Practice Founder
Studio Founder
Ioannis Kanakakis founded woda_studio in 2020, building on more than 15 years of UK and international experience. Formerly a Partner at Stephen Marshall Architects, he has led award-winning projects across residential, cultural, and commercial sectors. His earlier career included roles with Hopkins Architects in London and OMA in Rotterdam, contributing to large-scale international developments.
Educated at The Bartlett, UCL, Ioannis combines technical rigour with a strong design vision, balancing innovation with respect for context and materiality. His ethos — We Observe, Design, Adapt — shapes the studio’s approach: creating architecture that is contemporary yet rooted in place, adaptable to changing needs, and enduring in quality.
We create contemporary, sustainable spaces rooted in context, shaped by our process
We Observe, Design, Adapt.
At woda_studio, architecture begins with observation of place, history, people, materials, and the climate.
We believe in designing with awareness, with sensitivity to local traditions and craftsmanship, to urban rhythms and landscape forms, and to the cultural narratives that shape each project’s unique locality.
Our process is analytical and rooted in understanding before creating.
We explore each brief through its constraints and opportunities, drawing from a depth of experience across scales and typologies.
We then design in a refined, context-driven, and responsive manner.
Design is not a stylistic gesture but a way of working, crafting, and thinking. It is how we shape meaningful spaces with integrity and long-term value.
Finally, we adapt to evolving technologies, to the urgency of climate change, to shifting patterns of living and working.
Our work remains fluid, like the element that inspired our name, woda, water. Always moving, never still, always with clarity of purpose.
Our Clients
Our Clients
At woda_studio we work with a wide range of clients, both in type and location. Our portfolio spans private homes designed for individuals and families, commercial developments delivered for asset managers and investors, and large-scale infrastructure projects undertaken in collaboration with fellow professionals. They include:
Aéroports de Paris Ingénierie
ArteliaGroup
CFC Ventures
Chelsfield
Firiskia SMPC
Schroders Capital
This breadth reflects our agile way of working, our adaptability, and our commitment to building strong, long-term relationships.