Philia
Magazine
UNFORMED DESIGN
UNFORMED DESIGN is a transdisciplinary architecture practice founded by Hassan Elgendy and Nahed Zmeter, operating between Milan and Cairo. Working across architecture, landscape, interiors, and urban design, the studio explores design as a medium for storytelling, spatial experience, and dialogue with place. Drawing on experience across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, its practice is shaped by a deep sensitivity to context, culture, and human perception, approaching each project as a response to its unique social, environmental, and historical conditions.
Working across multiple scales, from intimate interiors and installations to cultural, civic, and urban projects, UNFORMED DESIGN balances conceptual thinking with material exploration and craftsmanship. The studio has received international recognition through numerous award-winning competition entries, with projects spanning Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East. Rooted in a multidisciplinary approach, the practice continues to investigate how architecture can foster meaningful experiences while creating spaces that are both emotionally resonant and firmly grounded in their surroundings.
Agathe Lavaud – VOLTA
Agathe Lavaud is a French architect and interior designer, and the founder of Volta, a Paris-based studio established in 2016. Working across architecture and interior design, her practice is defined by a refined dialogue between contemporaneity and tradition, with a strong attention to detail, materiality, and spatial harmony.
After studying at ESAG Penninghen and the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Marne-la-Vallée, including a period of study in Italy, Lavaud worked with renowned studios such as Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Wilmotte & Associés, Vidalenc Architectes, and Thierry Lemaire Architecture before establishing her own practice. Through Volta, she approaches each project through a sensitive and contextual process, developing spaces shaped by thoughtful research into volume, craftsmanship, and the existing environment.
Giorgio Bonaguro 5 Picks From Philia Collection
Giorgio Bonaguro is an Italian designer working across product design, interiors, and art direction. After studying Mechanical Engineering in Modena and Industrial Design in Milan, he collaborated with influential designers including Michele De Lucchi, Francesco Faccin, and Lorenzo Palmeri.
Working between Europe and Brazil, Bonaguro develops furniture, objects, and interiors distinguished by elegant forms, material research, and a refined contemporary sensibility. His work reflects a balance between craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless simplicity.
Caroline Milns – Zulufish
Founded in 2005, Zulufish is a multi-award-winning interior design consultancy, architectural practice, and design & build specialist based in West London. The company offers a comprehensive range of interior design and architectural services, along with an integrated design & build solution. With extensive experience in transforming even the most challenging properties into exceptional living spaces, Zulufish creates homes that reflect the unique personalities, tastes, and design values of its clients. Renowned for seamlessly blending old and new, the team combines cutting-edge technologies and finishes with creative, intelligent space planning. The result is not only visually stunning but also deeply functional and comfortable. For Zulufish, every project represents an opportunity to create something remarkable and distinctive—beautifully designed, expertly planned, and professionally delivered.
Tristan Montabord-Marc
Tristan Montabord-Marc is a Belgian interior architect and designer based in Brussels, where he founded his eponymous studio. Working across high-end residential interiors and collectible design, his practice explores the relationship between architecture, craftsmanship, and timeless elegance. Guided by a balance of precision and poetry, he creates spaces and objects distinguished by refined proportions, noble materials, and a quiet sense of sophistication.
Extending his architectural practice into collectible design, Montabord-Marc recently introduced his first limited-edition furniture collection, Auguste, conceived as a series of sculptural objects that blur the boundaries between furniture and architecture. Characterized by meticulous craftsmanship, authentic materials, and subtle asymmetry, his work seeks to create a lasting dialogue between art, design, and architecture, revealing beauty through simplicity, balance, and enduring materiality.
Francesca De Giorgi 5 Picks From Philia Collection
Francesca De Giorgi is an Italian designer and architect whose work explores the relationship between light, textiles, and craftsmanship. Drawing on the heritage of her family’s historic workshop in Lecce, Puglia, she creates lighting and textile pieces that blend contemporary design with artisanal tradition. In 2023, she founded NASSI, a brand named after her grandmother, celebrating a family legacy carried through three generations of women while reflecting the culture, materiality, and enduring craftsmanship of southern Italy.
