Architecture & Interiors
Residential, hospitality and workplace design—from early concept and spatial planning through detailing and construction oversight.
- New build & renovation
- Interior architecture
- Adaptive reuse
Architecture · Interiors · Resilient Infrastructure
Design with memory.
Build with purpose.
We shape places that belong—to their landscape, their culture and the people who live within them.
Nairobi, Kenya Working internationally
Discover01 Our point of view
Architecture should feel rooted, not imposed.
Iaia Design Limited is a Nairobi-based practice working where architecture, cultural identity and climate resilience meet.
We bring together Italian design rigour and more than twenty-five years of experience across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. From intimate interiors to schools, health facilities, settlements and complex infrastructure portfolios, every project begins with careful listening—to people, place and purpose.
Meet the founder →25+years of practice
30+countries of experience
USD 100M+infrastructure portfolios reviewed
4working languages
02 What we do
One practice.
Two complementary scales.
Human, tactile spaces and rigorous infrastructure advice—connected by the same commitment to context, craft and lasting value.
Landscape & Local Materials
Climate-responsive outdoor spaces and material palettes that draw on local knowledge, natural textures and skilled craftsmanship.
- Garden & outdoor living
- Material research
- Climate-responsive design
Resilient Infrastructure
Humanitarian and development infrastructure that prioritises safety, inclusion, climate resilience and community impact.
- Shelter, settlements & WASH
- Schools & health facilities
- Post-disaster recovery
Technical Advisory
Independent technical review and strategic support for agencies, donors, developers and engineering teams.
- Design review & quality assurance
- Feasibility & due diligence
- Standards, training & mentoring
03 Selected fields of work
From the room
to the region.
Our range is deliberate: understanding how people inhabit a room sharpens the way we think about a neighbourhood, a public facility or an entire programme.
BeforeAfter
Design studyRender
ExistingProposal
04 How we work
Listen deeply.
Design precisely.
- 01
Understand
We begin with your ambitions, constraints and the lived reality of the place.
- 02
Reveal
Research and analysis uncover the opportunities already present in context, material and culture.
- 03
Shape
Ideas move from concept to coordinated design with clarity, testing and care.
- 04
Deliver
We stay close through implementation, protecting the intent and quality of the work.
06 Founder & Director
Dr Chiara Jasna Vaccaro · PhD Architect
An Italian architect with a global practice and an enduring belief that good design is both beautiful and useful.
Chiara brings over 25 years of experience across architecture, construction, shelter, WASH and post-disaster recovery. Her work with UN agencies, international organisations and communities has shaped an approach that is technically rigorous, culturally alert and deeply human.
She founded Iaia Design Limited to connect those worlds: the intimacy of home, the intelligence of local materials and the transformative potential of resilient public infrastructure.
Have a place, project or challenge in mind?
Let’s make something
meaningful.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Available for selected projects and advisory assignments internationally.
A social initiative of Iaia Design Limited
Designing with memory.
Building with purpose.
Design becomes meaningful when it strengthens everyday life.
IAIA Projects connects the practice’s humanitarian experience with practical, locally grounded support for children, care homes and community learning spaces in Kenya.
Wings of Hope Rescue Home
Practical support for the children’s home has included essential supplies and the rehabilitation of its kitchen, improving the space where daily meals are prepared.
Little Mary Muthoni
Community donations helped Mary, a young orphan from Bethsaida Children’s Home living with a disability, undergo delicate corrective surgery at Kijabe Mission Hospital. Her recovery enabled her to sit upright and stand.
Mayungu Community Library
At the new community library, IAIA Projects will collaborate with RISE and the local community to support architectural drawing activities with older children—encouraging them to observe, imagine and design the places around them.
Next priorities
Future support will be shaped with local partners around verified needs and transparent delivery.
Nutrition & healthy growth
Connecting children’s homes with trusted local farmers or cooperatives to add fresh produce and dietary variety.
Vaccines & healthcare access
Exploring annual health cover, vaccination support and continuity of care for children with ongoing medical needs.
Mental health & social care
Building access to qualified social-work support for trauma, behavioural difficulties and developmental needs.