The studio’s portfolio includes Selfridges public realm in London, Paris 2024 Arena , Khokhlovskaya Square, Moscow, iXcampus (Innovation and Education Campus in the historic city of Saint-Germain en Laye) and various projects worldwide.
For each project, the geographical, biological, cultural, and economic aspects are studied and integrated. The studio's creative approach aims at developing the potential of each site by revealing its best geographical, spatial, ecological, and cultural characteristics to create a friendly, rich and sustainable environment. Climate change mitigation, runoff management and biodiversity improvement are at the heart of our work.
The studio conducts research projects on the evolution of urban landscape and the adaptation to climate change of metropolises such as Paris and London. This work allows us to better meet our operational missions of diagnosis, design, and project management.
Our collaborative work with ecologists, engineers and architects creates a transversal and multidisciplinary approach that allows us to respond accurately to the growing environmental, social and ecological challenges in our cities.
Scope of work:
Streetscape, Plaza, Square, Roof Garden, Garden, Park, Landscape Garden, Campus Park, Master Plan & Landscape Strategy, Planting Strategy, Biodiversity Improvement, Suds, Water Feature, Outdoor Furniture, Maintenance Plan.
Between 2006 and 2009 she was Head of Landscape Department at Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris, and between 2009 and 2015, Head of Vogt London.
As a landscape architect, her collaboration with Jean Nouvel gave her a wide range of international experience developing landscape designs for projects such as the Paris Philharmonic Hall and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
At Vogt London, Irene oversaw the design development of the London 2012 Athletes Village public realm project. She was also part of the team in charge of developing the Olympic Legacy Framework for the London Legacy Development Corporation. Amongst other projects, she led the Tate Modern public realm development.
In February 2015, she founded her own practice, Djao-Rakitine Landscape Architecture. Djao-Rakitine is a landscape architecture practice based in London and Paris, working on high profile public and private cultural, commercial and residential projects worldwide.
Irene was visiting critic to the London Mayor’s Project Review Panel in 2013–16 and a researcher at the ETH Zurich in 2015–16.
She's been one of the Mayor's Design Advocates to support the Mayor of London's Good Growth by Design plan since 2017 and a member of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Quality Panel since 2020.
Current and former team members
Marie Saalburg, Joanna Ederyd, Jitka Benesova, Federica Terenzi, Amélia Chevée, Marzia Vanzati, Hortense Blanchard, Chun Wing Fok, Valmore Rojas, Charles Dujardin, Povilas Marozas, Mariel Drego
Collaborations
ACME (UK), Alexander Brodsky (Russia), Andrew Phillips (UK), l’AUC (France), Berger & Berger (France), Bruto (Slovenia), Burckhardt+Partner (Switzerland), Carmody Groarke (UK), Caruso St John Architects (UK), Cobe (France), Consequence Forma (Czech Republic), David Chipperfield Architects (UK), Van Belle & Medina Architects (Belgium), Meyer Fey (Germany), NAME Architecture (France/ UK), Nicolas Dorval, Bory Architectes (France), NP2F (France), RDAI (France), SCAU architecture (France), Stanton Williams (UK), Studio VT (Switzerland), Wilmotte & Partners (France)
Geography
China, Czech Republic, France, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Russia, Slovenia, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Vietnam
Clients
Altarea Cogedim, Bouygues Immobilier Ouvrages Publics, City Councils, Continental Development Corp., ICADE, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Lend Lease, Private clients, Selfridges, Sellar+, Strelka KB, Ville de Paris, Zhejiang Medicine, Etc.
Awards
Awarded Best Urban Design by the Moscow Urban Forum
Best Cultural Heritage site restoration project in Russia
ISOCARP Grand Award 2018
Qatar Sustainability Award 2018
RIBA London Award 2019
Lectures & Round tables
Débat Paris en Commun, Végétaliser la ville : quelle stratégie ? Thursday, June 18, 2020
Good Growth by Design Recovery Roundtable: Ecological Urbanism, Greater London Authority, June 25, 2020
Design Resonance in an Age of Crisis | ENVIRONMENT Steering Group, June 2020
Le jardin comme exposition, l'exposition comme jardin, Pavillion Bosio, Monaco, December 9, 2019
Back to Basics, Vilnius, November 21, 2019
Jury Panel for Tuchkov Buyan Park Design Competition, Saint Petersburg, November 6, 2019
Landscape as a fantasy, Brno, June 30, 2016.
Europan Jury, Vienne, November 8, 2015
Publications
2020:
"L’Arena Porte de la Chapelle dévoilée!...Objectif? S’ouvrir aux habitants du quartier." by Maryse Quinton in IDEAT.
"Paris 2024 : voici les premières images de la future Arena 2" by J.L., in Le Parisien
"Paris 2024: L'anti-spectacle de Scau et NP2F pour la future arena de Paris" by Margaux Darrieus, in AMC.
"Hyper écolo, la nouvelle Arena comptera 6000 m2 de toiture végétalisée et une terrasse verdurée de 1700 m2." by Sarah Leris, in Le Bonbon.2019:
"Creating a Moscow agora" by Daria Paramonov, in Topos
"Khokhlovskaya Square" in the magazine Landscape Architecture Korea.
"Khokhlovskaya Square" in the magazine Mooool.
"A Fairytale Woodland by the Lake" in the magazine Mooool.2018:
"Moscow's new Clothes" by Kiril Ass, in the magazine Topos.
"Selfridges public realm by Djao-Rakitine" by Tina Thakrar, in Trends Magazine.
"Du mobilier urbain, en marbre et monolithique, devant le grand magasin Selfridges de Londres" in La Revue du Design.
"Djao-Rakitine creates monolithic street furniture for London's Selfridges" by Ali Morris, in Dezeen.
"Khokhlovskaya Square" in ArchDaily.
"Ancient and modern mixes in award winning Moscow square" by Jessica Watson in Landscape Architecture Aotearoa.
"Khokhlovskaya Square" in Landezine Magazine.
"Where to walk in Moscow: 8 new parks" by Ekaterina Karpukhina in AD Magazine Russia.
"Soft power in Moscow" by Stephen Zacks in Landscape Architecture Magazine.2017:
"You won’t believe what Moscow looks like: How world-class architects changed the city in 2017", by Anna Sorokina in Russia Beyond.
