Supportive Architecture: Locus's Sana Frini on Hope, Failure, and Shifting Paradigms
Sana Frini by Noel Higareda.
By Julia Gamolina
Sana Frini is a Tunisian M.Arch. in southern urban studies from the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (2012) and M.S.c in globalization and environment from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2015). Her work unites theory and practice by combining academic and research backgrounds with the professional activity of Locus, a young office founded in 2020 which interests focus on global southern practices in architecture, participatory processes, and climate resilience. Currently, Sana is co-curating the next Mexican Pavilion for the Venice Biennale 25’ with a team of architects lead by Ignacio Urquiza (Estudio IUAPdA), Ana Paula Ruiz Galindo and Mecky Reuss (Pedro&Juana), Jachen Schleich (Locus), María Marín de Buen, Lucio Usobiaga Hegewisch, and Nathalia Muguet. She is also co-curating the architecture exhibition for the Île-de-France Architecture and Landscape Biennial 2025.
Sana has been leading projects in rural housing prototypes, social housing, post-earthquake reconstruction projects, art installations, and projects for the academy. Her work has been shown at The Lisbon Architecture Triennale (2013), The Chicago Architecture Biennial (2018), and the Mexican Abierto Mexicano (2019). She has been awarded the Erasmus Fellowship (2008) the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship (2013/2015) and The Mexican National Art Creators System Grant (2017/2020). In her interview with Julia Gamolina, Sana talks about her global perspective and how she synthesizes lessons and technologies from many places, advising those just starting their careers to keep trying despite setbacks.
I love the mission of Locus that states form must follow behaviors and belonging. With this in mind, what are you thinking most about looking ahead at 2025? What's a major theme that all of us should be aware of/thinking about too?
At Locus, we see space as the result of constant interactions, where form follows function, behaviors, and belongings. We believe in methods that embrace both the tangible and the intangible. What is seen, felt, told, inherited and even what remains unseen in each context serve as a tool to produce space. History is fundamental in our practice, while local perceptions and contextual narratives serve as lenses through which we interpret the present and shape the future.
Climate solutions remain at the major core of our practice as well. Currently, I am co-curating an exhibition at the Versailles Biennale to be called “4°C Between You and Me” that focuses on this topic. I am also co-curating the next Mexican Pavilion for the Venice Biennale 25’ with a team of architects where we address similar themes such as climatic architecture, environmental resilience and the Anthropocene. These projects are huge opportunities to reimagine architecture as a regenerative force — one that not only mitigates environmental impact but actively contributes to ecological and social resilience. At Locus, we believe in blending cutting-edge technology with the ancestral knowledge from the Global South to design for the future. Looking back allows us to move forward with intention.
Makan Restaurant by Locus. Photography by Rafael Gamo.
Baldio Restaurant by Locus. Photography by Alejandro Ramirez Orozco.
Now let's go back a little bit — tell me about why you studied architecture, and how you choose where you studied architecture?
My mother is an architect, and I was always fascinated by proportions, materials, textures and light and their relationship to the body as a three-dimensional result. I knew I wanted to study architecture since I was fifteen — architecture was the only field where both my interest in sciences and my poetic worldview converged.
I began my studies at the School of Architecture in Carthage, Tunisia, as I wanted badly to first understand my own context. Later, I studied in Lyon, where I gained a more rational and technical vision closely linked to engineering. I continued in Seville and Lisbon with a master’s degree focused on urbanism and the right to the city, exploring alternative urban models and informal architecture in postcolonial contexts.
Later, I pursued a Master of Science in Environmental studies and Political Science in Lisbon, focusing on how environmental issues such as material scarcities or access to water can impact the development of cities and societies. This further strengthened my commitment to architecture that responds to limitation rather than abundance.
“Our work is not only about function and spatial needs but also about the relationships and connections that emerge within a globalized society... Sustainability, the act of repair, supportive architecture, and positive action are all essential to this vision.”
How did Locus come about?
Locus began with the desire to stop doing many things I no longer wanted to pursue in the world of architecture. Being in Mexico was essential for the studio to begin. But above all, finding partners in crime — like my business partner Jachen Schleich — was fundamental. We complement each other in many ways and share a common vision.
By definition, “locus” is the smallest space in the world. It also means “place” in Latin. Jachen and I are both from rational and poetic backgrounds and between us, we speak nine languages fluently. Our first goal was to create the kind of studio we had long searched for but never found.
Since its origins, Locus has developed and applied conscious tools that reflect our philosophy. We do not believe in an extractive energy system. For us, sustainability is not just a label but a way of living—working daily within the constraints of each context. As architects, we recognize that we are part of a community that stands and extends beyond humans; our environment is shaped by plastic, toxicity, cyber threats, and more. It is from these realities that we must develop new design tools.
What are your priorities for your practice looking ahead to the rest of 2025?
I find myself thinking deeply about the role of architects in an increasingly complex world. Our work is not only about function and spatial needs but also about the relationships and connections that emerge within a globalized society. This world faces critical challenges, and we must address them by fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility. Sustainability, the act of repair, supportive architecture, and positive action are all essential to this vision. Architecture must go beyond aesthetics; it must serve, heal, and respond to the needs of both people and the planet.
Detail. Photography by Sana Frini.
Sana's Desk. Photography by Angela Simi.
Can you tell me about a challenging experience that you are now on the other side of? How did you manage through and what did you learn?
One of the first biggest challenges was coming from the Global South and being Tunisian—it was a significant limitation to advancement, as example. The challenge was mainly about the balance of being part of a global world while remaining linked to local strengths I developed since a child. Still, I progressively learned to turn my background into a major strength.
To be good at what I do, I had to work ten times harder—it felt like running a marathon with a starting disadvantage and no shoes. But I made it because I stayed focused and worked hard. “What is difficult does not scare me,” has become a personal mantra, and I feel important to share this with those who aspire to be leaders in any profession.
Additionally, gender is an important issue. I am fortunate to be raised and surrounded by feminists and allies, and we actively apply these values in our day a day work.
What have you also learned in the last six months?
I have learned the immense challenge of leading a biennale! Managing the hours I have within a day across different countries has been a demanding but extremely valuable lesson. And most importantly, I have learned to delegate to a team I deeply trust.
“Failure is a great success—if you analyze it and extract valuable lessons, you will always come back as a better version of yourself.”
Who are you admiring now and why?
My mother. Over time, I’ve realized that she went through many of the same things I am experiencing now in the same field she also practices , yet in a different time and with harder challenges.
What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?
I would like to leave behind a happier world. I see a lot of sadness and fear, and I believe the greatest impact one can have is giving others hope. We are living in a complex century, where paradigm shifts are constantly happening. Through the biennales, we are working to contribute to this change, and I believe this should be the mission of every architect.
Success for me is about being able to do what I love and share it with others.
80% S M L chairs by LOCUS x Taller Nacional.
Ya'jur Pavilion by Locus. Photography by Hamza Bennour.
Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?
My advice is to be determined about what you want and to try as many times as necessary. Failure is a great success—if you analyze it and extract valuable lessons, you will always come back as a better version of yourself. I have failed many times in my life, and it is precisely through those failures that I have built my career.
Also, surround yourself with people you appreciate, not only in your personal life but also in your work—people you admire and trust, with whom you can learn every single day. And, of course, learning languages while traveling is also an invaluable tool to make yourself clear and understandable while discovering the world of others.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.