CV

I am a Ph.D. architect, urbanist, and activist for the urban commons, Associate Professor, at the Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus. My research focuses on the political agencies of architecture and urban design. I study the strategic value of urban design, as well as the social dimensions of architecture plus, the ways they both transform into critical urban practices. I oscillate between diffractive practice and practice-based research, thanks to entanglements between teaching, practicing, curating, and writing. I enrich my research by operating in a highly contested territory, such as the Cypriot one, plus by having an active contribution to the becoming of young European urban design practices through my scientific position in EUROPAN Europe. I am one of the main founders of the critical urban practice agency AA & U, Cyprus. The “Guide to Common Urban Imaginaries in Contested Spaces”, jovis. 2016 is one of my main editorial works. My curatorial and activist work involves the Cyprus participation in the 15th Venice Biennale of Architecture, (www.contestedfronts.org), as well as the “Hands-on Famagusta” project (www.handsonfamagusta.org).

Keywords: urban design and planning, critical urban practices, practice-based research, architecture as politics, contested spaces and conflict transformation, urban commons.

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News

“Critical Urban Practices for Counter-publics”

14 May 2022

The work of « AA&U » was presented by Socrates Stratis at the conference “Activating the public space”, organized by “Phytorio- Visual Artists and Art Theorists Association, Nicosia « Counterpublics » is the substance of democracy for the commons! The event organized yesterday by the visual artists and art theorists gave space to points of view and people that the Cypriot society in its majority, undervalues. Happy to share with them my thoughts on critical urban practices that claim the city. An ecosystem of knowledge production and exchange on why and how practitioners including visual artists and architects among others may care for the public space, is being produced. « phytorio » is the name of the organization, after all.

Δημόσια Παρουσίαση βραβευμένης μελέτης για τον αρχιτεκτονικό διαγωνισμό για την ανάπλαση της Πλατείας Ηρώων και Παρόδων στη Λεμεσό

13 July 2020

Τη Δευτέρα, 13 Ιουλίου 2020 στο Παττίχειο Δημοτικό Θέατρο στη Λεμεσό, έγινε η παρουσίαση της βραβευμένης μελέτης για τον αρχιτεκτονικό διαγωνισμό για την ανάπλαση της Πλατείας Ηρώων και Παρόδων στη Λεμεσό. Η παρουσίαση έγινε από τους μελετητές Σωκράτη Στρατή, Αναπληρωτή Καθηγητή του Πανεπιστημίου Κύπρου και Χρήστο Πασαδάκη εκ μέρους των AA&U και KIS-architecture. Οι μελετητές επικεντρώθηκαν στο ερώτημα γύρω από τους τρόπους που αντιμετωπίζει κανείς τον επανασχεδιασμό μιας πλατείας που σφύζει από ζωή και από συλλογικές μνήμες, όπως η πλατεία Ηρώων. Η βραβευμένη μελέτη πραγματεύεται την αρχιτεκτονική ως μέσο για τη διασφάλιση ενός δημόσιου χώρου προσβάσιμο από όλες και από όλους. Οι κύριες ενέργειες που προτείνονται από τη βραβευμένη μελέτη είναι: -Οργανώνει την πλατεία με βάση ένα «έξυπνο δάπεδο» ως πλέγμα υποδομών για κοινωνικές και οικολογικές διεργασίες -Αναδεικνύει κρυμμένες και ανώνυμες πρακτικές αστικής καθημερινότητας -Δημιουργεί μικρο-περιβάλλοντα γύρω από τα υφιστάμενα κιόσκια χωρίς να κατακερματίζει την πλατεία -Εισηγείται δομές για τη συλλογική διαχείριση του δημόσιου χώρου που απουσιάζουν από την Κυπριακή αστική κουλτούρα -Οργανώνει τις διαφορετικές χρήσεις της πλατείας για να διασφαλίζεται η πρόσβαση για όλους -Δίνει νέο ρόλο στα υφιστάμενα φωτιστικά με τις κολώνες τους -Κτίζει πάνω στην πολυσυλλεκτικότητα της κύριας πλατείας της Λεμεσού -Προσδίδει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο στο μνημείο των ηρώων για την ανάδειξη κρυμμένων καθημερινών δραστηριοτήτων της πόλης.

