We present Svima, Canada, as an entry in the Architect Directory 2024

Toronto-based architecture and art studio Svima was founded in 2020 by Anamarija Korolj and Leon Lai, who draw inspiration from the ever-changing context of cities and design to create positive symbiotic relationships—be they natural, built, or even digital. The studio’s Passageway House—a private residence near the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia—displays its aesthetic sensibility, reflecting the duo’s Eastern European and Asian heritage and ultimately expressed through their Canadian identity.

Who: Svima

When Korolj and Lai founded their practice five years ago, they set their sights on nature and ecology. In our era of mass construction, the studio refines its mission by focusing on three key pillars: air, light and greenery. With that in mind, their designs embrace Canada’s thriving biomes while maintaining a human-centered approach, ensuring the client receives a design that provides ample access to nature. The studio’s portfolio includes a range of designs that point toward creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Korolj and Lai see themselves not only as “building designers, but also as stewards of human experiences.” They seek to unite art and architecture to “continually use the two mediums as vehicles with a reciprocal relationship, pushing the boundaries of visual and spatial expression.” The creative duo strives to implement projects with a sense of place, resilience and inclusivity “that reflect the essence of what it means to be Canadian.”

What: Passageway House