Tell us about kiklos architects. The inspiration behind the creation of kiklos architects and its mission?
kiklos architects is an Architectural and Interior Design Studio and RIBA Chartered Practice based in Dubai, founded by Grammatiki Zamani in early 2020. The studio offers High End Design services within the Commercial, Residential and Hospitality realms, as well as Product Design.
Having worked both in her native Greece and in the UAE as an Architect, Grammatiki quickly realized that, along with the fulfilling aspect of the job, a heavy personal price was usually paid due to unhealthy/toxic working environments, which at times entailed extended working hours and little regards for the professionals’ individual life and aspirations. With that in mind, Grammatiki set off to bring kiklos to existence, with the intent to offer elevated Architectural and Interior Design services within the GCC and beyond, whilst also being able to offer a pleasant, engaging, considerate and highly inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
What impact is kiklos architects trying to make?
Building on Grammatiki’s initial vision for an innovative Architectural and Design Studio embodying a diverse,
inclusive, and equitable work environment, kiklos architects is proud of running its operation with a compact, yet
highly effective team of motivated professionals.
We believe that our impact needs to take place from within the company to be truly meaningful. And workplace
culture is certainly very high up in our list of priorities, along with the very principle of an Economically Viable and
Sustainable Business.
Additionally, we operate on a highly efficient space in Business Bay, where we can keep our carbon footprint at a
minimum, having fitted our office with smart controls for most of our equipment, which provides reduced
electricity consumption and a high air quality inside the office for our team.
Most of our logistics is achieved by Electric Vehicles, and our clients are very familiar with the sight of our matt
grey Tesla pulling up at our project sites. With its lower operating costs and zero emissions, it is a win-win choice
for our transportation needs.
Whilst we also do promote and specify environmental-friendly design and materials usage, such as finishings
produced in Net Zero lines of selected suppliers, the final choice of these solutions rests with our clients which
may or may not elect to select those, for a myriad of reasons.
What are the positive impacts kiklos architects has already made?
We have strived, from the very beginning, to not only practice positive impact in a transparent manner, but also to have those documented and audited.
One of the first certifications we achieved was the ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), which, along with the ISO 9001:2015 set the baseline for the documentation process and our Environmental Impact Management. Subsequently we became a RIBA Chartered Practice, which confers the Royal Institute of British Architects’ stamp of recognition to our processes and practices, including our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and Quality Management System.
Our major milestone was however our B Corp certification, achieved in February 2023. An internationally
recognized and independently verified certification process that ensures a company complies with high standards
on five main areas (Environment, Governance, Community, Customers and Workplace Culture). We are proud to
have been the second company in the UAE to become a Certified B Corporation and the only one in the
Architecture and Design Industry within the GCC. We have also established a strong CSR policy, where we aim to create positive impact within our community in the UAE as well as abroad, through partners, such as ‘Surge for Water’, who carries out a magnificent work in underprivileged communities in Uganda, Haiti, Indonesia and elsewhere, promoting hygiene education, clean water, and sanitation to those in need.
Locally, we have developed pro-bono concepts to industry partners, aiming at enhancing the quality of life and workplace of these partners’ workforce, such as in the re-imagining of a communal area in an extensive workforce accommodation facility in Jebel Ali of a major UAE-based Engineering Contractor.
Ultimately, Design is an activity that will inherently touch lives, possibly in quite a holistic way. The positive impact opportunities for our clients are virtually endless and we strive to provide not only unique design solutions, but also a singular client experience, with full transparency of our design process and its progress (which we also call ‘Project Governance’), along with a dedicated and personalized liaison, which quite often sees our Design Director Grammatiki personally overseeing many of the aspects of our work.
Can you share some future plans or initiatives that kiklos architects has in store to enhance its impact?
We truly believe in a “building blocks” approach to maintain and enhance a Sustainable Business, which rests on a
continuous improvement of our policies and processes already in place.
Evolving and adapting the current practices we have and enhancing those whilst also expanding our business and
team is our daily goal. We are also continuously on the lookout for new materials that embody Carbon Neutral or
Net Zero production lines or are sourced of repurposed/recycled materials and facilities.
More of our “in store” plans will become public in due time, so watch this space!
Finally, what advice would you give to other businesses and brands looking to become more sustainable and
socially responsible in their operations?
To build a Sustainable Business is a continuous exercise of consistency, innovation, cooperation and, above all, humility. A business should also look inside and review its practices and processes, but, above all, it should have clarity on its intent, what it wants to do and where does it want to get to.
Looking out and engaging in partnerships with like-minded businesses is also another way to elevate its own perspectives and goals. Having said that, it is always important to choose the partners well and carry out the appropriate due diligence. There may be plenty to be done and there may well be varied frameworks available, which can seem
overwhelming even for the keenest of the entrepreneurs.
One may not be able to do it all and apply all of the frameworks and principles of sustainability. Notwithstanding, if most of the business are able to do a bit, to enhance their operation and impact, even if it in a seemingly small manner, as a society we would achieve a noticeable impact across the board.