Ambitious Challenges: Zaha Hadid Architects' Sara Sheikh Akbari on Perseverance, Patience, and the Joy of Projects Realized
Portrait by Jacopo Spilimbergo
By Amy Stone
Sara Sheikh Akbari is a Project Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, having joined in 2007. She received her Master’s in Architecture from the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab (DRL) in London following her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Shahid Beheshti (Meli) University in Tehran in 2005. With extensive experience on a large variety of projects worldwide, Sara was a key team member on the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku — an award-winning cultural center with exhibition and performance spaces built on the site of a former Soviet munitions factory. As a project director, Sara led the team on the recently completed BEEAH Headquarters which operates at LEED Platinum standards and serves as a blueprint for tomorrow's smart, sustainable cities.
In her interview with Amy Stone, Sara Sheikh Akbari talks about working with her idol and prioritizing positive environmental impact, advising those just starting their careers to take on ambitious opportunities where you can challenge yourself.
AS: How did your interest in architecture first develop?
SSA: Most of my family including my father are structural engineers so talks of architecture, engineering, and construction were common family topics while I was growing up. I used to enjoy spending hours going through my father’s library and reading about some of the most inspiring designers and architects. While I found architecture very fascinating, it wasn’t until my final year of high school that I decided to become an architect. Once I decided to pursue architecture, I had to go through a very fast learning process to complement and compensate for my engineering and mathematic focused background.
Built on the site of a former Soviet munitions factory in Baku, the Heydar Aliyev Center opened in 2011. Its exterior surfaces rise from their surroundings to define a flowing sequence of exhibition and performance spaces within, inviting the city into the heart of building. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
The Heydar Aliyev Center auditorium is laminated with strips of oak, leaving gaps for lighting between the striations that circle the hall, ceiling to floor. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
What did you learn about yourself while studying architecture?
I found architecture to be refreshing and fun, more than I ever expected. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I dove in and worked really hard. During the last two summers of my undergraduate degree, I worked at Foster + Partners as an architectural intern in their Singapore office. They were an amazing team. Very talented. I always planned to move to London, and this experience gave me the extra push to go ahead and apply to the AA, where I got accepted and attended for my MArch.
I learnt a lot during my time at the AA. London is a global hub, and the architectural association attracts the widest variety of people – from different backgrounds, different cultures, different ideas. Everyone came together in one place. You weren't just learning about architecture; you were also immersed in all these cultures, and the entirety of this whole experience was itself quite enriching.
Did the diverse environment at your school carry over to your professional environment, as well?
Completely. In all of my time in London, if I had just stayed within the AA and Zaha Hadid Architects, I wouldn’t have met that many locals. Of course, this is also due to us working on projects all over the world – but yes, beyond that, Zaha Hadid Architects is a pretty diverse environment.
Walk me through the next steps of your career after school. Did you start right away at Zaha Hadid Architects?
Yes, I joined right after completing my MArch. Zaha was my idol when I was in architecture school, so I was over the moon to join the company.
“When you’re in the profession for a couple of years and you start running a team, you realize how difficult that is. I really admire Zaha for her leadership as well. She’s changed the world of architecture.”
What have been some of your key moments and major milestones while at ZHA?
During my first few months at Zaha Hadid Architects, I worked on a number of design competitions. Then I joined the Heydar Aliyev Centre project in Azerbaijan and for the next six years I worked on that as a project lead. I was there through all the project stages, from design to completion.
It was a very ambitious and challenging project. Internally, we had a very small core team, and we were all super young. The project was our life. We spent all our time together – working day and night on every curve, every detail. This was definitely one of the most talented group of people that I have ever worked with. You could see the same level of passion from the entire project team. Working on a project for six years – of course, some people come and go, but quite a few of us stayed and wanted to see it through – I ended up making friends for life. I will never forget the impact that it had on my career today.
After completing the Heydar Aliyev Centre project, I became the Project Director for the BEEAH Headquarters project in the UAE. A lot of love and passion – combined with sleepless nights, constant work trips, and weeks or months away from home – have gone into realizing this project. It’s definitely been an intense process, but it’s hard to describe the joy from finally walking through and experiencing the spaces you’ve been creating behind the computer for years. When I walk through that project, every corner brings back memories of the design process, the long chats, and the talented people who’ve contributed to the project over the years. It’s been an amazing experience for sure.
Zaha Hadid Architects is so iconic and admired. Being on the inside, what do you think distinguishes this firm and the work?
In my view, the passion that goes into every project, the collaborative and team-based approach and the hard work and dedication of all those involved are most inspiring about Zaha Hadid Architects.
