There’s
no place like home. Your home transforms into your sanctuary; your
tranquil refuge after a long day of work. Therefore, the interior of
your house must compliment and identifies with your personality. Many
like to style their homes according to fashion magazines, while
others prefer hiring the service of professionals-enters Ahmed Fawzy.
He is a young and dynamic interior designer who evolved from a
small-scale designer to owning his own company, Functionality.
Who
is Ahmed Fawzy?
I
am a 26-year-old interior designer, who earned his bachelor degree in
Architectural Engineering in 2004. I started my career working as a
site engineer in the Media Production City supervising the studio’s
constructions and interior designs. Later, I joined Lana for
Architecture and Interior Design and was part of the consulting Team
designing the Rotana offices in the Four Seasons Nile Plaza. Shortly
after completing this project I decided to start my own company,
Functionality.
How
did you decide to become an interior designer?
I
have always been into drawing buildings and spaces. To me, it
was a dream since I was a child especially since no one in my
family is in this kind of business; and now the dream finally came
true.
What
exactly is "Functionality"?
Functionality
is an Architecture and Interior Design firm that offers the client a
turnkey project, which means we start from scratch and then deliver
you the key of your house. The name comes from the fact that we were
designing furniture for multi-purpose functions and we believe that
design starts with focusing on function. Once properly designed, your
space should run smoothly emphasizing the environmental and aesthetic
implications of design. In the same sense, we promote our
brand's promise 'tomorrow's trends translated'.
When
did you start your company?
It
all started four years ago when my partner, Arch. Ali Mohsen Kamel,
and I began to design furniture and displayed it in showrooms like
Zimmer in Zamalek and Jigsaw in Maadi. Two years later, we landed our
first project, which led us to start our company.
Where
do you derive your inspiration from?
My
inspiration comes from everything that surrounds me for example
nature, people, open spaces and colors. A big part of my
inspiration has to do with the clients' demands, and his primary
ideas about what he wants. The studies of the site play a big role in
the decision-making as well; for example, the contour lines, the wind
and the sun movement.
What
can make you reject a certain project?
If
a client is unaware of what he/she wants, or has limited creativity
as it puts a certain limit to my work.
How
do your clients know about you?
Like
most things, it first started with connections. We entered a joint
venture with Jigsaw in Maadi, which led us to do renovation and
interior design for an apartment. Now, I would say that word of mouth
is how our clients hear of us.
What
was the successful turning point of your career?
I
would say my first project, when one of our friends asked us to
renovate his apartment and design its interior. Although it was a low
budget project, it really encouraged me and gave me the real chance
to start the business.
What
challenges do you face in your line of work?
The
real challenges are the clients' requirements, the existing space for
the project, and the budget. I am trying to fit the client's needs
and budget into the reality of the space, which puts a lot of design
challenges (this is called «value engineering»). This concept is a
systematic method to improve the "value" of goods and
services by using an examination of function. Value, as defined, is
the ratio of function to cost and therefore, it can be increased by
either improving the function or reducing the cost. It is a primary
tenet of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not
be reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements.
Describe
a perfect project.
A
perfect project for me is one where I would be able to design it from
scratch because it gives me full vision and freedom of creativity.
The perfect project I accomplished was a villa on Cairo-Alex desert
road, which was completed very smoothly and quickly through the
design and the construction phase.
Does
Egypt have a good market for your business, especially with the
real-estate boom?
Yes
of course. I see in Egypt a great opportunity for architects now,
especially with the current boom; it is a challenge and a chance to
compete with many other markets. When I was still in university, the
real estate market was limited, but I always had the belief that
there was a great potential in this field.
Where
do you see yourself in five years?
With
more experience on my side, I see myself with bigger responsibilities
and major projects with expansion on an international scale.
Functionality:
Tel:
+2 012 2344 018
Email:
am.functionality@gmail.com
Address:
17, Haroun Street El Dokki,Giza, Egypt
