The Archives — architecture and interior design portfolio

Club Redesign

Club Obligato is a multi-level bar and events venue on Bombo Road, Kampala, arranged around a large open courtyard. Three problems held it back: Rain stopped events. The central courtyard, the heart of the venue, was open to the sky. The look was dated and sponsor-branded. Brewery livery covered stores, walls and stair spaces. The budget was open. The client wanted a big change at low cost, without losing the character the venue already had. The brief A modern industrial overhaul, done economically. Keep the ground-floor figure mural. Cover the whole courtyard with a clear roof, in the spirit of a black steel grid with clear panes. Palette of plum, taupe and cream, with black replacing gold as the accent. Metal as the hero material, with creative column treatments. Remove all sponsor branding for a clean rebrand. Our approach: The Obligato Line The design direction rests on one idea that the client can fall for, with everything else supporting it. The Sky Court roof. A clear roof on a black steel grid turns the open courtyard into an all-weather heart. A stave-timber floor leads to the stage, with trees and festoon lighting beneath. The mural, kept and lit. The figure mural becomes the anchor of the Mural Lounge, framed by lantern-style columns and a charcoal soffit with a pendant grid. Metal as the signature. Black steel and expanded mesh re-clad the Gallery Bar, stage portal, stair rails and Iron Bar canopy, with a new steel gateway and backlit arrival wall at the entrance. A palette with a spine. Plum, taupe and cream, with black for the industrial edge. The Plum Room becomes the VIP lounge in plum, black wainscot and leather. Designed in tiers. T1 signature interventions come first (steel, light, signage), T2 re-skins (paint, hardware, lighting) second, and T3 upgrades later, so the client can spend where it counts and grow the scheme over time. Scope Twelve spaces across ground and upper levels: arrival and yard, Sky Court, stage hall, Mural Lounge, Gallery Bar, Plum Room, grand and side stairs, Gallery Deck, Iron Bar, Garden Bar, deck-end terrace, and toilets and services. Hanker deliverables: Design direction board Magazine-grade concept book covering every space, with cited precedents Before-and-after AI impressions from the site photos Layouts, lighting concept, finishes and FF&E schedules, column, bar and roof concepts Contractor documentation: reflected ceilings, joinery and steel shop sheets Client onboarding magazine (interactive web and print) and project execution booklet

The Soroti Radial Commons & Sports Park

The Soroti Radial Commons is a dynamic, multi-functional community park designed to blend social gathering spaces with active recreational facilities. The master plan reveals a structured landscape that transitions from a highly designed central plaza to expansive athletic zones surrounded by natural elements. Key Design Features: The Radial Plaza: The heart of the design is a striking central plaza defined by a bold, radiating paving pattern of contrasting light and textured dark stones that draw the eye inward. Central Water Feature: Anchoring the plaza is a modern, vertical, three-tiered water fountain that serves as the primary focal point and gathering spot. Active Recreation Zones: The site plan includes dedicated areas for sports, featuring a turf football pitch, dual basketball courts, and a separate tennis court situated among "wide canopy trees". Social Seating: The central plaza is ringed with integrated curved benches, labeled as "canopy seats," along with distinct "orchid seats" placed throughout the landscaped areas to encourage socializing.

Sunflower Playground

This project rethinks children’s playgrounds not as spaces limited to daytime use, but as public environments that can be used safely and continuously at different times of the day. The design addresses play flow and spatial organization to accommodate different age groups, while considering visibility, orientation, and safety as key design inputs for evening use. An integrated lighting system powered by solar energy supports safe use after sunset and offers an energy-efficient, sustainable solution.

Urban Playground

Yard Park

Playground

Christmas Playground is a playground structure designed to encourage vertical play, exploration, and a sense of achievement. Through height, light, and transparent surfaces, the design creates an open play environment where reaching the top becomes a moment of observation and success.

The Rift Valley Sanctuary & Lodge

The Rift Valley Sanctuary is a concept for an ultra-luxury eco-lodge designed to offer an immersive, low-impact experience within a dramatic natural landscape. The architecture masterfully blends the romance of traditional tented camps with the permanence and comfort of a modern resort, using a palette of locally sourced stone, natural timber, and high-performance tensile fabric.

The Zenith Estate & Promenade

The Zenith Estate is an expansive landscape masterwork that balances high-contrast botanical palettes with rigid architectural geometry. The design transforms a vast residential or resort property into a series of "outdoor rooms," ranging from interactive social hubs to tranquil, water-focused retreats.

The Artisan Hearth Residence

The Artisan Hearth Residence is a visualization project that explores the intersection of mid-century nostalgia and contemporary tactile luxury. The design is characterized by a "Warm Minimalist" aesthetic, prioritizing high-quality natural materials and soft, organic silhouettes to create spaces that feel both architecturally significant and deeply lived-in.

The Grid-Form Table

The Grid-Form Bench is a striking exploration of material contrast, blending the rigid, industrial language of structural steel with the organic warmth of hand-finished timber. Designed as a statement piece for galleries, boutique lobbies, or modern residential entryways, this bench recontextualizes industrial materials into a refined tactile experience.

The Mono-Fold Desk

A masterclass in Minimalist functionalism, this desk utilizes a single sheet of powder-coated metal to solve two architectural problems simultaneously. The metal component is precisely folded to create a structural leg on one side and an integrated back-shelf/backsplash on the other. This "wrapper" effect provides a clean, organized workspace that hides cables and displays objects without the need for additional hardware. The slim timber top provides a warm, tactile contrast to the sleek, monolithic metal frame, resulting in a workstation that feels both lightweight and grounded.

