ABOUT
ULO Design is an award-winning architecture and design studio based between London and Nairobi, with over 15 years of experience designing and delivering projects across residential, hospitality, and small-scale development sectors.
We create spaces that feel rooted in place, responsive to climate, and refined in detail.
Our work moves between the everyday and the exceptional — from hillside homes to coastal retreats, from intimate hospitality spaces to collective housing developments. Each project begins with a simple intention: to build quietly, intelligently, and with purpose.
We design through dialogue — with our clients, our collaborators, and the landscapes we inhabit. Every decision, from structure to finish, is tested for clarity, economy, and meaning.
We work with materials that carry memory — coral stone, timber, concrete, lime, steel — crafted with restraint and precision. For us, beauty is not decoration but alignment: between design and climate, ambition and budget, imagination and reality.
Process
Our process is open and continuous.
We begin by defining intent and feasibility, then move seamlessly through design, detail, and delivery — ensuring that vision and practicality evolve together. Each stage builds on the last, balancing creativity with control until the project is complete and alive.
FAQs
How do you work?
We start by understanding the site, the brief, and the budget. From there, we test ideas — spatially, materially, and financially — until a clear design direction emerges.
Our process is collaborative and transparent, grounded in open dialogue with clients, consultants, and builders.
What kind of projects do you take on?
We work across scales: from one-off houses and interiors to commercial developments and hospitality projects.
Each commission is unique, but all share a focus on context, craft, and coherence — architecture that is both practical and poetic.
Do you work internationally?
Yes. Our base in London and Nairobi allows us to work fluidly between the UK, East Africa, and beyond.
We collaborate with local consultants and builders wherever we work, ensuring design intent translates seamlessly across contexts.
How do you approach cost and feasibility?
We believe that design and economics must align from the start. Early feasibility testing is integral to our process — ensuring every project is beautiful, buildable, and financially sound.
Can I approach you with an early idea or piece of land?
Absolutely. Many of our projects begin as conversations around a site, a vision, or a possibility.
We help clients clarify what’s achievable, outline options, and guide the project from idea to reality.
Who do you collaborate with?
We work with a trusted network of consultants, craftsmen, and makers — structural and MEP engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors, landscapers, and fabricators — forming teams tailored to each project’s scale and ambition.
Contact
We collaborate with clients, developers, and makers who value design that is thoughtful, contextual, and enduring.
email - obi@ulo-design.com
phone - +254 745262996