From left to right: Lili, Vasilis, Mark, Harveen & Kostas (and, just visible, our canine friend, Harley)
Mark Ruthven, director
Starting in Montreal, Mark quickly went west and enjoyed his formative years on Vancouver Island until, eventually, he travelled full circle to study architecture in Halifax, on Canada’s East Coast.
In the mid 80’s, he arrived in London (with a British Passport, he clarifies) for a six-month working holiday, joking that he just couldn’t find the Heathrow Express again! By 1990, Mark became a partner in the up and coming architectural firm KSR, in Camden Town. While expanding the practice, he also taught in the design studio units at (then) the University of North London and the Bartlett at UCL, sharing teaching duties with Prof. Nat Chard.
Mark continued with projects at KSR whilst teaching, and though the practice focused on private residential work, mostly in North London, he also developed experience in Education and the hospitality and leisure fields. He has always enjoyed a fairly prolific record of building projects, well in excess of 100, usually completing 3-4 a year.
KSR had expanded considerably in its first 20 years, but in 2006, Mark decided to go back to a smaller studio team and founded Studio Mark Ruthven in Kentish Town. Working with a smaller group has allowed him to stay close to the favoured activity and process of making building projects.
In 2012, SMR expanded to establish another office, in Bruton, Somerset. Whilst working in similar fields, the studio has enjoyed an expanded range of vernacular materials and building trades, as well as working with very skilled specialist makers in the West Country. Mark shares his time between the two offices and can often be seen travelling through Paddington Station, moving east or west, with his travel companion, Harley, in tow. He still hasn’t found the Heathrow Express platform!
Vasilis Aronidis, architect
Born and raised in Athens, Greece, in a family of architects, Vasilis began his architectural career at a very young age. He started teaching at NTUA’s School of Architecture soon after he graduated, before moving to London in 2015 to do his PhD in Architecture and Music at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. While at the Bartlett, he was a leading member of the Bartlett Doctoral Network SOUND / MAKING / SPACE.
Vasilis joined Studio M R in early 2016, and since then, he has been the project architect for new-build houses and the complete renovations and extensions of multiple houses and apartments. Most recently, Vasilis has been leading design teams and supervising the construction of highly bespoke buildings in historic districts in North and West London, as well as in areas of significant heritage value in Somerset and Dorset.
Harveen Sunner, architect
Originally from the Midlands, Harveen studied architecture at Brighton and London Metropolitan Universities, focusing on alternative strategies for renewal through design interventions, before joining Studio M R soon after completing her studies in 2017.
While at Studio M R, Harveen has worked on the design and delivery of refurbishment and new-build residential projects in Highgate, Hampstead and Belsize Park. One of her most significant projects was leading the design team of a high-end boutique hotel in South Somerset, which included working with historic agricultural buildings to design bespoke, environmentally sustainable holiday units and hospitality facilities. Most currently, Harveen has been focusing on the design of the conversion of a Grade II* mill in Somerset to a family residence.
Kostas Tsimikos, architect
Originally from Athens, Greece, Kostas completed his architectural studies at Manchester's School of Architecture. He moved to London in 2015 and gained experience in the design of significant hospitality projects, both in the UK and overseas, and delivering high-end residential projects in West London.
Kostas joined Studio M R in 2022. He has recently completed a new-build archive building in Somerset and is currently leading the delivery of an extensive renovation of a barn within a conservation area in Dorset, where a ‘fabric first’ approach is employed, emphasizing on the improved thermal performance of the building fabric, with a view to increased energy efficiency through a sustainable strategy.
Lili Piskunova, office manager and more
Born and raised in Burgas, Bulgaria, Lili studied economics at the University of Economics in Varna, before deciding that she needed more creativity in her life, which led her to changing her career path and moving to London to study Interior Design & Technology at London Metropolitan University.
Lili joined Studio M R in 2009. She is the office manager of our studio, but she has also been involved in the interior design of most of our projects in London, Somerset, Dorset and Oxfordshire. Lili has extensive experience in the design of specialist interior components while keeping up to date with the latest product specifications.