Today we’d like to introduce you to Zabie Mustafa and Neda Kakhsaz. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Zabie and Neda are both founding partners and principles of Studio MUKA. We first met one another while studying in architecture school at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2011. Zabie worked with The Archers in Los Angeles and has extensive experience working in the art world as an exhibition designer with the Guggenheim and Whitney Museum in New York prior to the start of our design practice which we launched in 2021. Neda spent about half a decade at Studio Shamshiri working on distinguished residential projects before the start of our own studio.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We are firm believers that anything good and worthwhile takes a lot of effort and time. Working on buildings and interiors means that every day will bring new challenges as no two projects are the same and no two clients are the same either. We like to think we thrive when faced with challenges because that really is what design is about. We are constantly solving problems whether it’s around the intellectual exercise of creating a concept for a project or down to the details of the construction of a space or even a custom piece of furniture.
On a technical note, probably the most challenging aspect is understanding how to value our own time. Time is truly our most valuable asset and we are focusing on spending the majority our time on truly pushing every project and our practice forward and doing what we do best.
We’ve been impressed with Studio MUKA, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Studio MUKA was founded in 2021 by Neda Kakhsaz & Zabie Mustafa. We are a full-service architecture and interior design studio with a multidisciplinary approach that spans ground-up buildings, interiors, and object design for both residential and commercial projects.
We specialize in creating spaces that evoke memory, feeling, and atmosphere. What sets us apart is our comprehensive approach to design in which we combine both disciplines of architecture and interiors to create narratives that reflect the specific context of our project and our collaborators. From architectural programming, to furniture design, to lighting details, all the layered components come together to create a cohesive vision. Every project is so unique because we see each one as a collaboration with our clients and every project has a unique relationship with the site in which we are working in. We do try to challenge norms and push the envelope while always emphasizing humanistic values and comfort within each space.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are always so open to collaboration and are so excited about new prospects on the horizon. We are interested in working with individuals who are looking to collaborate with us on all kinds of different scales of projects. We would be open to working on something as simple as a kitchen revamp and renovation that surprisingly could transform the whole life and home of a family. But we are also very much interested in working with individuals who are looking to work with a designer that can deliver the whole package, from the design of the building to the material details, to the curation of the art throughout each space. We strive to achieve a “total work of art” with each and every project and we always tell our team to think of every element in a space. We have also been doing consultations with clients recently that are interested in meeting with us for a limited time to ask us specific advice on how we would approach the design of a space in their home or even a restaurant or boutique store. This has been really fun and a great way to allow clients to get their feet wet before signing on to do a whole project. We would love to connect with individuals who are interested in getting to know us more, just send us a note on [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studio-muka.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.muka
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/studio-muka
Image Credits
Portrait Photography by Taghi Naderzad
