Inside Contemporary Kazakhstani Architecture: Exploring the Work of NAAW

"This dual ambition-questioning their own practice while contributing to a broader cultural discourse-frames each project as an evolving process, not a fixed outcome. The term "workshop" embedded in their name, New Almaty Architects Workshop, reflects this spirit of continuous testing and learning. Interiors become platforms for material research, atmospheric exploration, and critical self-evaluation. In a regional context where architectural discourse remains underrepresented internationally, their work emerges as a sustained effort to articulate identity through built experience."

"Curation and interdisciplinary collaboration shape the studio's approach, extending design beyond spatial configuration to include custom furniture, lighting systems, graphic elements, and partnerships with local artists and craftspeople. These components serve as primary layers, integrated into a cohesive narrative where objects, textures, and spatial sequences interact to contribute equally to the overall experience. Working in this way, interiors become open frameworks, continuously shaped by multiple voices and forms of expertise."

NAAW, founded in 2019 by Elvira Bakubayeva and Aisulu Uali, operates at the intersection of research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and spatial experimentation to shape contemporary Kazakhstani identity. The studio treats projects as evolving processes, using the 'workshop' model for continuous testing and learning. Interiors function as platforms for material research, atmospheric exploration, and critical self-evaluation. Curation and collaborations extend design to custom furniture, lighting, graphics, and partnerships with local artists and craftspeople. These elements integrate into cohesive narratives where objects, textures, and spatial sequences contribute equally. The practice emphasizes female leadership and a collaborative professional culture.

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