Reporting of Cyprus Pavilion at TV Alpha

4 July 2016

Socrates Stratis was invited to TV Alpha to talk about the Cyprus Pavilion in Venice Biennale of Architecture, in which the "Hands-on Famagusta" project plays a central role. You can see the interview at http://www.alphacyprus.com.cy/shows/informative/alphaenimerosi/webtv/040716-i-ammohostos-sti-mpienale

Interview of Socrates Stratis by Maria Panayiotou in "Syntheseis", Phileleftheros, June 2016

4 June 2016

The curatorial project "Contested Fronts: Commoning Practices for Conflict Transformation" proposes new alliances for creating hand-in-hand relations between reconciliation and urban reconstruction of Famagusta, the day after Cyprus' unification. Such alliances could take place both across the Cypriot divide but also beyond State boundaries inviting international networks, practices and pedagogical programs. This is the content of the interview given by Socrates Stratis, the curator of the Cyprus Pavilion to Maria Panayiotou, journalist of Syntheseis, Phileleftheros.

„Workshop Biennale 2016: The Cypriot Pavilion“ Interview of Socrates Stratis, Curator of the Cyprus Pavilion at the 15th Venice Biennale of Architecture, by Kaye Geipel in the special edition of Bauwelt

19 May 2016

Extended version in English Kaye Geipel has invited Socrates Stratis to talk about the theme "News From the Front", the 15th Venice Biennale of Architecture, as well as the curatorial project of the Cyprus Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture The German version at http://www.bauwelt.de/20.2016-2514318.html

The "Guide to Common Urban Imaginaries in Contested Spaces: the Hands-on Famagusta project" coming out this month by jovis, Berlin

2 May 2016

Order your "Guide to Common Urban Imaginaries in Contested Spaces: the Hands-on Famagusta project" coming out this month by jovis, Berlin edited by Socrates Stratis at https://www.jovis.de/en/books/guide-to-common-urban-imaginaries-in-contested-spaces.html Can collective urban practices contribute to peace processes in divided cities? How can they be used in a targeted manner as part of urban policy, to challenge dominant divisive narratives and offer alternatives to segregating urban reconstruction approaches? The book is dedicated to this role of architecture and urban planning as a political instrument for transforming ethnic conflicts into urban controversies towards the city’s commons. The town of Famagusta in Cyprus serves as an example, a town characterized by polarizing narratives and burdened by memories loaded with conflict. In order to transform the contested territories into areas of common interest and action, the “Hands-on Famagusta“ project team developed methods for urban transformation. The guide brings together practical examples of this project and international articles from relevant literature, thereby communicating strategies and tactics for the formation and spatial organization of the collective. It actively encourages deeply contested societies to invest in common urban imaginaries. Socrates Stratis is the curator of the Cyprus Pavilion at the 15th Architecture Biennial 2016 in Venice with the project entitled “Contested Fronts: Commoning Practices for Conflict Transformation”. The “Hands-on Famagusta” project is the main part of the Cyprus Pavilion together with six international practices, networks and pedagogical programs: “Archis Interventions SEE”, “Build Up”, “City Reparo”, “Institute of Threshold”, “Mapping Controversies”, “Passages”.

Socrates Stratis gave a lecture entitled: "Hands-on Famagusta": collective structures for the city's future in a Seminar on Famagusta's Future organized by the Cypriot Environmentalist Party, Nicosia Cyprus

27 March 2016

SOCRATES STRATIS GAVE A LECTURE ABOUT THE NEED TO CREATE COLLECTIVE STRUCTURES THAT COULD SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMON FUTURE OF GREEK CYPRIOTS AND TURKISH CYPRIOTS OF FAMAGUSTA HE POSED FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CIVIL SOCIETY'S ENGAGEMENT IN DECIDING ABOUT THE CITY'S FUTURE

"The solution of the Cyprus problem is the beginning and not the end"

14 February 2016

Read the article of Socrates Stratis and Emre Akbil in Charavgi newspaper on the 14th of February by Spiros Soteriou.

