CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 6 2023 24 Building a Better World Through Sustainable Architecture Designing innovative spaces that deliver unique user experiences, Aesthetic Designs Uganda Ltd. is an architectural design firm that strives to deliver cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The firm is a part of the Aesthetic Group, which designs sustainable housing developments across India, the UK, and now Uganda. The group is led by experienced architect Ar. Huzaifa Chahwala, Chief Executive Officer, who has been awarded Most Influential Sustainable Housing CEO of the Year 2023. s humans, we spend a significant amount of our time inside built spaces, particularly at home and in our places of work. It has been shown that building design and architecture can have huge effects on our psychological wellbeing, health, and productivity, ultimately impacting our quality of life. Since 1990, Aesthetic Designs has consistently delivered successful and innovative designs, showcasing its immense expertise in project planning, designing, construction documentation, bidding, and administration. It focuses on creating experiential spaces for humans that provide a balance of creativity, functionality, cost effectiveness, materiality, aesthetics, and sustainability. Using formmass optimisation, Aesthetic Designs truly delivers great user experiences. Initially, the firm was established in Mumbai by Principal Architect Ar. Juzer Chahwala, who obtained his master’s degree in urban design at the University of Oklahoma before embarking on his architectural career, practicing across the globe. Over the years, he has worked on a range of distinctive and successful projects, building an extensive and loyal client base through his hard work, reliability, and highquality designs. In 2008, Aesthetic Designs inaugurated its London office. Later, in 2020, it established its Ugandan branch. Since 2016, the Aesthetic Group has been headed by CEO Ar. Huzaifa Chahwala, who completed his master’s degree in Sustainable Tall Buildings at the University of Nottingham, before he went on to practice architecture across the world in Mumbai, London, Dubai, and Uganda. Today, Aesthetic Designs has over 110 years of collective experience designing and developing quality, sustainable architectural solutions across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The firm believes that development should meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It aims to build a truly sustainable future for everyone, creating spaces that do not only benefit today but also tomorrow. According to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a set of integrated and interrelated goals that call for action from all countries. Their purpose is to drive humanity to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, and boost economic growth, all while tackling climate change and preserving the Earth’s oceans and forests. The idea is that if all countries aim to accomplish these goals, humanity can achieve peace and prosperity by 2030. In its projects, Aesthetic Designs caters to 10 out of the 17 SDGs. To do this, it uses a number of strategies throughout the design process. Firstly, it ensures form-mass optimisation, Apr23697 A which is the process of optimising the building’s shape and mass to reduce energy consumption, increase natural ventilation, and improve indoor environment quality. Secondly, Aesthetic Designs uses daylighting strategies for energy saving, which involves maximising the amount of natural light that gets into a building to minimise energy use. Natural light is also beneficial for the wellbeing and productivity of occupants. Furthermore, Aesthetic Designs incorporates renewable energy systems such as solar, wind, and geothermal systems to reduce the building’s carbon footprint and increase energy independence. Thirdly, the firm implements systems to efficiently manage and recycle water, reduce potable water consumption, and mitigate the impact of stormwater runoff. It also uses sustainable construction methods such as prefabrication, molar construction, and green roofs
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