Every project at Lotus follows the same process – from understanding the place and the people to the last detail on the construction site. That process rests on six principles that are not abstractions, but concrete decisions we make every day: what we design, from what, how and why.
01
TRUST BUILT PROJECT BY PROJECT
A practice clients return to
Lotus Architecti, LAD 1 studio and LAD 2 studio form one of Croatia’s leading architectural collectives – with a portfolio spanning hospitality and residential projects, commercial buildings, public institutions and private villas, across Croatia, the region and beyond. Registered in the US Government’s System for Award Management (SAM), we operate on equal footing across different markets and regulatory frameworks.
The trust we have built comes from clients who have entrusted us with projects of varying scale and complexity – from private residences to large-scale urban developments. Some of them are Aleksandar Group, Coca-Cola HBC Adria, City of Chicago, Infobip, Mistral Architectural Metal (New York), MHP, MK Group, Perutnina Ptuj and SGS.
02
HOW WE WORK
Our principles
01
People and place
Every project begins with a conversation and a site visit – because who will use the space and the context in which it is created determines everything that follows.
What this looks like
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Initial conversations with the client
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Analysis of the site and its context
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Review of usage scenarios
02
Sustainability through decisions
Materials, systems and spatial organisation are selected according to real performance and durability – these are decisions made at the outset that determine how a building will function throughout its entire life.
What this looks like
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Selection of materials according to durability and performance
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Energy systems suited to the site
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Spatial organisation that reduces consumption
03
Precision and deliverability
Every decision in the design phase is tested against execution – technical, financial and temporal. What is not fully resolved on paper becomes a problem on the construction site.
What this looks like
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Coordination of all disciplines before construction begins
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Detailed resolution before going to site
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Supervision of execution across all phases
04
FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT
Architecture without excuses
Maja Bručić, dipl. ing. arh., is the founder and principal architect of Lotus Architecti, LAD 1 studio and LAD 2 studio – one of Croatia’s leading architectural collectives. She studied architecture at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb, pursued advanced studies at the Parsons School of Design in New York, researched Japanese architecture across Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama and Kyoto, and studied structural design in Madrid and Barcelona. That international formation shaped an approach visible in every project that leaves this office – informed, precise and always oriented towards execution.
Under her leadership, Lotus Group has grown into a collective of 30+ specialists with more than 200 completed projects in Croatia, the region and beyond, registered in the US Government’s System for Award Management (SAM) for equal participation in international markets.
Maja personally oversees the execution of key projects – from the first sketch through to handover. This is not an organisational decision; it is simply how she works. She knows every project in detail, can account for every decision and identifies any deviation before it becomes a problem. With over 19 years of experience, she is the recipient of numerous professional awards, including the Top 40 Under 40 Business Award, and holds architectural licenses in Croatia and Slovenia.
What she learned in Zagreb, New York, Tokyo and Barcelona did not stop with her degrees – it continues. The curiosity that shaped her education is the same drive that today pushes her towards new specialisations, new knowledge and a close following of everything that changes the way space is built and inhabited – most recently through programmes in architectural lighting with Zumtobel from Austria and Fagerhult from Sweden. She firmly believes that the difference is made not by knowledge or talent, but by the ability to move – and not to stop. As Picasso put it, in the words she has carried throughout her career:
“Action is the foundational key to all success”
– Pablo Picasso.
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