Organised by BNC Publishing and Design Middle East, the inaugural Architecture Leaders Awards 2021 acknowledged and rewarded the exceptional architects, projects, and firms in the region. The gala award ceremony took place on March 31 at Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk. There were 19 award categories that were given solely on merit and were awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.

Shaun Killa, design partner at Killa Design, said: “It’s a great honour to win this award. Our practice is only six years old and it’s a wonderful achievement by our staff and the entire team to amazingly capture the market in the Middle East.”

Driven by design excellence, Killa is an award-winning architect with international experience spanning over 26 years. Throughout his career, Killa has focussed his design philosophy on buildings and master plans that are sustainable, innovative, contextually inspired and have a holistic approach to the natural and economic environment which has led to numerous highly recognisable iconic projects.

He has worked on signature projects, including the award-winning designs for the Museum of the future, the newly opened The Address Beach Resort, a W Hotel in Mumbai, Vida Hotel in the Dubai Marina, Aykon Twin Towers in Dubai, and the Office of the Future, the first occupied printed building in the world. Recently the firm has won a zero energy ultra-luxury resort in the Red Sea.