Founded in 2015 by principals Mark Smyth, Sigrún Sumarliðadóttir and Giambattista Zaccariotto, Studio Bua is an architectural practice with offices in London and Oslo. The studio has to date realised a number of ambitious and concept-driven projects, including the renovation of an Icelandic farmhouse and cultural centre and a transformative urban housing project in Italy.
Derived from the Icelandic word for ‘inhabit’, Studio Bua combines both a deep appreciation for quality craftsmanship and mastery of technology with a collaborative, hands-on approach, working to refine and elevate everyday spaces in the belief that it is our immediate surroundings that inform not just who we are, but how best we can live.
Mark Smyth is an Irish architect and interior designer with extensive residential experience. He founded Bua while working at award-winning London studio The Manser Practice, where he has led demanding projects ranging in scale from one-off private residences nestled in the English countryside to high-rise mixed-use developments in the heart of London. Raised a stone’s throw from his parents’ plant nursery, Mark is an avid horticulturalist whose prowess extends beyond buildings to garden design.
Sigrún Sumarliðadóttir is an Icelandic architect with a background in visual arts. She is especially practiced in the design, procurement and construction of public buildings in Norway, and has–in her role as project architect at Oslo studio LMR Arkitekter–overseen a number of public projects such as schools in Kautokeino and Bærum. In recent years, Sigrún has also led a number of residential refurbishments and urban design projects. Our resident polyglot, she speaks fluent English, Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch and Italian.
Giambattista Zaccariotto is an Italian architect-urbanist and educator. An associate professor at IUAV Venezia and visiting professor at AHO Oslo, his focus is the planning and design of the contemporary urban landscape. He has contributed to award-winning projects for different situations in European cities including an urban plan for Moss-Oslo (together with Studio Secchi-Viganó) and a city park in Antwerpen (in collaboration with Asplan Viak). Key to his work is the integration of architecture, urbanism and landscape.