Interview on Phileleftheros on the Public Role of State Land in Cyprus

7 February 2016

Interview of Socrates Stratis taken by Eleni Nicolaou Pavlide A group of 18 organizations have signed a letter of concern sent to the ministers of Interior, Finance and to the minister by the president in August 2015, in regards to the Government's intention of selling out State land to the private investors without any overall strategic plan. As a result such action may jeopardize both the future of public land as well as that of the actual Cypriot real estate. The interview is in Greek and you can read it further down.

Pop up event of Hands-on Famagusta in Nicosia

20 November 2015

The model of the whole city of Famagusta in a successful "Avant Première" on the side walk in front of the Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus, on Friday 20th of November 2015. The "Hands-on Famagusta" team was promoting, to the passers-by, the Launch event that will take place on the 28th of November in Sts Peter and Paul Church in the old city of Famagusta.

Urban Design Studio 2015-16 studies Beirut

19 September 2015

RECLAIM THE CONTESTED CITY THROUGH OPEN COLLECTIVES: BEIRUT This year’s urban design studio examines the role of architecture and urban design into the production of the commons in contested fragmented urban environments, by looking towards collective practices around the notion of production in the city. The students spent a week in Beirut with their tutors visiting the city and getting lectures. Tutor: Socrates Stratis Assistant Tutor: Chrysanthe Constantinou

“Imagine Famagusta! Encouraging common visions for a post-conflict city” Key Note Speech in BUILD PEACE 2015

25 April 2015

Socrates Stratis with Esra Can Akbil, gave a Key Note speech at the international conference Build Peace 2015 in Nicosia Cyprus. What could be the role of technology to Build Peace was one of the main concerns of the conference. http://howtobuildpeace.org/

Hands-on Famagusta Video Release

13 February 2015

Hands-on Famagusta Video Release! "If you could decide now about the future of Famagusta in a reunified Cyprus, then get ready to explore and play with Imaginaries of Famagusta!" Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw64qtPB9ew

Final Urban Design Studio Jury on Reclaim the City of Emergency: Post Conflict Famagusta

14 December 2014

The final jury of the Urban Design Studio, (3rd year students) took place on Saturday December 13, 2014. The students worked in 8 groups and presented their projects to a jury of invited guests. Their projects were exhibited during the day for public view at the ground floor of the Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus, on 68 Ledra street, Nicosia. The tutors of the studio are Socrates Stratis and Chrysanthe Constantinou

Honorable Mention to the AA & U proposal to the Architectural Competition for Connecting the Archeological Sites in Paphos.

22 November 2014

The AA & U proposal entitled "Open City" gained an honorable mention to the Architectural Competition about the connection between the Archeological sites in Paphos.

The November Workshop of Hands-On Famagusta Project

9 November 2014

"GETTING ENGAGED FOR COMMON VISIONS FOR A POST-CONFLICT FAMAGUSTA” The Hands On Famagusta Project is heading along. The November Workshop is taking place on Wednesday the 5th of November at Goethe Institut in Nicosia.

Collaboration between University of Cyprus and KTH Stockholm Sweden about Famagusta

9 November 2014

The Laboratory of Urbanism LU2CY at the Department of Architecture University of Cyprus, led by Socrates Stratis, is collaborating with KTH School of Architecture for urban design projects regarding possible futures for Famagusta.

Imagine Famagusta!

24 October 2014

Imagine Famagusta! Two interviews of the "Hands-On-Famagusta" project team were presented in the Cypriot Press on Sunday the 28th of September, both in Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot journals. "Imagine Famagusta" was the title chosen by the journalist Meropi Moisews for her article in Politis. Odul Asik Ulker in her "Face to Face" column in Yeniduzen presented a second interview that was given by the project team.

The «Hands-On-Famagusta» Project Gets Underway

4 August 2014

«Imaginary Famagusta», an enthusiastic group of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot architects, planners and urban designers and a bi-communal group of volunteers braved the summer heat and walked the streets of Famagusta last week to gather information on the region’s buildings and structures.

AA & U work was presented by Socrates Stratis in a talk titled "The Cypriot Buffer Zone and Architecture's Agencies" , at the Home For Cooperation, Nicosia

4 August 2014

Socrates was invited by Costas Constantinou and Maria Hatzipavlou to give a talk in the context of an International Summer Program of the University of Cyprus on Peace and Conflict: the life of the buffer zone. Socrates presented his research on architecture's agencies that have a critical take on the buffer zone. He showed some of AA & U's projects that address such issues.

