Dimitar Paskalev is an architect, partner, and strategic design leader with nearly three decades of professional experience in large-scale, complex, and innovation-driven architectural projects.
Since the mid-1990s, he has been involved in the design and realization of significant public, business, and mixed-use buildings in Bulgaria and internationally, including office towers, infrastructure facilities, and large urban developments. His portfolio includes landmark projects such as Bellissimo Business Center, Sopharma & Litex Towers, Sofia Airport Control Tower, and FPI City Tower, among others.
Dimitar Paskalev is a partner at Architectonika Studio and a partner at United Master Architects, where he contributes to architectural leadership, strategic project development, and international collaboration. His professional experience spans Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and includes close work with multidisciplinary teams, developers, consultants, and public institutions.
Between 2013 and 2019, he served as Head of the Institute for Zero Energy Buildings, leading research initiatives focused on energy-efficient buildings, innovative building envelopes, and sustainable construction systems. During this period, he coordinated and participated in international Horizon 2020 projects, contributing to applied research and the development of patented technological solutions.
In parallel with his built work, Dimitar Paskalev founded Paskalev Visionary Workshop (PVW) — a strategic platform for advanced architectural concepts, experimental typologies, and future-oriented urban and building models. PVW operates at the intersection of research, conceptual design, competitions, and real-world implementation, supporting both public and private sector initiatives.
His professional approach is shaped by strong conceptual leadership and the ability to translate complex ideas into buildable, economically viable solutions. He consistently integrates innovation, sustainability, and long-term value creation into the design process, while navigating regulatory, technical, and organizational complexity. In recent years, this approach has evolved toward entrepreneurial and partnership-based development models, where architectural expertise is combined with strategic development thinking and investment participation, moving beyond traditional fee-based architectural services.
Dimitar Paskalev is the author of the book “Theory of Probabilistic Architecture”, which presents an original theoretical framework informing his design thinking and decision-making in conditions of uncertainty and complexity.
In addition to his architectural practice, Dimitar Paskalev maintains a parallel interdisciplinary artistic career in music. He is a co-founder and member of the experimental music duo Bluba Lu and the associated label and studio Blubalu Records, where sound, structure, and rhythm are explored as spatial and conceptual systems. This artistic practice reinforces his architectural thinking and contributes to his broader interdisciplinary and research-driven approach.
Awards & Recognitions
2006 – Building of the Year: Bellissimo Business Center, Sofia
2007 – 1st Prize, National Competition for the Reconstruction of Central Railway Station, Sofia
2008 – 1st Prize, National Competition and Commission Award: Air Traffic Control Tower, Sofia Airport
2011 – Building of the Year: Sopharma Business Towers, Sofia
2013 – Building of the Year: Air Traffic Control Tower, Sofia Airport
2014 – 1st Prize, National Competition for the Reconstruction of Plovdiv Municipality Building
2017 – 1st Prize, International Skyscraper Design Competition for Jin-Do Island, South Korea
2018 – 1st Prize at the European Solar District Heating Conference in Graz for innovative work on seasonal thermal storage
2019 – 2nd Prize, Competition for the New Building of the Medical University, Sofia
2023 – ARCHINOVA 2023: Winner in “Public Building Projects” category for Blagoevgrad Tech Park
2024 – Building of the Year 2023: 1st Prize in “Urban Development Projects” category for the Blagoevgrad Farmers’ Market
2025 — Nominated for the EU Mies van der Rohe Award for the Blagoevgrad Farmers’ Market