Karen Berberyan

Co-founder of Tarberak Architectural Studio, Armenia

Karen Berberyan

Co-founder of Tarberak Architectural Studio, Armenia

Biography

ABOUT

An architect with international experience, holding a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Architecture from Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction. Co-founder of NPATAK Educational Platform and TarberAK Architectural Studio. Previously worked at Bernard Tschumi Architects in New York and at the Yerevan office of London-based Tim Flynn Architects.

SHORT DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE OFFICE

TarberAK was forded in 2019 by two young architect friends. It is overwhelmingly gratifying to see, through the primordial haze of the beginning, our built projects in the rear view. TarberAK, now a team of eight, works passionately on many more in urban design, landscapes, and buildings. We also cherish our unsolicited projects; they are at least as special to us as the ones we build.

PROJECTS TO BE PRESENTED DURING THE EVENT

Project #1: Jagged in the Middle: multifunctional apart-hotel

Project 1 category: Housing (Not for single use), Hotel. Leisure

Start year: 2023

End year: ongoing

The multifunctional complex is located in a winter resort city of Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, covering 4,000 sqm. It sits on the edge of a small hill as one approaches the city, surrounded by a valley with panoramic views to the east, and hills and mountains on the other sides, where the main ski resort is located. The site has a significant elevation difference, and the only suitable area for construction was the flat top part of the terrain, which makes up about 40 percent of the total area. Visible from nearly every point in the city, the site inspired the idea of a structure with no clear sides, facades, or orientation, making it equally perceivable from all viewpoints. To meet the required area for the hotel and residential units, a plan with minimal width and building mass was identified. The clear rectangular plan was compressed onto the permissible terrain, resulting in a zigzagging, irregular shape that adapts to the site’s specifics, views, sun exposure, regulations, and circulation patterns. This shift in perspectives, along with the zigzag plan, also influenced the façades, where the jagged lines between the stone cladding and clear glass surfaces makes the building appear slimmer, while emphasizing its dominance without providing a clear orientation to the surroundings.