SVESMI Information

SVESMI is a Dutch experimental office for architecture, urbanism, education, and cultural programming, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Founded in 2007 by architect Alexander Sverdlov and designer/researcher Anastassia Smirnova-Berlin, SVESMI develops intelligent, integrated, and transformative designs that connect disciplines, cultures, and scales. The bureau specializes in preservation, adaptive reuse, and reprogramming of existing buildings — heritage and ordinary structures alike — in response to technological shifts, climate challenges, and resource constraints. Its portfolio includes public buildings, social housing, urban strategies, research, educational programmes, and curatorial initiatives. During the 2010s, SVESMI had a notable presence in Moscow, operating from an office at Bersenevskaya Naberezhnaya 6с1 (near Red October). There, architects Maria Kataryan and Pavel Rueda served as key managers and contributors to local projects, supporting the founders in on-site coordination and implementation. Key achievements from that period include the Open Library programme (renovation of 448 municipal libraries for Moscow Department of Culture, including the realized Dostoevsky Library in 2013), ZILART residential blocks (House with the Bridges, Amsterdam building), and collaborations with Strelka Institute. Those projects focused on reimagining Soviet-era spaces and cultural infrastructure. SVESMI collaborates with municipalities, institutions, and private clients worldwide, helping define ambitious goals and delivering flexible, high-impact solutions. Since 2023, Alexander Sverdlov and Anastassia Smirnova-Berlin are professors of Architectural Design at Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (IKA).