About
INDEPENDENT DESIGN AND RESEARCH studio founded and directed BY ARYA SAFAVI.
Approach
the work focuses on crafting spaces, products, and objects of controlled formal expression and refined aesthetics.
the work focuses on crafting spaces, products, and objects of controlled formal expression and refined aesthetics.
profile
Arya Safavi, Founder
Arya Safavi was born in Tehran and lives and practices in London, UK. In 2024, he founded Arya Safavi Experience as a platform for design research and production.
He studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, receiving his AA Diploma in Architecture with distinction in 2010. Prior to this, he earned a first-class honours bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Interiors from the University of Westminster in 2007.
Arya joined Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in 2014, following four years of practice at Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A). During his tenure at ZHA, he has led the design, development, and delivery of a wide range of projects across Australia, South America, the Middle East, and Asia. His work spans various typologies and scales, focusing on the expansion of formal language, the exploration of complex geometries, and the development of advanced relational and computational techniques for rationalisation and fabrication.
Since 2020, Arya has been a Design Unit Master at the Architectural Association Shcool of architecure (aa), co-teaching Unit 18. His academic research is centred on systematic design methodologies, hybrid materiality, and controlled performance.
He is also an invited critic for architecture programmes at the AA, the University of Westminster, the University of Brighton, and other institutions.
Arya’s theoretical explorations extend beyond form, engaging with space as both a perceptual construct and a formal proposition. His work moves fluidly between architecture, furniture, and objects, engaging in a speculative yet materially grounded discourse on spatial and formal evolution. His independent practice operates as a continuous inquiry into the perception of space, form, and the body’s relationship to its surroundings, eschewing rigid typologies in favour of propositions that challenge conventional readings of design.
Arya Safavi was born in Tehran and lives and practices in London, UK.He founded Arya Safavi Experience in 2024 as a platform for design research and production.
He studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, graduating with distinction in the AA Diploma in Architecture in 2010. Prior to this, he earned a first-class honours bachelor's degree in Architecture and Interiors from the University of Westminster in 2007.
Arya joined Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in 2014, following four years of practice at Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A).
During his tenure at ZHA, he has led the design, development, and delivery of a wide range of projects across all stages in Australia, South America, and Asia.
His work spans various typologies and scales, focusing on expanding formal language, exploring complex geometries, and advancing computational techniques for rationalization and fabrication.
Since 2019, Arya has been a Unit Master at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA), co-teaching Unit 18. His teaching emphasizes systematic design methodologies, hybrid materiality, and controlled performance.
His work moves fluidly between architecture, furniture, and objects, engaging in a speculative yet materially grounded discourse on spatial and formal evolution. His independent practice operates as a continuous inquiry into the perception of space, form, and the body’s relationship to its surroundings—eschewing rigid typologies in favor of propositions that challenge conventional readings of design.
He is also an invited critic for architecture programs at the AA, University of Westminster, University of Brighton, and other institutions.
Arya Safavi, Founder
Arya Safavi was born in Tehran and lives and practices in London, UK. In 2024, he founded Arya Safavi Experience as a platform for design research and production.
He studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, receiving his AA Diploma in Architecture with distinction in 2010. Prior to this, he earned a first-class honours bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Interiors from the University of Westminster in 2007.
Arya joined Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in 2014, following four years of practice at Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A). During his tenure at ZHA, he has led the design, development, and delivery of a wide range of projects across Australia, South America, the Middle East, and Asia. His work spans various typologies and scales, focusing on the expansion of formal language, the exploration of complex geometries, and the development of advanced relational and computational techniques for rationalisation and fabrication.
Since 2020, Arya has been a Design Unit Master at the Architectural Association Shcool of architecure (aa), co-teaching Unit 18. His academic research is centred on systematic design methodologies, hybrid materiality, and controlled performance.
He is also an invited critic for architecture programmes at the AA, the University of Westminster, the University of Brighton, and other institutions.
Arya’s theoretical explorations extend beyond form, engaging with space as both a perceptual construct and a formal proposition. His work moves fluidly between architecture, furniture, and objects, engaging in a speculative yet materially grounded discourse on spatial and formal evolution. His independent practice operates as a continuous inquiry into the perception of space, form, and the body’s relationship to its surroundings, eschewing rigid typologies in favour of propositions that challenge conventional readings of design.
"DESIGN IS THE purposeful ART OF EVOKING EMOTIONs AND ENDURING IMPRESSIONS."
as.
Arya’s professional career and approach bridges his roles as the founder of Arya Safavi Experience, Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, contributing to groundbreaking global projects, and his academic contributions as a Unit Master at the Architectural Association (AA) in London. His work actively explores the intersections of design, research, and pedagogy.
Arya’s professional career bridges his role as the founder of Arya Safavi Experience, Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, contributing to groundbreaking global projects, and his academic contributions as a DESIGN Unit Master at the Architectural Association (AA) in London. He actively explores the intersections of design, research, and pedagogy.
