Hanif Mohamed Kara is a structural engineer and is design director and co-founder of London-based structural engineering practice AKT II (previously Adams Kara Taylor). He has taught design internationally, is a member of the board of trustees for the Architecture Foundation and was a commissioner for CABE from 2008 to 2011 (

Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) was an executive non-departmental public body of the UK government, established in 1999. It was funded by both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for ...

). He is currently Professor in Practice of Architectural Technology at

Harvard Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urba ...

. He also taught as professor of Architectural Technology at

KTH Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a Public university, public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in Institute of technology, engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest te ...

in Stockholm from 2009 until 2012.

Early life and education

Kara was born in

Bombo, Uganda Bombo is a town in Luweero District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda. History Many officers and soldiers of the Uganda Army (1971–1980), Uganda Army (UA) settled in Bombo upon their retirement during the Second Repub ...

. He came to England when he was fourteen, settling with his family in the town of

Winsford Winsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is on the River Weaver, south of Northwich and west of Middlewich. It grew around the salt mining indus ...

in Cheshire. He attended Woodford Lodge Comprehensive School. He started his career at Joseph Parks and Son located in

Northwich Northwich is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire West and Chester borough of Cheshire, England. It lies on the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane, east of Chester, south of Warrington and south of Ma ...

, Cheshire. During his time at Joseph Parks he won a scholarship to

Salford University The University of Salford is a Public university, public research university in Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, west of Manchester city centre. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, be ...

Career

Following his graduation in 1982, Kara worked for a structural engineering company Allot and Lomax, where he designed tension structures, roller coasters, offshore platforms and power stations. Kara then worked at Anthony Hunt in London in 1994–1996, before launching AKT in 1996 with Albert Williamson-Taylor and Robin Adams. In 2008, Kara was appointed as a commissioner for British Government watchdog

, becoming the first structural engineer to be appointed to this position. At CABE he has chaired the design review panels and has been instrumental in raising the importance of engineering through chairing the Inclusion by Design Group and Energy for Waste Facilities Group. Kara was also appointed a member of Design for London Advisory Group to the Mayor of London, 2007–2008. In 2010 he was appointed to the board of trustees for the Architecture Foundation. Kara was a visiting professor of Architectural Technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm in Sweden from 2007 until 2012 and teaches design and engineering at GSD Harvard as the Professor in Practice of Architectural Technology. He previously contributed to a quarterly column in the ''RIBA Journal'' on issues that affect the industry and has written in many technical journals and books relating to engineering and design.

Awards and honours

Kara was the first structural engineer to be selected for the Master Jury for the 2004 cycle of the

Aga Khan Award for Architecture The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fie ...

. He is a fellow member of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

, the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...

, the

Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers is a British professional body for structural engineers. In 2021, it had 29,900 members operating in 112 countries. It provides professional accreditation and publishes a magazine, '' The Structural Eng ...

and the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

. Kara was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004. In 2009 he was curator for the first-ever solo exhibition of the work of AKT at the

Architectural Association The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest private school of architecture in the UK. The AA hosts exhibitions, lectures, symposia and publications. History The Architectura ...

in London. In May 2011 the

Association of Consulting Engineers The Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ) is New Zealand's main business association representing engineers providing consultancy services in a wide range of disciplines. It was founded in 1959 as the consulting division of IPENZ, ...

awarded him the Engineering Ambassador award for his contribution to design consultancy and engineering. In 2014, Kara was made a fellow of the

Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senio ...

. He was awarded the

Soane Medal The Soane Medal, established in 2017, is an international award presented annually by Sir John Soane's Museum. The prestigious Soane Medal honours architects, academics, and critics who have significantly advanced and enhanced public understandi ...

in 2024. Kara was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the

2022 New Year Honours The 2022 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

for services to architecture, engineering and education.

AKT II (Adams Kara Taylor)

AKT II is a structural engineering company based in central London. The company was founded in 1996 by Hanif Kara, Albert Williamson-Taylor and Robin Adams. AKT II is known for its combination of engineering and design processes.

Selected projects

* (TBC)

Zayed National Museum Zayed National Museum () is a planned museum, to be located in Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, UAE. It is designed as a memorial to the late Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first Presid ...

, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Architect: Foster + Partners * 2013 Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku, Azerbaijan. Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects * 2012

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum (MSU Broad or BAM) is a nonprofit, contemporary art museum designed by Zaha Hadid located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It opened on November 10, 2012. ...

, East Lansing, MI, US. Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects * 2011

Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University The Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (or SLCU) is an independently funded British research institute based at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Its aim is to elucidate the regulatory systems underlying plant growth and plant devel ...

, Cambridge, UK. Architect: Stanton Williams * 2010 UK pavilion at Expo 2010, Shanghai, China. Architect: Thomas Heatherwick * 2010

Masdar Institute of Science and Technology The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi was a private, higher-education and research institute active from 2007-2017. In 2017, it merged with two other institutions in Abu Dhabi, Petroleum Institute and Khalif ...

, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Architect: Foster + Partners * 2010 Ravensbourne College, Greenwich, UK. Architect: Foreign Office Architects * 2009

Hunsett Mill Hunsett Mill is located on the east bank of the River Ant one mile north of Barton Broad in the English county of Norfolk. The Windmill is 1.2 miles south west of the town of Stalham. The mill structure is a grade II listed building. Descripti ...

, Norfolk, UK. Architect: ACME * 2008 Highcross Quarter, Leicester, UK. Architect: Foreign Office Architects * 2007 East Beach Café, Littlehampton, UK. Architect: Heatherwick Studio * 2005 Phaeno Science Centre, Wolfsburg, Germany. Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects * 2005

Blizard Building The Blizard Building is a building in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It houses the Blizard Institute, formerly known as the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and ...

, London, UK. Architect: Alsop Architects * 2004

Cadogan Hall Cadogan Hall is a 950-seat capacity concert hall in Sloane Terrace in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England. The resident music ensemble at Cadogan Hall is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( ...

, London, UK. Architect: Paul Davis & Partners * 1999 Peckham Library, London, UK. Architect: Alsop & Störmer

References

External links

AKT II

Harvard GSD

* ttp://www.building.co.uk/tv/building-tv/make-that-christmas-single-out-now/5010665.article Hanif Kara's Christmas Charity Single
“Red Eye Rewards” Hanif Kara, London 2009. Published in: RIBA Journal, June 2009

“Credit packs a punch” Hanif Kara, London 2010, Published in RIBA Journal, December 2010

“Expand your Mind” Hanif Kara, London 2009. Published in: RIBA Journal, October 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kara, Hanif Living people Expo 2010 1958 births Alumni of the University of Salford British structural engineers Harvard Graduate School of Design faculty Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Winsford Ugandan emigrants to the United Kingdom British people of Indo-Ugandan descent