Company: Cristina Robina (Interior Architecture Studio)
Interviewed person: Cristina Robina
Position: Founder
Email: info@cristinarobina.com
Website: www.cristinarobina.com

How did you come to Belgium and decide to set up your own architectural practice?

I have always wanted to be an interior architect and dreamed of having my own studio. After studying and working in Spain for Isabel López-Quesada, I went to Prague and then to Belgium to work. What started as something temporary, became something permanent. After working in several studios, I had the opportunity to do a couple of projects on my own and to collaborate with other architects as a freelance. That’s when I decided it was time to take the plunge and start my own studio.

What kind of projects do you specialise in and what would you say characterises your designs?

The projects I carry out include offices, restaurants and, above all, homes. Personal interaction with clients is an important part of the creative process for me, creating emotions in private spaces. My ambition is to create warm and welcoming interiors – embracing hight-end craft as well as natural influences – by exploring light and materials.

What challenges have you faced in setting up your solo project in a country like Belgium, and how are you coping with them?

The most significant challenges for me have been two:

First, the language. I live in the Flemish area and although I have been working in Dutch for years without any problems, I sometimes miss having more vocabulary or fluency. In my work I am lucky that images, drawings and sensations do not understand language, and I focus on working in this more accessible dimension.

And the second challenge of any new destination is to build a new network of contacts and connect with a new work context, in this case architecture and interior design. Belgium has the advantage of being a country of reference in terms of design and craftsmanship. In addition, it has a privileged geographical location where designers and trends from Europe, and also from all over the world, converge in a concentrated and accessible way because it is not a big country. This has allowed me to be constantly updated and to weave a network of contacts in the years that I have been here.

What can you offer to other Chamber members and what would you like to achieve through your membership?

To the other members of the Chamber I can offer my services in interior architecture for public and private projects. With an experience of 12 years in Belgium I have a network of contacts of trades and colleagues to be able to develop projects of different scales in different areas of Belgium.

As a member of the Chamber I would like to expand my network of contacts with Spanish companies and individuals in Belgium, as well as open the door to new job opportunities.