Team - Studio Akēka

Mindset

Listen, design, invent

A project starts as an idea in your mind. It turns into beautiful visions of how a future scenario can unfold. You can imagine yourself in there already, but.. how can you make it happen to get there? That's where we come in, to ask you the right questions to start off.

We always look forward to hear the initial daydreams, analyze the first sketches and visit the site together. This first phase is about listening. In our studio this is a key value. We work as a team, including the client, which means listening to each other's input, visions and reasoning is where it begins. We believe that through open discussions in which everyone feels free to share their thoughts, we will inspire each other, keep each other sharp and stimulate innovative ideas. Around the table with a cup of coffee or tea we take the project to the next level.

People

Serious business with a smile

You get nowhere without having fun. That being said, we built teams around each project of which we know that they will enhance each other. We find each other in a shared passion for an honest way of working: towards each other and towards our environment. Enjoyment always follows.

Important to say is that the client is seen as one of the key members of the team. We believe that if the project team values their time together, that will reflect on the outcome of our work. Making sure, as a team, we feel trust, cooperation, interest and optimism we can create an atmosphere in which people can be themselves. As a result creativity and work ethics will flow naturally. We have a team that has a good time together while doing serious business.

Fascination

Warm heart for craftmanship

The essence of building is bringing together the materials through the hands of the craftsman. Every niche needs its own attention, a different approach and unique qualities. When the mason or the carpenter arrives on site a new phase starts. They bring our ideas to live through the tactility, rhythm and repetition of the project. Natural single materials are being transformed into a collective that has a new purpose: a family home, a workspace or anything else.

From the perspective of the designer we find ourselves each time admiring the work the craftsmen show on site. It's a delight to watch what can be done with two hands and a lot of dedication. We make sure that this hands-on knowledge is part of the design by inviting them to our table in early stages of the project to optimize the way we work with natural materials.

Work method

What & how

Our core team is based in Utrecht and Kampala. We work on projects that are all special on their own: from a social housing development for a group of friends in a village in the Netherlands to a bamboo restaurant near a beautiful forest in Uganda. You can also find us around the table of a masterplan for urban development in Kampala. All these projects relate to each other through our pragmatic attitude of "let's act now". We design to build, while we take our responsibility and care about our climate.

Through collaborations we are able to work on this large variety of projects. In both the Dutch and the African context we have grown an extensive network of experts over the last 16+ years. Every project, location and vision needs a different approach. We are specialized in bringing the right people to the table to address design issues in the most effective way.

Collaborations

Stronger together

Our studio works at different scales within the build environment. All these scales, from social urban planning till local material research, are influencing each other. As architects we share our perspective in this variety of design questions. If we would stay in our own niche, we can get very deep into the topics that we address. If we collaborate, each with our own background, we can make a change. An example of such a collaboration is DASUDA, the Dutch Alliance for Sustainable Urban Design in Africa. We work on topics where we address master planning through a combination of workshop with local stakeholders and expert meetings on site.

These cross overs of knowledge and experience are key in solving difficult puzzles. The final result comes together as a Gesammtkunstwerk and will make a successful implementation more feasible. We team up for projects with landscape designers, structural engineers, urban planners, craftsmen, local stakeholders, sustainability instigators, artists, developers, municipalities and who knows, maybe you!

Mindset

People

Fascination

Work method

Collaborations

Robert

van Kats

Architect, Founder & Owner of Studio Akēka

Where the visions of local cultures and modern societies intersect, I find the challenges I love pursuing the most.

Robert analyses technologies and natural materials that are related to the specific requirements of a project. He harnesses his pragmatic knowledge of detailing and combines that with his extensive experience of the built environment in the African context. His enthusiasm to make eco-friendly visions come true can be seen in his ambitions.

Sanne

Eekel

Architect & Founder of Studio Akēka

A design that has an elegant balance of rhythms, proportions and tactility makes me smile. As a human, I feel at home in such a place.

With an eye for detail and an awareness of the physical and spatial dynamics of a design Sanne shapes her work with care. She centralizes the users experience, to help them find balance or create a backdrop to stand out. Cultural interactions and natural wonders are an endless source of inspiration for her. Finding practical solutions where human and nature go hand-in-hand is what she aims for.

Shinnosuke

Wasswa

Architect at Studio Akēka

A nature lover at heart, my deepest passion lies in planetary ecology, climate adaptation and spatial justice

In his work, Shinno focusses on addressing socio-ecological challenges with tha aim of realising self-sustaining developments. Using methods like storytelling, hereditary knowledge and traditions present in local communes form the basis for his spatial interventions. He strongly believes in the agency of urbanism as storywork. It facilitates the co-creation of innovative strategies for the complex social and environmental challenges we face today.

Erno

Langenberg

Computational designer at Studio Akēka

Through computational design Erno turns our sketches into digital models. His creative approach combined with his program skills give us a variety of opportunities to bring our designs to the next level. He has done research on multiple projects in which the use of bio based materials can be optimized through digital design.

Joy

Gwokyalya

Architect at Studio Akēka

Learning to work with natural materials is Joy's passion. Her keen interest to translate architecture into art with an eye for detail helps in understanding the dynamics of our projects. She has gained architectural experience in Europe and East Africa, particularly Uganda where she currently practices.

Brian E. Wennersten

Dutch Bamboo Foundation, Collaborates with Studio Akēka

With a natural elegance Brian knows how to connect people. He uses this talent to instigate projects in which bamboo can contribute to a sustainable future. His family background of carpentry and construction of makes him feel at home in the building industry.

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Vinc Math

Bamboo consultant, Collaborates with Studio Akēka

The practical knowledge that Vinc puts on the table during brainstorm sessions ensures that our designs stay close to the structural potential that bamboo naturally has. Once we start on site he leads the construction with expertise. He shares his knowledge to enable local builders to built their next bamboo building independently.

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Dieter Blok

Architect, Collaborates with Studio Akēka

From a deep understanding of the location Dieter starts his designs. We find each other in a creative process where an analytic approach and an eye for detail complement each other. Fierce conversations about design reasoning let us create surprising designs.

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Dasuda

Sustainable urban development, Studio Akēka is a co-founder

The quality and sustainability of the future of African cities is addressed in Dasuda through a collaboration of international and local experts. We take part in these projects from the architectural and urban point of view. Participatory design workshops are one of the key methods we use to design for successful implementations.

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Bamboo Uganda

Bamboo industry development, Studio Akēka is a co-founder

The whole bamboo value chain, from the nursery, to the factory, to the design and build practice is overseen in Bamboo Uganda. Each company influences and relies on the work of the other partners. WIth Studio Akeka we lead the design and build projects. Through a strong collaboration and shared vision we build a market for bamboo building products in Uganda.

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Green Building Council Uganda

Green Building Council Uganda, Studio Akēka is a board member

Advocating for a better performance of the Ugandan building practice to ensure a socially and environmentally responsible future is the goal of the Green Building Council. Robert discusses with them implementing these objectives in current initiatives and promotion of building local green buildings.

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Easy Housing

Studio Akēka is a member of the advisory board

A smart method of design, production and construction enables Easy Housing to build socially and environmentally friendly low cost houses. They are currently active in Uganda, Ghana and Mozambique. Robert joins them in conversations about future developments of their projects and scaling of their activities.

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Drop us a line

studio@akeka.com

Let's talk

Lucasbolwerk 6, 3512EG Utrecht

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KVK 56596758 TAX 8522.05.958

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Created by Magda Nadolna