Anton Nadtochiy and Vera Butko are the founders and chief architects of the Moscow-based studio ATRIUM, which has grown since 1994 from a small interior design office into one of Russia’s leading architectural firms with projects in dozens of cities. In an exclusive interview for the Arkhitekturno podcast, they openly shared for the first time their creative journey, bold experiments, and the development of their unique signature style.

“We had something to say in architecture!” — this phrase captures the essence of their approach. Anton recalls how, right after graduating, he was “put in front of a computer and told — just do it!” Vera adds, “The life of the studio is the life of our partnership. It’s simple.” Together, they challenged standards by offering clients open layouts and unexpected solutions — for example, cutting out an atrium space in the center of an apartment, which surprised clients and prompted the question, “Was that even allowed?!”

Over more than 30 years, the ATRIUM brand has evolved from a small experimental workshop into a large firm with a unique signature style based on working with form and space. “We measure projects not by size, but by meaning,” Anton emphasizes. Today, ATRIUM is a team of 150 professionals creating not only private homes and significant public spaces but also exploring new formats, including digital projects and the metaverse.

Their clients often become long-term partners, working with the studio for decades, sharing a high level of architectural ambition and a commitment to creating architectural masterpieces without compromise. As the architects say, “Everything in our lives is an incredible confluence of circumstances leading to a logical result,” and it is this spirit of boldness and creativity that makes ATRIUM one of the most recognizable and respected names in contemporary architecture.

Learn more about ATRIUM’s story and philosophy in the full interview on the Arkhitekturno podcast.