In March 2021, we welcomed Architect Maria Skoutari to the team, after she relocated from the Midlands. Having previously worked at a large practice specialising in high profile Developer Residential and Masterplan projects – for clients with both a national and international presence – Maria’s experience is broad and multi-disciplinary, with her past portfolio spanning the UK and beyond.
Since joining Anderson Orr, Maria’s worked on a mix of Private and Developer Residential schemes - including Traditional and Contemporary replacement dwellings, new build developments and full-scale refurbishments. She has a particular passion for mixed media illustration, and utilises both beautifully-prepared hand-drawn sketches and 2D illustration to showcase the creative journey, from inception through to final design. A chief contributor to the company’s QA systems, Maria also provides invaluable training in the Adobe Suite programmes, sharing knowledge with her peers on how to best and most efficiently to use the tools.
Maria’s commitment to Architecture – and the future of the discipline – extends beyond the studio and our own portfolio. Having previously mentored Part III students, she is currently supporting the RIBA Future Architects Student Mentoring Programme at @OxfordBrookes - a fantastic means for students to gain experience and insight into the profession and access practical, ‘on the ground’ support and advice, and an exciting and rewarding opportunity to reflect, meaningfully connect with and inspire Architects of the next generation, for professionals.
For Maria, the reciprocal learning experience and knowledge sharing is invaluable for our collective future. In addition to her formal mentorship programme at Oxford Brookes, last year she made the leap to independently launch a podcast – ‘Part3 With Me’ – to help inspire and support emerging Architects and final year students through their educational journey, into their final qualifications and beyond.
Maria’s currently working on a new Contemporary residence in West Oxfordshire, in addition to a 17th – 18th Century house in the Cotswolds, set to be repurposed to a Private Members Club (more on this soon). We’re delighted that she came on board just over a year ago, and look forward to seeing how the next chapter in her architectural journey unfolds at the company.
