Hello, I'm
Irina. 

I have always been deeply intrigued by the essence of a home and the profound impact it can have on an individual's life. This fascination led me to choose design and architecture as my path of study at university. When the time came to choose what to do at university, I decided to pursue this interest through design & architecture. First at Central Saint Martins and later at Macintosh School of Architecture. As I was finishing my last year of studies, I came across a job at the Collective and decided to peruse an alternative career path to what a job in practice would have offered.

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I joined the business in 2013 and stayed for seven years, leaving just before the pandemic hit.  at the time it was a small start-up with very big aspirations. The most memorable part of the early Collective years was working on defining a product type, that would later become widely known as Co-living, and delivering the first large scale project The Collective Old Oak. This experience taught me invaluable lessons, such as the significance of comprehending and catering to a specific customer group and the importance of incorporating robust operational strategies early in the project to ensure its success.

During my tenure at the Collective, I embraced a generalist role, encompassing various responsibilities ranging from IT and HR to operations and development. This diverse exposure enabled me to understand challenges from multiple perspectives and effectively manage conflicting requirements. I consider my most significant accomplishments to be the successful completion of two projects from acquisition to operational stage (Old Oak and Canary Wharf). The contribution I made to establishing the initial iteration of the TC brand standard, documenting the typology, and enabling the second generation of projects. Moreover, I spearheaded the establishment of two international offices in the United States and Germany, acquiring the skills to navigate different contexts, approaches, and regulatory frameworks. At the pinnacle of growth, I concurrently managed 20 projects under development across three regions and led a team of 35 professionals.

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Subsequently, I transitioned to EcoWorld London, where I lead the design, product, and placemaking function. Noteworthy achievements during my tenure at EWL include the development of a comprehensive Design Guide, encompassing principles of place, design, quality, and a range of practical guidelines to facilitate future projects. Learning about more traditional residential typologies and how development of for sale housing works. Working closely with the Apo Team (BTR) to help get Barking and Kew schemes ready for opening, helping them define & deliver a successful amenity offering.

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Amidst the pandemic, I took advantage of the introspective time available to me and pondered the direction of my career. It led me to explore ways to integrate my passion for aerial circus more prominently into my daily life. Consequently, after parting ways with EWL, I dedicated myself to refining my aerial skills and divided my time between teaching aerial arts and offering consultancy services in the real estate field.