Socrates Stratis with LU2CY is part of the collaboration winning a Grant for the "Hands-on-Famagusta" project

4 August 2014

The “Hands-on-Famagusta” project comprises of inter-related activities, which use participatory urban design processes to facilitate dialogue about the urban future of Famagusta. The project contributes to the construction of common ground between groups in conflict and supports the planning of contemporary urban environments. It is based on the on-going work by the Laboratory of Urbanism, University of Cyprus (LU2CY), Imaginary Famagusta (I.F.), and ALA/Stratis. The “IF Team” (Imaginary Famagusta Team) is an initiative started by a group of architects and urban planners handling the Hands-On Famagusta project. The “IF Team” will be responsible for: the project coordination, development of urban tools and website content, web design and game interface coordination. Project Leader: Socrates Stratis Project Coordination Team: Emre Akbil, Esra Can Akbil, Nektarios Christodolou, Munevver Ozgur Ozersay Production Team: Chrysanthe Constantinou ( AA&U) Thalia Charalambous, ( AA&U) Architecture students and young graduates

Socrates Stratis was invited to give a talk About Urban Awareness in the seminar SOCIALLY ENGAGED DESIGN

4 August 2014

Part of the presentation was about the role of chrono-urbanistic practices in creating active co-existences in the contemporary urban environment. Socrates used examples from the international project "Urban-A-Where?" that he curated.

The UAW BOOK LAUNCH edited by S. Stratis

4 August 2014

Bernd Vlay presents the publication "The UAW-Book: About Urban Awareness", Damdi, Seoul, ed. by Socrates Stratis, at the Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus. Vlay uses the theme of curating, to revisit the content of the book

Vienna-Nicosia: Urban Challenges For Contemporary Cities

4 August 2014

Socrates Stratis gives a lecture with Bernd Vlay on contemporary challenges of sustainable urban design, comparing dynamics of Nicosia with Vienna at Melina Mercouri Theatre, Nicosia. The lecture was preceded by a mobile workshop on public transport with the rest of the seminar participants www.facebook.com/friends.of.nicosia/

An e-DIY Presentation: about AA&U For Architecture, Art and Urbanism

4 August 2014

Socrates Stratis has performed an e-Do It Yourself Presentation for the University of Idaho, USA. Socrates invited by David Franco, Assistant Professor of Architecture has introduced an alternative way of communicating the work of AA&U to the students of Architecture at the University of Idaho. Instead of giving a preset lecture through skype he proposed to the students to study the AA&U website and give to him a list of preferable projects only when the skype connection was on. Socrates had to improvise in order to create links across the projects.

Famagusta 2020, Urban Design Studio

15 September 2013

Urban Design as a mechanism to reclaim a unified city of Famagusta. The outcome of the Urban Design studio of the Fall semester 2012-13, about Famagusta is published in Politis newspaper

"Urban design should contribute to collective processes of deciding about urban space"- interview to EUKN

3 August 2009

"Urban design should contribute to collective processes of deciding about urban space" Killing Free Time in Cyprus...in these times of summer and sunshine, many people would probably like to spend some days on the island. Due to its location and climate, it might be no surprise that Cyprus is largely dependent on tourism. However, the country is also a centre of military activity. According to Socrates Stratis, urbanist and teaching at the University of Cyprus this is a great paradox." In Cyprus tourist infrastructures are juxtaposed to military infrastructure present all over the island. I have always been shocked by the ability of tourists to turn off all their sensitivities while on vacation. This enables them to spend their vacation time next to war zones." In order to address the interesting combination between tourism and military infrastructure, Stratis and his colleagues created the 'Killing Free Time @ Cyprus' project. © EUKN, Simone Pekelsma

