Sustainability

European Digital Building passport

Architecture

Architecture is the foundation of my professional practice.

I approach it as a cultural discipline and a civic responsibility, working across buildings, landscapes, and urban contexts to create spaces that are both conceptually rigorous and socially meaningful.

My architectural work operates at the intersection of design, urbanism, and research, integrating spatial quality with historical awareness, technological innovation, and long-term relevance.

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Architectural Practice

I am a licensed architect in Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria, and the principal of ISA – Ivan Shumkov Architects, a New York–based architecture studio operating internationally.

Through this practice, I have designed, researched, and developed projects ranging from residential buildings and renovations to public, cultural, and exhibition architecture. My work has been exhibited and presented across Europe, South America, China, and the United States.

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Architecture as a Discipline

My architectural formation was shaped through professional practice, academic research, and teaching. In Barcelona, I worked in several architectural offices, including Estudio Ferrater (later Office for Architecture in Barcelona), while developing independent projects, competitions, and research-driven work.

This trajectory—across practice, teaching, exhibitions, and publications—has allowed me to engage architecture not only as a profession, but as a discipline with cultural, political, and urban implications.

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Areas of Work

My architectural work includes:

• Residential architecture (single- and multi-family)

• Building renovation and adaptive reuse

• Hospitality and mixed-use projects

• Public and cultural buildings

• Exhibition and ephemeral architecture

• Urban design and landscape interventions

Across all scales, I emphasize clarity of concept, contextual sensitivity, and the responsible integration of new technologies.

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Research-Led and Contextual Design

Research plays a central role in my architectural work. Historical inquiry, urban analysis, and theoretical frameworks inform design decisions, allowing projects to respond not only to functional needs, but also to broader cultural and urban contexts.

This approach has been particularly influential in my work on:

• exhibition architecture and narrative space

• modern and contemporary architectural heritage

• architecture’s relationship to cities and public life

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Selected Projects and Exhibitions

Rather than presenting architecture as a comprehensive portfolio, the following projects illustrate the breadth of my work across scales, geographies, and formats:

Recent and Built Work

• Home Renovation, Gabrovo, Bulgaria (2021)

• Residential Renovation, Greece (2020)

• David Lynch Foundation — Office and Meditation Space, Norway (2019)

Public, Cultural, and Institutional Projects

• National University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil (2012)

• Metro Station 20, Sofia, Bulgaria (2011)

• Bao’an Airport Competition, Shenzhen, China (2008)

Exhibitions and Architectural Installations

• Le Corbusier – Miracle Boxes, Pratt Institute, New York (2010)

• Architecture and Revolution, TU Eindhoven, Netherlands (2010)

• PTN Exhibition, Columbia University GSAPP, New York (2009)

• PTN Exhibition, Harvard GSD, Cambridge, MA (2008)

• Breaking Borders – New Latin American Architecture, Pratt Institute, New York (2011)

Competitions and Research Projects

• Sustainability Research Hub, Dubai, UAE (2007)

• Columbia Student Housing Competition, New York (2007)

• Harvard Museum Bridge Competition, Cambridge, MA (2007)

• Hotel Masella Project, Alp, Spain (2005)

• Gabriel García Lorca Foundation Competition, Granada, Spain (2004)

• Social and Cultural Center of Laxe Competition, Galicia, Spain (2006)

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Architecture and Urbanism

Architecture, in my work, is inseparable from urbanism. Buildings participate in larger urban systems—spatial, social, and cultural—and must be understood in relation to the city as a whole.

This perspective connects architectural design to my broader work in urban strategy, research, and education.

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Collaboration

I collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, institutions, and public and private clients on architectural projects and competitions.

For architectural collaborations or project inquiries, please get in touch via the contact page.