Seeing the Unseen
A MANIFESTOby Milena Cvijanovich
I believe we are surrounded by far more potential than we realise.
- In people.
- In places.
- In buildings.
- In materials.
- In stories waiting to be told.
In people. In places. In buildings. In materials. In stories waiting to be told.
The greatest opportunities are often hidden in plain sight.
Roots
Before architecture became my profession, shelter was already the defining story of my family.
An assassination. A war. Exile. The loss of home, of identity, and of a known culture.
And then, the long work of beginning again: rebuilding dignity, recovering belonging, and creating a new sense of home in a foreign country.
Those experiences shaped my understanding of belonging long before I ever designed my first building, and they continue to influence every project I undertake.
My grandmother had an amazing saying I have never forgotten:
About Milena Cvijanovich
Milena Cvijanovich is a Serbo-Swiss architect, designer, inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Nomadessence.
She grew up between New York, Bern and Paris, amidst the dynamic, multilingual chaos of the Eastern European diaspora and a Swiss world of craftsmanship, precision, and love for nature. For over three decades, she has been globetrotting, working internationally for private clients, corporations, institutions and hospitality ventures.
Milena Cvijanovich is a Serbo-Swiss architect, designer, inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Nomadessence.
She grew up between New York, Bern and Paris, amidst the dynamic, multilingual chaos of the Eastern European diaspora and a Swiss world of craftsmanship, precision, and love for nature. For over three decades, she has been globetrotting, working internationally for private clients, corporations, institutions and hospitality ventures.
Career
EXPERIENCE
- 30+ years of international practice
INNOVATION
- Holder of Four Patents
FIELDS
- Architecture
- Interiors
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Object Design
EDUCATION
- Double Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy and Art History, Wake Forest University
- Master of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University
RECOGNITION
- American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continental Europe Award
- World Architecture Festival Finalist
CLIENTS
- World Economic Forum
- Logitech
- Blancpain
- Aiglon College
- and more
TEACHING & SPEAKING
- MBA Programmes
- Universities
- International Conferences
- Sustainable Innovation
- Cross-Cultural Design Management
AFFILIATIONS
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- Swiss Engineers and Architects Association (SIA)
- British Institute of Interior Design (BIID)
- International Interior Design Association (IIDA)