Driven by design excellence, Shaun Killa is an award-winning architect with international experience spanning over 28 years. Throughout his career, Shaun focuses his design philioshophy on low carbon sustainable buildings and challenges architectural norms to create expressive and timeless forms, which has led him to design numerous highly recognisable projects including Almas Tower, Dubai Opera House, and Bahrain World Trade Centre – The world’s first large-scale integration of wind turbines on a building.

Museum of the future, DUBAI

In his early career he has won multiple global awards including ENR News Maker Award, New York, the Global Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction for the Lighthouse Tower, and CTBUH Best Tall Building in the Middle East Award for Bahrain World Trade Centre. W Killa Design was established in Dubai in 2015, and Shaun has worked on signature projects, including the award-winning designs for the Museum of the Future, the Address Beach Resort, W hotel Namaste, Vida Dubai Marina & Yacht Club, Marsa Al Arab, Sheybarah Island, Aykon Twin Towers, and the Office of the Future, the first occupied printed building in the world.

In 2017, 2021 & 2022, Shaun Killa was ranked number 1 as ‘Most Powerful Middle East Architect’ inclusive of winning ‘Best Large Firm, 2022’ and ‘Best Young Firm, 2023’ in the Architizer’ s A+Awards.

Museum of the future, DUBAI

CTBUH also presented the Address Beach Resort with the Award of Excellence for ‘Best Tall Building 300m -399m, 2021’ & the Museum of the Future for ‘Best Tall Building under 100 Meters, 2022’.

The beginning of 2023 marked Killa Designs’ eighth year in practice, and we’ve been able to design and construct a significant number of projects that have made a real difference to the architectural landscape of the Middle East and wider region.

Marsa Al Arab, DUBAI

We were appointed to design the overwater and inland villas on Sheybarah Island, part of The Red Sea Global Development in KSA. This hyper luxury eco resort is 25 kilometers offshore on an untouched coral archipelago.

This resort needed to be completely reliant on solar energy for electricity, water, and all other needs and this type of development encapsulates our core values in creating sustainable built typologies for the future as well as harnessing our hospitality expertise.

In the last year we have also participated in several competitions for opera houses, art galleries, art installations and science centres within the region. We have been fortunate enough to compete against leading global architectural firms and in many cases have won these competitions whereby growing the firm from a few people to 100 strong over the last eight years.

Luxury resort, MALDIVES

The Address opened at the start of 2021 and includes both the highest occupied skybridge as well as the highest infinity pool in the world. This project underpins the collective value of clients, architects, engineers, interior designers, and contractors all working together for one common goal.

The combination of the sophisticated and relaxed luxury of the interiors with the airiness of the lobby, magnificent sea views and multiple cascading pools within the lush landscape will certainly create a global destination resort.

Jumeriah’s new luxury Marsa Al Arab Hotel, Quay Wall Villas and Marina is located east of the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel and Jumeirah Beach hotel. The development includes a 500 bed ultra-luxury hotel a deluxe branded hotel apartment, four penthouses, a premium yacht club and marina with 128 berths and nine high end villas.

This new resort will complement the Jumeirah portfolio in being one of the ultimate hospitality experiences in the region.