LUX Xmas 2018

62 Studio Niko Kapa is an architecture, design and planning firm founded in Dubai three years ago as an experimental studio. Following their success in LUXlife’s Leading Designer 2018 as the Most Innovative Architecture Practice of the Year - the UAE, we profiled the studio to discover more about the innovative designs they offer to their clients. Led by Niko Kapa, an award-winning Architect, Industrial Designer and Researcher, Studio Niko Kapa designs have been exhibited in major museums and institutions in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Since its founding, Studio Niko Kapa has developed its practice, winning numerous Architecture Design Awards, while it has been listed as one of the top architectural firms in the Middle East. In addition, the studio’s research work has also been published and exhibited internationally. Exploring architecture’s ability to communicate cultural content, Studio Niko Kapa architects are interested in how new technologies can interface with the architectural traditions of craft, materiality, pattern and how material effects can be tuned to human occupancy. Having a specific focus on sustainability, as well as the cultural importance of architecture, Studio Niko Kapa’s work is addressing urban planning, architecture and industrial design, with an effort to build links between theory and practice. Studio Niko Kapa draws inspiration from the study of the biology and the mechanisms of nature in order to apply this data to the design, trying to create devices that have a common mode of operation with those of the natural world. They thus exploit natural laws that have a self-evident validity and can ensure efficiency based on rules of economy, simplicity, endurance and adjustment. Niko Kapa is inspired by traditional architecture, as it often gives the most high-tech solutions, highlighting the relationship with the human scale, the place and the climate. Studio Niko Kapa supports innovative architecture, using research as an integral part of the design process. By developing a wide range of activities, the studio aims to build on the growing sense of awareness towards the built environment, seeking to shed light on modern architecture, urban and landscape design, targeting the recognition of modern heritage. Studio Niko Kapa design team wishes to develop the cultural value of architecture and design and the recognition of the social impact it has on urban regeneration, building communities, education and vocational development. Speaking of the team, Studio Niko Kapa consists of a multidisciplinary team that supports innovation, using research as an integral part of the design process. The practice balances between architecture and product design, embracing the language of functionality, construction efficiency, and brand identity. With an interest in the pioneering research and investigation, Studio Niko Kapa maintains an active role throughout the design process, in the interrelated fields of architecture and design. Currently, the studio’s work includes running projects mainly in the Middle East, from projects such as mixed-use developments, towers, retail centres and office buildings to specialised projects such as museums and athletic facilities. At the moment, SNK is working on the design of ‘Y Tower’ - an office building in Doha. It is a project that aims to redefine the relationship of the skyscraper with the public space. A structural three-dimensional pattern breaks the base of the building, allowing the entrance of public space into its centre. The shell of the building functions as a filter that relieves from annoying external stimuli, noise and blurring of the undesired intensity of external lighting. Company Name: Studio Niko Kapa Director: Niko Kapa Address: Churchill Towers, Floor 16 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Phone: 00971561346462 Web Address: www.nikokapa.com Innovative Architecture Oct18007