With a talent for showcasing location, history and culture within design, and a passion for sustainable practice, Constantina Tsoutsikou founded Studio LOST in 2020. In conversation with Vicky Lewis, she discussed her passion for sustainable design and the joy she brings through her work.
Studio LOST’s philosophy is based on providing a sense of wonder, drawing on inspiration from nature and local narratives. Known for creating landmark resort destinations like NUMO, Crete, and with the team’s recent projects including a lifestyle hotel in Lucerne, Switzerland, a heritage hotel in Jerusalem, the renovation of a beach resort in Italy, and two more luxury resorts on the Greek islands, I was keen to find out about Constantina’s process and how she incorporates a sustainable approach to designs that are on such a large scale.
It is so easy to listen to Constantina talk about her studio – she speaks passionately and with a real love for the work she does which translate even across a virtual call. I asked about her background and how Studio LOST came to be. She said: “I had been in the industry for about 15 years, creating beautiful projects around the world in the luxury segment. Studio LOST was born out of my desire to work a little bit differently with a smaller team, building closer relationships with our clients. It’s important to me that we are a boutique-sized studio.”
Before building the LOST brand, Constantina was the director at the London studio of Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): “That role gave me a lot of experience and knowledge that helped me thrive – especially from working in different localities with some of the world’s best hotel operators.” This experience has paid dividends with Studio LOST now established as a respected and admired contributor to the industry, and its client base is growing. She explained: “We are active in Europe, mainly working with luxury resort hotel developments. Although it’s been quite a short time that we have been up and running, we have achieved a lot in that time. We’ve been able to establish Studio LOST out there in the industry.”
We discussed the team’s recent renovation of the Grosvenor House Suites which, Constantina said, is a project they approached with sustainability in mind: “It was a revamp and refresh of an existing product whilst the hotel was still in operation. We made key selections, within a targeted approach to give the existing suite longevity and upgraded the lobby and guest experience there. We retained many of the existing items that were already in place – we upholstered seating, we added beautiful soft rugs for softness and tailored colour schemes around existing items so they didn’t have to be changed.”
Sustainability is a really important consideration for Constantina, and some projects she has been a part of have begun with the theme at the front and centre of the ethos of the development. She explained: “That is really interesting because it becomes your guide – that thread informs every decision that you make. From the beginning you consider everything, looking at every item to see what it is made of, or how sustainable it is, or how locally you can source things.”
However, she explained that even if the theme of sustainability isn’t mentioned within the client’s brief, there is always a need for it to be considered: “I think as designers, it is our responsibility to bring it into the picture. We have a luxury hotel renovation for next year on Crete. We identified that we could retain some aged materials, like the stunning marble in the bathrooms, and we are adapting the design to fit with elements that are already there. It’s often about identifying those quality materials that can live a longer life and allowing them to inform the design.”
The material selection process that Constantina and her team go through always focuses on longevity: “We like working with natural materials and they, by definition, have got a longer life process – for example, natural timber veneer will age nicely, it’s not a laminate. I think in the luxury and upscale design segment, we are fortunate to have that window of opportunity to use materials that have a longer lifespan.”
Our discussion veered towards the topic of change – what would Studio LOST like to see done differently when it comes to sustainability across the industry? How can processes be improved? Constantina explained that it is important that we are specific in how we are approaching the topic: “Sustainability is a very generic word, and it can mean many different things. To me it is about being kind, to the planet and to ourselves – being more conscious about the decisions that we make. That effort must follow through after the design process – it has to continue into operations, so that everyday actions and decisions can have a big impact. If we always have sustainability at the back of our mind, we can guide the client through those decisions.”
Location is key when it comes to design for Studio LOST, but also when it comes to that sustainable decision making. Constantina explained that, often, by utilising what is available in the locality, the project can reduce emissions in other ways: “Locality is important – if you can source locally, for some custom furniture for example, this means there’s no shipping costs, there’s no co2 emissions. Wherever you can, it really makes sense to use local capabilities.” By doing so, designers can make a positive impact on the aesthetic of the space as the design is more grounded within the locality. Sustainability is about giving back to the community, she explained, and if you can support local businesses, you’re contributing to that society too.
I was keen to delve into where Constantina and her team find inspiration for their projects – and it seems that, for her, travel is key: “Our antennas are always alert, and we are constantly being inspired. I find that sometimes if we are working on a concept, and there’s a little bit of a challenge, or something’s not quite right, I like to park a thought temporarily or to develop the design to a certain stage, and then take a break and revisit it. Travel allows us to observe, try different things, learn from that experience and seek to find answers for what it is we need to address when we get back.” Her willingness to learn is, no doubt, one of the many things that makes Constantina so successful – her openness to trying something new and being inspired by other work is such a refreshing outlook.
Narratives play a huge part in Studio LOST’s design process, Constantina described an upcoming development which is full of creativity: “We have a new hotel development opening next year, on the island of Rhodes, which has cosmic vibes! That is a concept throughout the hotel, and you will see that narrative unfold in the rooms, in the restaurant, the bar and the beach bar, and it’s very playful and very vibrant – it informs everything from the colour that we used to the patterns and material pallets.”
With many exciting projects coming up, I asked about the back catalogue- which of the studio’s projects is she most proud of? “I am very proud and excited about the work we are currently doing, but also the first two projects we did as Studio LOST are really important ones – we grew through those projects and we built our reputation through them. They were both on Crete and currently they both belong to the Curio Collection for Hilton. We started the Royal Senses Resort in 2020 and that’s got a beautiful narrative about the rugged earth of Crete, so it’s all about the land rather than the sea. It has a dark earthiness that informs everything. And then on the other hand, you have Numo, which was a renovation, and very challenging hospitality project with a tight timeline, that became the flagship of a new brand and remains a scene of escapism. It was lots of fun and the serenity of the natural surroundings comes through the design.”
“I always think it’s really clear when the design team have enjoyed themselves! All the emotion that comes with a creative profession is channelled through our work and it’s obvious in the end, you can see it, you can feel it. We enjoyed those two projects so much and I’m really happy when people visit the resorts, and they enjoy them too!
With so much to look forward to, the future continues to look bright for Studio LOST. Constantina has some significant openings coming up with Autograph collection and Luxury collection by Marriott amongst others. She has plans for growth, but she is keen for the company’s growth to be based around new players in the industry: “I would like to grow with young, fresh talent so that we can provide employment opportunities for aspiring graduates that come out of college and universities and for people that can learn and grow with us in this exciting journey.” Don’t take your eyes off Studio LOST – so much is still to come!
