Unformed Design is a young, experimental architecture studio founded by Hassan Elgendy and Nahed Zmeter. Focused on architecture competitions, we challenge design norms by blending nature, narrative, and innovation. Hassan’s global experience, with multiple award-winning projects across AFRICA, Asia, and Europe, pairs with Nahed’s conceptual vision to create architecture that transcends function. From our Milan base, we explore cultural, residential, and commercial spaces, always pushing the boundaries of what architecture can evoke and how it connects to its environment.

@unformedesign

Via Verona 10
Milan, IT 20135

For all inquiries, please contact studio@unformedesign.com

  • Hassan M. Elgendy

    CO-FOUNDER

    Hassan is an award-winning Egyptian architect with a double degree in architecture from Cairo and London (2014). He has worked with renowned design studios across Egypt, China, and Europe, including Stefano Boeri Architetti. As co-founder of UNFORMED, he focuses on contextual design and visual narrative. His work, widely recognized by ArchDaily, Designboom, and other leading architecture publications, has earned multiple international awards, including first prizes in Michigan, Cyprus, Tianjin, Japan, and various regions in the Middle East. With a design approach that seamlessly integrates nature, materiality, and cultural context, his projects range from intimate installations to complex architectural compositions, redefining spatial experiences through innovation and site-responsive solutions.

  • Nahed zmeter

    CO-FOUNDER

    Nahed is an accomplished Egyptian architect and co-founder of UNFORMED, a Milan-based architecture practice. With a degree from a leading Egyptian university (2014), she has worked with prominent design studios across Egypt and internationally. Her work focuses on human-centered design, emphasizing the relationship between people, space, and environment. A notable project, the El Hiez Water Education Center in Egypt’s Western Desert, was realized after winning an architecture competition and constructed entirely with rammed earth, reflecting her commitment to sustainable, context-sensitive architecture. Nahed continues to explore how architecture can foster human connections and harmonize with nature.

awards and recognitions

2015 El Heiz Water Education Center, Western desert, Egypt - First Prize

2016 SBE16 Cairo Local Competition - Cairo, Egypt - Second Prize

2017 The Pavilion - Utica Junction, USA - First Prize

2017 Observatory Houses - Roccascalegna, Italy - Finalist

2017 16th La Biennale Di Venezia Egyptian Pavilion - Second Prize

2018 Cyprus Lighthouse - Paphos, Cyprus - First Prize

2018 School in the Marshes - Marshes, Iraq - Honourable Prize

2018 Baghdad Design Center - Baghdad, Iraq - Shortlisted

2019 North Design Union Headquarters - Tianjin, China - First Prize

2019 Reviving NPAK - Yerevan, Armenia - Fourth Prize

2019 Barjeel Museum - Sharjah, UAE - Third Prize

2019 Lotus In Four Seasons - Changchun, China - Finalist

2019 17th La Biennale Di Venezia Egyptian Pavilion - Runner Up

2020 Hope Dental Center, Kigali, Rwanda - Honourable Mention

2020 Congress Center - Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Honourable Mention

2023 Puppetry Arts Centre, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria - 6th Prize

2024 Not a Hotel - Kitakaruizawa, Japan - First Prize