Speaker

Martha Giannakopoulou, a graduate of the Architectural Association in London, is a founding member of IF-untitled Architects, established in 2004 with offices in Athens and London. Her firm has delivered diverse architectural projects across a broad geographic spectrum, including London, Beirut, Zambia, India, and Athens. Among the firm's notable works are Thission Lofts, Palco Factory, Hub Events, and the Eleftheroudakis bookstore.

Martha has curated influential exhibitions and spearheaded pioneering initiatives such as Trade Traces at Athens Merchants' Arcade, Grid On / Grid Off at the New York Idea City Festival, and the Science Festival in New York. She has also played a key role in significant urban regeneration projects, including revitalizing the Kypseli Municipal Market and the POLIS initiative in Athens. Her work has been featured in major exhibitions, such as Adhocracy, the YAYA Awards, and the Biennale of Young Greek Architects.

Alongside her architectural practice, Martha has done research at the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Development in New York, focusing on urban development. Her expertise spans international collaboration with organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNEP, IOM, and CRS. She has worked extensively with municipalities across Europe, including Ghent, Chișinău, Athens, Budapest, and Warsaw, contributing to urban design frameworks, affordable housing strategies, streetscape and mobility guidelines, and environmental policies. Her work has been critical in shaping housing strategies for vulnerable populations in Central and Eastern Europe, fostering participatory co-design processes and advancing innovative urban interventions.

Since 2021, Martha has been an Urban Development Consultant with the United Nations (IOM) in the Shelter & Settlements Department, further strengthening her contributions to sustainable urban development and humanitarian architecture.