The Curated Heritage Collection

The Curated Heritage Collection is a series of interior design concepts that masterfully blend mid-century modern silhouettes with a contemporary, minimalist palette. Designed by Hanker, the project focuses on high-quality materiality—specifically the interplay between rich walnut wood, supple leathers, and tactile textiles like white boucle.

The Grand Gambit Estate & Gardens

The Grand Gambit Estate is a sprawling residential landscape that masterfully blends formal garden traditions with modern recreational and architectural elements. The design is defined by its strong geometric structure, a dramatic interplay of botanical colors, and monumental water features, creating a property that is both a visual sanctuary and an engaging space for leisure.

Bwera Resort Cottages

Bwera Resort is a boutique sanctuary designed to provide a "recharge" experience at the edge of the world’s second-largest freshwater lake. The interior design concept, titled "The Refined Shore," seeks to harmonize the raw, untamed beauty of the Ssese archipelago with the precision of modern industrial design. Unlike traditional thatched safari lodges, Bwera Resort utilizes a "Modern Vernacular" approach—using local timber and stone as a foundation while punctuating the space with sharp, blackened steel accents and bespoke furniture that feels both architectural and organic.

The Angle-Ply Desk

This design explores the structural potential of bent and layered plywood to create a monolithic, ultra-clean workspace. The desk features a continuous surface that flows seamlessly from the work deck into the vertical supports. Key Features: Corner Storage: Utilizing the negative space created by the desk's architecture, the design incorporates geometric "pockets" or slots tucked under the main surface. These are perfectly sized for storing magazines, books, or portfolios without disrupting the desk's profile. Architectural Bracing: The internal storage slots serve as structural gussets, providing rigidity to the plywood frame while maintaining a lightweight, airy aesthetic. Minimalist Grain: The natural wood grain highlights the precise, sharp angles and continuous curves of the bent-wood construction.

The Lattice Capsule

The Lattice Capsule is a contemporary furniture series that explores the tension between transparency and mass. The piece features a distinct "stadium" or capsule-shaped seat crafted from industrial steel floor grating—a material traditionally reserved for high-traffic walkways and fire escapes. By repurposing this utilitarian component, the design highlights the inherent beauty of its rigid, geometric repetition. The coldness of the powder-coated steel (shown in Carbon Black and Muted Sage) is softened by the introduction of massive, solid hardwood legs.

The Synthesis Hub

The Synthesis Hub is a forward-thinking office furniture and interior initiative designed to redefine the boundary between industrial utility and bespoke craftsmanship. By recontextualizing rugged, structural materials—such as industrial steel grating and folded metal—into high-end ergonomic furniture, the project creates a workspace that is both visually transparent and tactilely grounded.

The Geometric Oasis

The Geometric Oasis is a high-end residential landscape design that masterfully balances formal symmetry with playful, interactive elements. The project transforms a sprawling estate into a series of curated outdoor rooms, characterized by a bold botanical palette and sharp architectural lines. The design is intended to provide a transition from the structured arrival court to a grand, park-like recreation zone. Project Objectives Architectural Symmetry: To establish a sense of order and grandeur through the use of axial alignments and geometric planting beds. Seasonal Dynamism: To utilize a contrasting color palette—specifically the ephemeral pink of spring blossoms against permanent evergreen structures—to ensure year-round visual interest. Interactive Luxury: To integrate functional "hero" features, such as a life-sized chessboard and modern water galleries, that encourage engagement with the outdoors.

The Veranda Heritage Suites

The Veranda Heritage Suites is an interior design concept that masterfully harmonizes the architectural rigor of the mid-century modern era with a soft, contemporary "Warm Minimalist" palette. Designed to feel both historically established and forward-thinking, the project prioritizes tactile materiality and organic silhouettes to create a sophisticated sanctuary.

The Synthesis Workspace

The Synthesis Workspace is a collection of high-concept office furniture that explores the intersection of industrial precision and organic warmth. The project is defined by its innovative use of materials, transforming rigid structural elements like steel and plywood into fluid, functional art pieces.

Retirement Residence

A retirement home for a lovely couple, inspired by their love for modern minimalist style. With laminated wood, textured fabric, and modern lighting systems, we created a cozy yet elegant space.

The Cognac & Clarity Suite

This workspace redefines the contemporary office by moving away from sterile grey hues and embracing a palette known as "Warm Minimalism." The design intent was to create an environment that balances the architectural precision of modernism with the established, inviting comfort of traditional materials. The space is a study in contrasts: weight versus airiness, opacity versus transparency, and raw texture versus sleek surfaces. Materiality & Palette The aesthetic is anchored by rich, saddle-brown leather. Applied to ergonomic task seating and a statement lounge sofa, the leather adds a layer of mature sophistication and tactile grounding. This visual weight is immediately counterbalanced by expansive floor-to-ceiling glass partitions framed in slim, bronze-anodized aluminum. The glass dematerializes boundaries, allowing natural light to permeate the core and fostering a culture of transparency. Connecting these opposing elements are "nude" accents—a curated spectrum of taupe, oatmeal, and soft terracotta tones. These appear in textured wool acoustic paneling, matte ceramic desk accessories, and woven textiles, softening the hard edges of the glass and complementing the warmth of the leather without competing for attention.