Hanif Kara

Prof. Hanif Kara is co-Founder and Design Director of AKT II, a design-led structural and civil engineering firm in London. He is also Professor in Practice of Architectural Technology at Harvard Graduate School of Design.

With his creative lead the practice is associated with many innovative construction projects at different scales, winning over 350 design awards, including the RIBA Stirling Prize on three occasions, as well as the RIBA Lubetkin Prize for the UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo in 2010.

Hanif has gained international standing in the built environment, through practice, pioneering research and education in interdisciplinary design. A tireless passion for a ‘design-led’ approach has allowed him to work on numerous exemplar and pioneering projects at the forefront of many challenges facing the built environment in the past two decades, including the climate crisis.

He is also Professor in Practice of Architectural Technology at Harvard Graduate School of Design and advisor to the Aga Khan Development Network. He is a member of the UK Government National Infrastructure Commission Design Group.