Discerning Designs: Warû Co-Founders Mohamed Adib And Rasha Al-Tekreeti Warû co-founders Mohamed Adib and Rasha Al-Tekreeti are channeling their passion for developing nomadic designs into the work that they do with their firm's clients.
By Kasun Illankoon •
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As the co-founders of interior architecture and strategic design agency Warû, Mohamed Adib and Rasha Al-Tekreeti are channeling their passion for developing nomadic designs into the work that they do with their firm's clients. Excerpts from a conversation with Al-Tekreeti:
What inspired you to start Warû?
"Our team has distinctive experiences and share the same passion- we value experiences and connections, and we enjoy exploring, wondering, and wandering in search of connections with people, spaces, and ourselves. We love to create 'nomadic' environments where those connections may flourish, and experiences can be remembered for a lifetime, which is why we established Warû.
Warû is an interior architecture and strategic design agency focused on creating nomadic experiences within hotels, restaurants, workplaces, co-working, and co-living spaces. We place more emphasis on experiences within spaces we design, and we seek to break the norms by embedding design elements factoring in social, psychological, and natural aspects."
Tell us about your approach to creating new designs?
"We enjoy delving deep into our customers' brands, invading them as if they were our own, and then developing strategic solutions from which we begin the creative journey. Throughout this journey, we follow our customers' lead while assisting them to communicate their brand in a distinctive, yet familiar, way."
How would you describe Warû's style to those who aren't familiar with it?
"Warû's philosophy revolves around adaptation to different styles and spaces. It is not about 'our style,' but rather the way we translate our clients' thoughts. It is a journey that we venture on with our clients to guide their thoughts, needs, and objectives to develop initial concepts. We then use our innovative design approaches and techniques to create a customized haven for our clients, a haven that cannot be envisaged in any other way!"
What excites or frustrates you about the current state of the Middle East's architecture and design?
"The greatest thing about the Middle East market and especially Dubai is that it's a melting pot of cultures that define the demand for spaces that we aspire to design. It is a multicultural trading route that nurtures innovative thinking and offers a unique platform to create ideas that have never been thought of, which is in line with our nomadic beliefs.
One disadvantage is that, due to the region's rapid development, everything is expected to be delivered immediately! Which, for perfectionists, does not always leave enough time to develop creativity. Speed, as they say, is the enemy of good design!"
Warû co-founders Mohamed Adib and Rasha Al-Tekreeti
In terms of your personal background, how has it inspired you, and in what way do you believe it has translated into your work across the years?
"We are proud of our background, but I wouldn't say it has impacted our designs; rather, it has influenced our resilience and our desire to explore and always look ahead. What excites and inspires us is delving into the origins of our clients' businesses, how they began, what their story was, what their objective is, and what keeps them evolving. Understanding those components influences how we establish strategy and design."
There's obviously a lot of focus on sustainability now in the design space now- what's your view on this evolution?
"In the past couple of years, there has been a stronger shift towards sustainability, and the way people seek to live within urban spaces. In the long term, designing adaptable spaces to suit several uses has become mainstream, which is a terrific addition to sustainability programs. However, we see a gap in terms of renovating and improving current urban places, which may have a greater impact."
What kinds of projects do you want to work on?
"We have experience designing a variety of projects, and we search for adventurous and innovative clientele who want to push the boundaries. To enrich people's experiences, we are focusing on developing hotels, restaurants, and workspaces that are mobile, open, inviting, people-centric, and rooted in nature. We'd love to work on projects that mix hospitality and the workplace, blending them into hybrid environments where visitors and locals can connect more, experiences are always evolving, and economic prospects are maximized."
Do you have a project that precisely represents the future direction you would like for Warû?
"Before committing to any project, we wanted to focus on our brand and its inception. We have several exciting initiatives in the pipeline, and we want to make sure that any projects we work on complement Warû's personality and portfolio."
