Asimina-Georgia Tsakona

Asimina tells us about her journey since graduation and how the University of Plymouth helped shape her career.
Asimina-Georgia Tsakona hero

Asimina-Georgia Tsakona

  • ]Current job title: Director & Designer

  • 'Current Employer: AGT Design London Ltd and AGT Architecture

  • (Current location: London/Athens

  • b

    Course: BA (Hons) Architecture

  • &Year of graduation: 2010

It is a beautiful thing to see every new project, every new idea take shape, particularly with the help of original, and sometimes unconventional materials which are often ignored. At the moment, I am designing my own unique collection of furniture which mixes personal experience and knowledge acquired during my studies at Plymouth with my love for music composition.

I vividly remember studying in the library when I stumbled upon Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s quote, ‘Music is liquid architecture; architecture is frozen music’. This idea of frozen music made total sense to me, and inspired me to make this the subject of my thesis. Architecture and design for me are like music: they share a common, global language."

"I have made my passion my career..."

"When every day gifts you with the opportunity to do what you love, your life will be full of enthusiasm, with an appetite for creation.

My personal philosophy, ‘architecture is an expression of values’, comes from Norman Foster – the British architect famous for high-tech architecture – and everything I have done in my career aligns to this mantra and finding a balance between art, design and functionality.

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Designing my career...

"The two crowning moments in my career so far have been the establishment of my Athens-based office of architectural studies (AGT Architecture) in July 2017, and my London-based design firm, AGT design London Ltd, in August 2018.

My studies at Plymouth gave me the starting point, which enabled me to take these exciting and creative steps into the architectural industry. On one hand, the BA (Hons) Architecture course curriculum enriched my skills and led me to discover and focus on my main interests. While on the other, the multicultural environment implanted new images and ideas and broadened my horizons, which is absolutely necessary for any professional whose dream is to always be one step ahead of their time."

"After graduating from Plymouth, I invested more into my education by acquiring a MArch in Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part II) and began working in the industry, dividing my time between London and Athens.

My aim was to broaden my horizons by designing programmes under the direction of industry professionals – I participated in a visiting school provided by the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Athens, and also experienced De Montfort University’s DMU Crucible programme, an opportunity that led to me establishing my first company and realising my vision of creating objects that combine timelessness with innovative design."

A strong foundation at Plymouth 

"Everything I have ever learned and everything I experienced at the University is always reflected in every new job I do. Assuming our time as a student is a white canvas, every hour of teaching are the pencils and pens adding colour. My time at Plymouth has been the catalyst for both my academic and professional practice, whether I'm designing a piece of furniture in London or a modern home in Athens.

My most important lesson learnt is to pour the same love, interest and responsibility into even the simplest of projects – to always remember that even a genius idea will eventually be judged by the smallest details.

My latest project is called ‘Shield’. Its name is not accidental. That's because my deep conviction is we all need a shield to survive the daily battles in our lives and how fortunately the real shield lies within ourselves. My shield will be forged in metal, so that it create a timeless work of art.

I heartily recommend every prospective student who wants to have a solid career foundation to choose the University of Plymouth. They will be taught the importance of always trying to produce good results, realise that talent must always be accompanied by professionalism and consistency, and gain an awareness of different cultures, visuals and ways of life."

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