ZEIA is an architecture studio founded by Andra Ionel and Elena Zara. They aim to create memorable spaces and explore the infinite possibilities of architecture, beyond dogmas and social conventions.
Andra Ionel is originally from Bucharest, Romania. She studied architecture at UAUIM in Bucharest and graduated from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. She has been an intern at offices in Basel, Freiburg and Karlsruhe. She has worked for SO-IL in New York City during her stay in the USA.
Since 2020 she is a lecturer at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, leading a first year Bachelor’s design studio.
Elena Zara is an architect based in Bucharest, Romania. She studied architecture at UAUIM in Bucharest and at UPC-ETSAV in Barcelona, while volunteering for Pro Patrimonio, a NGO whose main mission is the conservation, rescue and reactivation of cultural heritage.
Since 2016 she has been working for ADNBA in Bucharest, as a project architect and team leader in different types of residential projects such as Calderon 80, Vasile Lascar 141 and Marmura Residence. She is a teaching assistant at University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest.