Neda Ziad Architects: Crafting Intimacy in a City of Scale
people • designers
In a city shaped by spectacle, Neda Ziad Architects stands out for its commitment to spaces that feel personal, grounded and deeply lived in. Founded by Neda Ziad, the Dubai-based studio approaches every project through human rhythm and emotional clarity, placing the client’s world at the centre of the design. Their work spans private residences, developments and bespoke interiors, each defined by textured natural materials, subtle transitions and a quiet sense of belonging.
In this Designeers interview, Neda reflects on growing up on construction sites, the value of collaboration, the art of listening, and the importance of designing with originality rather than trend. From villas inserted into the desert landscape to large-scale projects shaped by community flow, she shares how her studio continues to create architecture that is intimate, authentic and timeless in a city known for ambition and scale.
Words: designeers
NOVEMBER 2025
WEBSITE: nedaziadarchitects.com
INSTAGRAM: @nedaziadarchitects
DESIGNEERS
Your philosophy speaks about “crafting visions with a personal touch.” What does “personal” really mean to you in a city like Dubai, where design often feels larger than life?
Neda Ziad
In Dubai, it’s easy for design to focus on scale and overlook how a space will truly feel. Our process always begins with the client’s story, lifestyle, and personality. By grounding the design in who they are, we ensure the space is not only bold or striking but also comfortable, relatable, and genuinely livable.
DESIGNEERS
Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the field, you were surrounded by construction sites from an early age, a rather unusual playground. What’s the first architectural memory that still feels vivid in your mind?
Neda Ziad
My earliest architectural memory shaped who I am today. As a child, I loved wandering through raw construction sites, spaces that were nothing more than structural skeletons, yet I could already imagine their finished form. I could see how people might live there, how light would move, and how I would redesign it to feel more personal or comforting. The ability to see beyond the unfinished was what sparked my passion for bringing spaces to life.
DESIGNEERS
How do you begin designing a new space? With a material, a mood, a conversation?
Neda Ziad
Designing a space begins with a conversation, where we curate specific questions to understand the client’s vision, values and daily rhythms, because understanding the person behind the brief ensures the space becomes a true reflection of them. From that connection, the mood emerges, and the design language naturally follows, guiding every choice we make.
DESIGNEERS
You mention collaboration as the starting point of every project. What’s the most unexpected idea a client ever brought to the table, and did it change your design?
Neda Ziad
It wasn’t the most unexpected idea, but it was one that stayed with me. While designing a villa for a client on a farm in Dubai, she asked for an infinity pool on a cantilevered balcony off her master bedroom, flowing down into the infinity pool below. We loved the idea, and it gave the home a unique character that felt completely its own.
DESIGNEERS
If your studio had a soundtrack, what would be playing while you design?
Neda Ziad
If my studio had a soundtrack, it would be any piece by Ludovico Einaudi, the Italian pianist and composer. During my university times, his Nuvole Bianche was on repeat as I worked on submissions. There was something about his music that created a sense of calm and focus, almost like stepping into a quiet bubble away from all distractions. Even today, I play it to reconnect with those moments of immersion and inspiration, when time seemed to disappear and the work felt effortless.
“In Dubai, it’s easy for design to focus on scale and overlook how a space will truly feel. Our process always begins with the client’s story, lifestyle, and personality.”
Neda Ziad
DESIGNEERS
Dubai’s architecture scene is bold and ambitious. How do you carve out a sense of intimacy and authenticity in such a grand context?
Neda Ziad
Creating intimacy and authenticity in a city as bold as Dubai begins with understanding who we are designing for. The originality of a space is never imposed or something we add on top. It comes directly from the client and the way they move through a day. Each project is fully customised to reflect that rhythm by grounding the design in the client’s world rather than the city’s scale.
DESIGNEERS
What does “timeless” mean to you, and how do you avoid falling into trends when designing for today’s world?
Neda Ziad
What it means to me is originality. A space becomes timeless when it’s rooted in the client’s identity and personality, when it reflects who they are rather than what’s currently in trend. When a design is deeply personal and authentic, it doesn’t date with time. Even as styles evolve, the space continues to feel like you, and that, to me, is the essence of timeless design.
DESIGNEERS
Is there a material or architectural detail you find yourself returning to again and again? Something that feels like your signature?
Neda Ziad
I’m drawn to natural, textured materials like ribbed stone and unfilled travertine that have a tactile, timeless character. I love continuing these materials from outdoors to indoors, giving the space a sense of connection.
DESIGNEERS
Outside of work, which spaces, cities, or even rituals feed your creativity the most?
Neda Ziad
Anywhere with water and nature inspires me, whether walking along the beach or travelling to a quiet retreat like my favourite spots in Bali, away from the busy city life. I also sketch a lot and always keep a sketchbook by my bed, saving ideas in my little design diary to revisit.
DESIGNEERS
If you could host a dinner inside any building or architectural landmark in the world, past or present, where would it be, and who would you invite to share the table?
Neda Ziad
I’d gather friends for a candlelit dinner under the stars around Rick Joy’s Nomad House, picturing the corten steel volumes glowing and bringing a comforting warmth to us in the open desert setting.
DESIGNEERS
You’ve worked across a spectrum from intimate residences to larger-scale developments. How does your design process adapt when shifting scale, and what remains constant regardless of project size?
Neda Ziad
For private residences, we can tailor every detail to the individual or family, whereas larger-scale projects cater to multiple users within a broader community context. The programs are different, and we think about how the spaces can support people’s everyday lives while considering circulation and accessibility. What stays the same is our focus on the human experience, creating comfort at any scale, designing in dialogue with the context, and ensuring quality and longevity so the spaces resonate and stand the test of time.
DESIGNEERS
Looking ahead, what kind of legacy do you hope Neda Ziad Architects will leave, as a studio and as a personal story?
Neda Ziad
Looking ahead, I hope we continue to grow, with our projects built around the world. As a family-run studio, we have naturally focused on residential homes, where we have built a strong reputation for creating meaningful and distinctive spaces. Our goal is to be a one-stop studio, where design, execution, and even our own furniture line, which we already integrate into the homes we create, all come together under one roof. Personally, I hope to pass this legacy on. My son’s already fascinated by construction sites and design, and seeing his curiosity brings me so much joy.
