BE INSPIRED | FEATURE 14 AKMARAL KHASSEN
We're excited to share our latest feature - this time spotlighting Multidisciplinary Designer and Founder of Studio Akmaral, Akmaral Khassen.
Akmaral moved from Kazakhstan to the UK at 17 to study architecture. For years, visa sponsorship decided which jobs she could take, and she built her own projects at night alongside full-time work. In this conversation, she reflects on the question that pushed her beyond commercial work: who are we actually serving as architects? She also talks about the bench at the Royal Docks that showed her what her practice could become, and what international graduates still aren’t being told.
Today, across Studio Akmaral and POoR Collective, she creates public realm installations and community-led spaces built on a simple belief: design should serve people, create access and leave room for joy.
WHO IS AKMARAL?
Tell us about yourself, who you are, your ethnic background and what you do.
I grew up in Kazakhstan and moved to the UK at the age of 17 to study architecture. After completing my Master’s degree in Architecture (RIBA Part 2), I stayed in London and worked across a range of practices, from traditional architecture studios to interior design firms. Whilst working full-time, I started creating my own projects in the public realm with organisations such as the London Festival of Architecture, London Design Festival, local councils, and private clients.
I later founded Studio Akmaral, a practice focused on the public realm and multidisciplinary projects, where I explore the tensions between women’s bodies and the structures of everyday life.
I am also part of POoR Collective, a socially driven design and engagement practice working with young people and communities. Across both practices, my work focuses on creating thoughtful, inclusive and people-centred environments.
SHAPED BY SPONSORSHIP
How did navigating the need for visa sponsorship influence the choices you made early in your career?
There were two sides to navigating visa sponsorship in my career. On one hand, it meant having to let go of certain aspirations. For example, I was very interested in pursuing positions in smaller practices that do socially driven projects and temporary installations, but I quickly realised that many roles in that field were unlikely to offer visa sponsorship. As a result, my job search was often shaped by which companies were able to sponsor me, rather than purely by the type of work I wanted to pursue.
At the same time, that experience taught me a great deal. It pushed me to become more adaptable, patient and resourceful, while also encouraging me to build a wider professional network and explore different areas of design.
In many ways, those skills have been incredibly valuable in developing my own practice. My journey may have taken longer and followed a less direct route, but the journey was worth it!
FINDING YOUR FOOTING
How did studying and working during Part 2 teach you about finding your footing in the UK architecture industry?
The idea of starting my own creative practice really began during my Part 2 studies, which happened during the Covid pandemic. My thesis looked at the relationship between women’s bodies and the search for joy. I was spending a lot of time making prints and other visual work related to the thesis.
That period made me realise that I wanted to build something of my own, but I also knew that turning it into a functioning practice would depend on gaining experience and sorting out my immigration status first.
In that sense, studying and working during Part 2 taught me that finding your footing in the UK architecture industry is not always just about the work itself. For me, it was also about navigating visas and creating enough stability to have choices. Moving from a Graduate visa to a Skilled Worker visa, and eventually the Exceptional Global Talent route was really part of the journey towards being able to establish my own practice.
An important aspect of graduating from Part 2 and working was meeting the most wonderful people along the way: through architecture practices, I met my mentors, collaborators, members of POoR Collective - everyone eventually helped and contributed to where I am today.
WHO ARE WE SERVING?
What kept you investing your time and energy into competitions and freelance projects alongside your main job?
University and professional practice felt very different to me - I know this is not always the case, but for me it was. During my studies, I had the freedom to develop my own interests, and I was always drawn to socially driven projects and questions around people, place and everyday life.
When I started working in more commercial architecture, I found myself questioning what the work was really for. The buildings could be beautiful, but I kept asking myself: who gets to use them? Who are we actually serving as architects - is it communities or developers?
That is what pushed me to look outside my main job and invest time in competitions, freelance work and collaborations. I wanted to find organisations and projects that genuinely cared about the people who live in cities, how we can make places more enjoyable and inclusive, and where joy can exist within the process of designing and making.
Those questions still drive a lot of the work I do today.
THE BENCH THAT STARTED IT ALL
Was there a particular project or moment when you realised that the work you were building outside your day job could become the foundation of your own practice?
Yes, definitely. It was Together We Hold, a bench I designed for the London Festival of Architecture’s Pews and Perches competition. The concept was about women standing together in the face of violence against them and their bodies.
The budget was tiny, but the contractor was really committed to making the piece as strong as it could be. At the time, the LFA team supporting me were all women, and I think we all connected with the idea behind the bench in a very personal way. That made the whole process feel quite special.
It was probably the first time I saw how a relatively small project could still have a real emotional impact. I still receive messages from people who visit the Royal Docks and tell me that the bench brightens their day. That was a big moment for me in realising this kind of work could become the foundation of my own practice.
YOUR PATH DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LINEAR
What is one key thing you would say to your younger self about navigating the architecture profession?
Architecture is a long and demanding course, but the skills it gives you are incredibly broad. Your path does not have to be linear, and those skills can take you into many different creative and professional directions.
SKILLS, NOT JOB TITLES
How has working across different contexts shaped the way you practise as a multidisciplinary designer and architect?
Over time I realised that my experiences shaped a portfolio of skills and interests, not a list of job titles. My work can look quite varied: from curating events at the Lewisham Arthouse (affordable artist-led studios), to co-designing with communities as an architectural designer at POoR Collective, to creating permanent public art installations, including at Timber Square in Bankside. On the surface, these roles may seem disconnected, but they are all rooted in the same values. I am interested in how design, art and architecture can serve people, create access and make places more meaningful. Having a broad set of skills allows me to approach that question in different ways.
DESIGN AS A TOOL FOR VOICE
How have your experiences working with POoR Collective taught you about the relationship between design, place and the people who use it?
At POoR Collective, every project is deeply rooted in its context and shaped through direct work with local communities. Design becomes a tool for elevating people’s voices and giving them real influence over the places they use. The MUGA basketball court in Mitcham is a great example: seeing young people from the local estate help shape the design and use the court after, showed me how powerful community-led architecture can be.
CLOSING THE INFORMATION GAP
What do you think is missing for aspiring international students and graduates who don't yet have access to those networks and opportunities?
I think there is a lack of information from universities for international students on how to find a job and how much networking matters in the industry. When I graduated my Part 1 studies at the University of Kent, I did not know anyone in the industry - it was all cold emails and applications. If universities are welcoming international students to study and live here, why not provide a framework that young people can learn from?
Additionally, there is not enough promotion across practices about visas and commitment to young international talent. People in my practice had no idea what a visa application entails and how important the time frame is.
SLOWING DOWN WITH INTENTION
What are you leaning into now, and what would you like the next chapter of your practice to look like?
After receiving my Global Talent Visa and leaving full-time employment almost immediately, I had a bit of a “now what?” moment. For years, especially since Part 2, I felt like I was constantly climbing towards the next thing.
Now, I want to slow down and be more intentional. I am leaning much more into sustainability and questioning some of the material choices and waste involved in previous projects. I want to explore materials that are more responsible, durable and long-lasting.
I also want to spend more time developing the fine art side of my practice, learning from other people and having more conversations. Working full-time while developing my own projects at night could feel quite isolating, so this next chapter is about having more space to experiment and collaborate (and always try to have fun, because that’s important).
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