of design experience, specialised in spatial analysis based design in complex buildings and public spaces. She worked for 3 years at the architectural consultancy Space Syntax Ltd in London an office that specialises in strategic design in large scale projects using scientific methodologies (developed in collaboration with UCL) for forecasting circulation in buildings and ensure high quality layouts that work. This scientific knowledge is applied in all architectural projects Myrto undertakes ever since, such as Swissport CIP Lounge at the Athens Airport, in large exhibitions and in public use spaces generally. She worked as a freelance interior designer in Athens since 2004 and in 2006 she co-founded KA-ZI architects. In 2005 and for two academic seasons she taught at the Masters Degree course of Interior Architecture at Vakalo Art School in Athens. In 2008 she joined the head design team of aka lab architects where she has worked on numerous projects.

ΜSc Arch, Advanced Architectural Studies, Bartlett UCL London 2000 - 2001
BA Hons Interior and Spatial Design 1997-2000

Fivos Kouvaras

enginner - quantity surveyor

Architects, designers and specialist we collaborate:

Katerina Koumalatsou
Nefeli Sergiadi
Eliza Pertigkiozoglou
Aggeliki Labada - architect
Margarita Rotsou - restorarion designer
Aris Georgiadis - architect
Danai Samara - designer
Anna Thalassinou - furniture designer
Eva Tsouni - architect
Kostantinos Tseronis - real estate agent
Nikolas Antoniades -financial assistant