Invited Lectures

2022: “Caring for? Architecture as Repair Territorial Practice”, Keynote lecture for the Europan Spain Award Ceremony Workshop, Barcelona VIMEO LINK https://vimeo.com/718345100
2022: “Alternative Ways for Claiming the City”, Keynote talk at the conference “Activating the public space”, organized by “Phytorio- Visual Artists and Art Theorists Association, Nicosia
2021: “Stories of becoming public”, Public Space Lab, Parsons New School of Design.
2021: “Self and the contested Cypriot cities” School of Design Strategies, Master of Urban Ecologies, for Studio 3 and Studio 1.
2021: “Activism through critical urban practice”, in Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University, for Honors Students Seminar.
2021: ‘Modalities for co-imagining, when in conflict’ in Urgent Pedagogies, IASPIS, Stockholm, seminar on Modalities (on-line).
2021: “Self and the Contested Cypriot Cities” in Brodersen’s and Selberg’s master design studio, KTH, (on-line).
2021: “Self and the Contested City of Nicosia” in Haim Yacobi’s Master program “Urban Health: Reflections on Practice”, UCL, (on-line).
2020: Processes of Negotiation for hybrid territories, Keynote speaker in “Cosmopolitan Habitat”, Hannover (on-line).
2020: “Critical Spatial Practices...or the Right to Transform Conflicts” at Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, (on-line).
2019: Alice in Meridianland… or the counter-militarization action”, in Urgent Pedagogies, IASPIS & Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm VIMEO LINK https://vimeo.com/423634876
2018: Watch Video“The role of the EUROPAN project in the ere of Anthropocene”, (Le role du projet EUROPAN dans l’ere d’anthropocene), Keynote Speaker, at the conference “Europan Celebrates Its Thirty Years”, (Europan Fete ses trente ans), Cite d’Architecture, Paris
2018: “Pedagogies for architecture as urban practice””, School of Architecture, University of Sheffield
2018: “Transformative Processes for common urban Imaginaries in contested spaces”, Centre for Urban Conflicts Research, School of Architecture, University of Cambridge
2017: “Critical Spatial Practices in Contested Spaces”, Keynote speaker, Technion
2017: “Conflicts in the Studio”, in EAHN, international conference Histories in Conflict, Jerusalem
2017: “Transformative Processes for common urban Imaginaries in contested spaces”, in EAHN international conference Histories in Conflict, Jerusalem
2017: “Urban exchanges in contested cities” in The possibility of an Island, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem
2017: “Urban exchanges in contested cities” in The possibility of an Island, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem
2017: “Contested Fronts: Commoning Practices for Conflict Transformation”, in international workshop “Laboratory of Urban Commons”, Athens, Greece
2017: “Connecting Through Common Spaces: Redevelopment of Heraklion old city waterfront (Europan 4), Crete” in workshop, Ayios Nicolaos, Crete, Greece
2016: “Guide to Common Urban Imaginaries in Contested Spaces”, book presentation at AA Bookstore, London, with Peter Bishop and John Palmesino
2016: “Contested Fronts for the Urban Reconstruction of Famagusta: the Cypriot contribution in 15th Venice Biennale of Architecture”, Open University Derynia, and Rotary club Nicosia-Salamis, Nicosia
2016: Watch Video"Negotiate as You Go Along", keynote lecture at the Europan 13 & 14 Intersession Forum, Badajoz Spain VIMEO LINK https://vimeo.com/190430209
2016: "Hands-on Famagusta": collective structures for the city's future, Seminar on Famagusta's Future, Environmentalist Party, Nicosia Cyprus
2015: Watch VideoHands-on Famagusta Web-Interview on Sigmalive
2015: Support Structure in Contested Spaces-The Hands-on Famagusta Project, at Notre Dame University, Beirut
2015: Imagine Famagusta! Encouraging common visions for a post-conflict city”, Key Note Speech with Esra Can Akbil at the international conference BUILD PEACE 2015
2014: "The Cypriot Buffer Zone and Architecture's Agencies" , International Summer Program of the University of Cyprus on Peace and Conflict: the life of the buffer zone at Home For Cooperation, Nicosia
2014: “Vienna-Nicosia: Urban Challenges for a contemporary city”, in a seminar about the future of Nicosia, Cyprus, (with B. Vlay)
2014: “Revisiting Famagusta: Strategies For New Futures”, in “Reviving Famagusta:From Ghost Town to Eco-city?”, London School of Economics, London, UK (with N. Christodoulou, phD candidate)
2014: “About Urban Awareness”, in Socially Engaged Design, SED, Cyprus
2014: "An e-DIY Presentation on the work of AA & U", University of Idaho, USA (web-presentation)