The main stair within Heydar Aliyev Centre. In order to achieve large-scale column-free spaces that allow the visitor to experience the fluidity of the interior, vertical structural elements are absorbed by the envelope and curtain wall system. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
The fair-faced concrete dome covering the double height space of the lobby and one of the main architectural features at BEEAH Headquarters, is also the main support for the steel structure of the roof. Metal boxes recessed in the surface of the dome seamlessly integrate the lighting and all MEP services. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
The BEEAH headquarters’ responds to its environment of the surrounding Al Sajaa desert as a series of interconnecting ‘dunes’ orientated and shaped to optimize local climatic conditions. The design limits the quantity of glazing exposed to the harsh desert sun while also ensuring all interior spaces have ample daylight and views. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
It’s unique to be on projects for so long and to have a core team around you and grow into a Project Director role. What’s been your capacity as a project director? How have you grown professionally?
You don’t realize it, but you end up taking so much responsibility as a Project Director. You also have a lot of young architects joining the team and they need to go through their growth, and what I've really enjoyed is seeing these young architects become the skilled and talented professionals they are now.
Where do you think you are in your career today?
I’m an Associate Director at ZHA, and I've been involved in various stages of two of our major projects over the past fifteen years. Our BEEAH headquarters project opened earlier this year. I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved, and hopefully the innovation, research, and knowledge of these designs will influence the projects to come.
What’s next for you at ZHA? Do you have other projects in the works?
Yes, there are always projects — but some are green-lit and some are not. I always say the big challenge with architecture is that projects can take forever to be built, while some just stop. I've been doing other projects besides BEEAH, but let’s see which of them continue.
“...it’s hard to describe the joy from finally walking through and experiencing the spaces you’ve been creating behind the computer for years. When I walk through that project, every corner brings back memories of the design process, the long chats, and the talented people who’ve contributed to the project over the years.”
You’ve talked about the lifestyle of passion for your work and the demands of travel. How do dedicate so much towards the demands of projects while still feeling like you’re living a fulfilling life?
Finding the right balance between one’s professional and personal life is quite challenging when you’re working on a project under construction on another continent. I love what I do, but I do find it challenging sometimes, especially when you have these long periods away from home. It’s not easy. Over the years, I've learned that I need to take a step back and enjoy the moment, re-evaluate and find the right balance for me at that point in time. That’s the best advice I could give. It’s a learning process.
Looking back so far, what have been your biggest challenges?
I would say the fact that projects take so long from inception to realization. When you work on all stages of a project, it’s important to keep yourself and your team motivated.
Also, during the start of my career, it wasn't easy being a young female architect on-site in a male-dominated environment. I was frequently the only woman in meetings, and I had to work hard to build trust and respect. You just need to be patient and make it happen.
What have been your biggest highlights?
The most rewarding experiences have been to walk in a space you’ve been envisioning for years. I was super emotional when I walked into one of my early projects; seeing the building take shape after years finally made it all real. But I was even more emotional when I went back to the building a few years after its completion. I remember it was a really nice spring day, and a couple were taking their wedding pictures on this sweeping geometry of the plaza, others were taking selfies, the museum was active, and a number of exhibitions were running in the gallery. How incredible to see that!
Another major highlight for me has been the people I've met along the way. They’ve been a big part of my journey – I’ve made true friends and friends for life and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity of working with some of the most talented professionals in the field.
The freeform geometry of the roof is constructed from thousands of locally-produced, flat triangular glass-fibre reinforced concrete (GRC) panels to ease production and installation as well as increase the building’s thermal mass and dissipates heat away from the interiors. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
The executive offices area have been designed to have a distinct contrasts with the rest of the interiors with two tone veneer applied on glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) and acoustic panels introduced on the side walls. Photograph by Hufton + Crow.
Who are you admiring right now and why?
Zaha.
Her perseverance and uncompromising approach to design and architecture inspire me every day. I admired her while studying architecture, so it was an absolute dream to join Zaha Hadid Architects. I love how patient she was – how she worked for years without getting her designs built. She eventually got her designs built and then managed to run a company and turn it into something big. When you’re in the profession for a couple of years and you start running a team, you realize how difficult that is. I really admire her for her leadership as well. She’s changed the world of architecture.
Do you feel like you have a core mission or an impact you want to have on the world?
To address the environmental challenges of the world, we all need to contribute and as architects, we have an important role. I believe sustainability and environmentalism really need to inform all parts of our design – from how the users experience the building, to the efficiency and performance, to the conservation of resources, landscaping, lighting, design, and basically every aspect of the project. This is a topic close to my heart. I’ve tried to prioritize it personally and professionally. I hope that with each project, we can all contribute to this issue we all share at this moment and move towards a more sustainable future.
What is something that you’ve learned that you wish you knew starting out?
Finding that right balance between my personal and professional life has proven difficult at times and has definitely been a work in progress for me.
What advice do you have for those starting their careers?
I always say go for your dreams! Challenge yourself. Take the opportunities that are presented to you and remember that patience and perseverance are key in this field; projects can take years to get built – or years can go by without one project getting built – so you just need to be patient, resilient, and carry on.