My name is Penka Stantcheva, and I am an architect. I started my independent practice in 1995. Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, I increasingly feel like a citizen of the world. Over the past ten years, I have worked in Chile, Antarctica, the island of Koh Samui in Thailand, and several European cities, including Berlin and Paris. Previously, as a student, I studied in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Bordeaux, France, and Venice, Italy. I founded PS ARCHITECTS and began presenting my projects under this name.

At the beginning of my career, I designed residential and public buildings, primarily in Plovdiv, my hometown. There, in collaboration with three of the city's building companies, I managed to construct over fifteen housing and public buildings, all distinguished by their functionality and clean lines. For these projects, I received the BAUMIT Award for Long-Term Cooperation in 2008.

An important client during my early professional years was the MEBELOR furniture factory. Over more than ten years of collaboration, we jointly constructed their new office building with a showroom and created both furniture series and complete room solutions for their two stores in Sofia. The culmination of our joint work was our participation in the Furniture Fair in Cologne in 2010, where MEBELOR's stand was included in the Fair’s Selection and Press Tour.

A notable building in my portfolio is the restoration of the Yablanski House, one of the most beautiful cultural monuments in the center of Sofia. For this project, I received the BUILDING OF THE YEAR Award in 2011.
Today, many people associate my name with the project for the new building of the Bulgarian Antarctic Base. Winning this competitive bid was a real surprise for me — I focused on simplicity, modularity, and the easiest possible concept for implementation without special effects. It turned out that this specific approach impressed the jury and the investor.
Despite these achievements, interior projects remain my true passion. Over the years, I have received several awards for my interior design work: "INTERIOR OF THE YEAR" from Nash Dom magazine (in 2007 and 2010) and "HOUSE OF THE YEAR" from Idealen Dom magazine (in 2002 and 2024). In 2018, for my own home interior, I was awarded the Silver Design Award at the international A Design Award competition.

In 2019, I was part of the team that created the National Program for Project-Based STEM Education. Since then, I have worked with over ten schools across Bulgaria, not only implementing projects for wonderful learning spaces but also creating invaluable contacts with teachers and principals who strongly believe that learning by doing is the contemporary way to impart knowledge. Moreover, I apply these principles while teaching young architects.
Since 2023, I have been teaching architecture students in the Interior and Design Department at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy of Sofia. My students’ projects have been featured in specialized magazines as examples of professional activity. Previously, in 2012, as a guest lecturer with the course "Practice of the Profession" at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Geodesy in Sofia, I shared insights and details from the practice of designing. Working with young people, future colleagues, has become my new passion.

Is Architecture a struggle?

“Architecture is about listening to each other, asking the right questions, and understanding the answers. It is important to provide our arguments and not just impose our opinions. This is the only way we can build mutual trust with the client—through patient and logical explanation. A good result in architecture is based on mutual trust and respect.

Sometimes, we need to push the client to the edge of their comfort zone and a little beyond, but not too far. This helps to develop their perceptions. Architecture must reflect the possible scenarios of inhabiting a space, and it is crucial to determine which ones are most suitable for the future residents.

Sometimes, it is necessary to tell the client NO, but only after a thorough and proper explanation of why this NO is essential.

When implementing a finished project, it is necessary to defend the decision to materialize it as intended.” — PS

Why is interior design so interesting to you?

"People often think of interior design as decoration—choosing materials, tiles, and matching them with other elements. Clients often mix countless ideas from Pinterest or Instagram, resulting in a complete mess.

Interior design is about reading space and understanding its context. Based on this understanding, it is easier to define a clear framework. Once the new structure of the future space is set, interior design must meet the specific functional and emotional needs of each client.

A home should be an extension of ourselves, a place that embraces us, supports us, and helps us calm down. When returning home, one should feel they are returning to their island of relaxation and self. These are the places people call 'cosy,' and I define them as successful projects.” — PS

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