2013: “Famagusta’s possible futures after reunification”, Queen Belfast University, Northern Ireland, UK
2013: “Spatial Practices' Ethical Dilemmas in Contested Spaces”, in a Graduate Course on Art and Social Practices, Parsons New School of Design, NYC, USA
2013: “Urban Strategies and Tactics for Reconciliating Processes in Contested Spaces: Famagusta, Cyprus, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley.
2013: “Confronting fragmentation in contested spaces: the case of Famagusta, Cyprus”, in ‘Tackling Urban Fragmentation’, organized by the Centre de Recherche sur les Politiques et Sociétés dans le Monde anglophone (MAPS), Paris Sorbonne, Université Paris-
2013: “Designerly translocalities: between urban stories and fairy tales” in “Quartet on Urbanism” (Quartet No 1 on urban mobilities) organized by the Department of Architecture, School of Fine Arts, Vienna Austria and Europan Austria
2012: “Connecting through shared spaces”, in the Forum of Europan Results Vienna, Austria
2011: “Liminalities or Encouraging publicness in contested areas”, in a visual arts bi-communal workshop, Nicosia, Cyprus
2011: “Cyprus Weak Metropolis”, in Erasmus IP Summer School, Agros, Cyprus
2011: “The stand-by condition”, Graduate Seminar on Urban Infrastructures, School of Architecture, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria
2010: “Searching innovative practices of urban design through the Europan Context: process friendly architectures”, Urban Forum Interventions in former-state residential complexes, Polis University, Tirana, Albania
2010: “Architectures of Encouraging Publicness”, Urban Renewal, 1st International Conference of the Department of Urban Planning and Design and the Foundation for Urban Architecture, Budapest, Hungary
2010: “Negotiating as creative form of engagement in urban design”, Department of Architecture, Volos, University of Thessalia, Greece
2009: “The notion of Liminality”, Liminal Zones 02, University of East London, UK
2009: “The public role of topographical formations in urban peripheries in Cyprus”, Seminar on Architecture, Urban Development and Heritage Preservation in Modern and Contemporary Cyprus, STARC, Nicosia, Cyprus
2009: “Entre global et local: la notion de projet comme moyen de construction de connaissances’ (Between global and local : the notion of project as vehicle for constructing knowledge), Lecture Series for postgraduate students of Ecole Nationale Superieur
2009: “New possibilities for the future of Nicosia centre”, High Rise buildings in Nicosia seminar, Nicosia, Cyprus
2008: “2+3 projects”, Institut of Technology of Graz, Austria
2008: “Europan 4, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, Europan 9, Forum of Results, Santiago del Compostela, Spain
2008: “Making things Public”, School of Architecture, University of Cottbus, Germany
2007: “Intercosmics”, Architecture Lecture Series, University of Cyprus, Nicosia
2007: “The regard of the others”, designing a house extension, Nicosia, Cyprus
2006: “Transgressing limits between parallel worlds, Nicosia, Cyprus”, Going Public seminar by Claudia Zanfi, Modena, Italy
2006: “Generating the new – Agii Anargiri, Larnaca, Cyprus”, closing event of the results of Europan Norway – Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
2006: “The CALL # 192” project and the “P.P.S Synergy Convoy project”, conference about borders in Gorizia, University of Gorizia, Italy
2004: “Projects of architecture and urban design of Socrates Stratis”, Patra Department of Architecture, Greece
2001: “A reflective practitioner”, National Research Foundation, seminar on Europan, Athens, Greece

AA&U

http://www.aaplusu.com/

AA & U, For Architecture, Art and Urbanism is an agency for interdisciplinary activities regarding the public domain and the urban commons.

It was born out from collaborations of Socrates Stratis with architects and visual artists. It has a variable size depending on the projects undertaken. The main founding member is Socrates Stratis, Dr. architect, urbanist associate professor at the Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus with Maria Loizidou, as a partner for visual arts. AA & U is about critical urban practices, producing knowledge by design regarding the urban commons and the city which is constantly fed back in the project making processes.

The AA & U spatial practice is bound by a horizontal approach across architecture, urbanism, and support structures. A lot of AA & U clients are public authorities such as Heraklion, Crete Greece, Athienou, Limassol, Planning Department, and Housing in Cyprus, Ministry of Interior, Minister of Education, etc.