From private villas and hospitality projects to timber and bio-based construction, studio OMT is building a diverse architectural portfolio across East Africa, with each project shaped by its particular context. We caught up with founding partner Leander Moons at The AYA in Nairobi’s Karen to discuss the origins of the practice, its approach to design and sustainability, the opportunities and challenges of working in East Africa, and its ambitions for the future.
When Dutch architect Leander Moons founded studio OMT, the ambition was not necessarily to build an international architecture practice. It began with a project in Africa that none of his previous employers was willing to take on.
Today, studio OMT has offices in Kenya and Poland, a growing portfolio across East Africa and an increasingly distinctive reputation for architecture that combines contextual design with sustainable and bio-based construction.
The practice was born during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Moons was based in New York. Former clients in Tanzania approached him about Fumba Town, a development in Zanzibar seeking architects capable of pursuing a more bio-based approach, particularly through the use of timber.
“I had the project. I knew I was not going to stay in New York forever,” Moons recalls. “I think the big opportunity for us architects to have an impact, especially on sustainability, is here in Africa.”
He subsequently established his own company, initially in New York, before setting up offices in Berlin, Nairobi and Poznan. The Berlin and New York offices have since closed, leaving Kenya and Poland as the firm’s principal bases.
The two-continent model remains important to OMT. According to Moons, it exposes staff to different technical backgrounds, climates and approaches to design.
“Our team from Europe, it teaches a lot about Africa. Our team here in Kenya, it teaches a lot about Europe,” he says.
The practice also brings its teams together through annual retreats, with previous gatherings in Nairobi and Berlin and a planned retreat in Zanzibar, where OMT has an extensive portfolio.
Timber as a starting point
Some of OMT’s earliest work in Zanzibar helped establish what would become one of the practice’s defining interests: mass timber and bio-based construction.
The first project was a relatively simple two-storey, four-unit building. Yet the concept proved sufficiently successful that around 80 similar units have since been built, with further commissions continuing.
Moons says the experience also taught the practice an unexpected lesson about design and value engineering.
“When you go into something without too much knowledge, you actually do a better job than when you get more knowledge, when you then make it more complex than it needs to be,” he says.
Introducing timber into the East African construction market, however, has not been straightforward. OMT had to contend with limited availability of graded timber, supply-chain issues and perceptions that timber was somehow inferior to conventional construction materials.
Moons believes three ingredients are essential: “You need a visionary client who supports that. You need a contractor who can do it. And you need an architect who is willing and capable of drawing it.”
OMT initially concentrated its timber work on high-end housing and tourism projects, partly to demonstrate that clients were willing to invest in the material.
A key demonstration came when a client built two show houses in Zanzibar – one conventional and one in timber. The contrast helped make the case for timber not simply as a sustainable material, but as one capable of delivering a different living environment.
“In Zanzibar, it’s humid, it’s hot. All the wet materials like concrete, masonry, they smell,” Moons says. “And then you go into the timber house, it doesn’t have that. It feels so much more healthy.”
The firm’s timber portfolio has since expanded into affordable housing, including projects in Zanzibar comprising an estimated 300 to 500 units across four developments. The same principles are now being considered for application in Kenya.
Responding to context
OMT’s work is not defined solely by timber. The practice’s broader philosophy is to avoid a formulaic architectural signature.
“We don’t like to copy-paste,” says Moons. “Every project for us is a new project. We really dive into what is the context of this project and what would be the right architecture for that.”
That approach can be seen across the firm’s growing portfolio.
In Nairobi, OMT’s projects include AYA, a high-end nine-villa development in Karen, as well as Enaki Forestside, Sensei and Natura in Lavington. On the Kenyan coast, its portfolio includes Kai in Diani, alongside other residential and hospitality projects.
The firm’s wider portfolio includes Burj Zanzibar, Paje Square, CheiChei Living, Hibo Manor, Bustani, EcoHub, Lake Hills, Vizazi, Moyoni Bay, Moyoni, Fumba Town, Vizazi Oasis, and Heart of Zanzibar, among others.
Across these projects, environmental performance is often achieved through relatively straightforward architectural decisions rather than relying exclusively on sophisticated technology.
At AYA, for example, OMT uses existing trees for shading and incorporates cantilevers to reduce solar heat gain. At Kai, deep covered lodges protect interiors from the coastal sun, while openings and corridors encourage cross-ventilation.
“It’s simple things like that,” Moons explains. “How can we support the interior climate in a way that we’re not enhancing it with unnecessary costs and technical means and also costs in operations.”
Building local capacity
Since establishing its Kenyan operation, OMT has grown rapidly. Moons hopes the practice will reach its 100th project this year.
Central to that growth has been its decision to build a genuinely Kenyan practice. Moons works alongside two Kenyan partners, Hazary Nic and Wekesa George, and says the country has considerable architectural talent.
“What is missing a bit is taking responsibility, the feeling of being capable to step up,” he says.
He contrasts this with his experience in the United States, where architects are often encouraged to market themselves and their capabilities more aggressively.
“I find there’s more talent here. Butin some markets architects are trained early to sell themselves and their work much better,” he says. “Here, that’s less the case, but I’d rather have the talent. Talent you can nurture.”
OMT therefore gives its architects significant responsibility for projects, allowing them to learn through direct involvement rather than simply following instructions.
The AYA project illustrates this approach. Moons says he is not frequently on site because his team has taken ownership of the project and manages its day-to-day execution.
The construction industry
Moons sees considerable potential among Kenya’s consultants and contractors, although he also identifies areas where the industry could improve.
He says structural engineering expertise is strong, while mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services remain more challenging – something he has encountered in markets around the world.
Contracting, meanwhile, can require considerable oversight. One issue is the tendency for contractors to undertake value engineering without sufficiently involving the architect.
“Engage us, we’ll support both client and contractor to value engineer there where it needs to go,” he says.
He also points to site organisation as an area where improvements could have a significant impact on safety and quality.
“Organisation is something throughout all contractors which is worthwhile looking into if that can be improved.”
Growing carefully
Despite receiving approaches for projects in countries such as Senegal and Rwanda, OMT is not rushing to expand across Africa.
For now, Moons says the priority is to consolidate the firm’s East African operations and build a team capable of operating with increasing independence.
“The big challenge is growing in a sustainable way, and we don’t want to grow too fast,” he says.
The longer-term ambition, however, extends beyond Kenya and Tanzania.
As OMT continues to experiment with timber, climate-responsive design and new models of development, its work suggests that sustainable architecture in Africa need not mean compromising on quality, ambition or architectural expression.
For Moons, the opportunity lies precisely in the continent’s capacity to do things differently.
“We have so many projects here that the focus is really on setting this up, growing this,” he says. “But who knows what the future brings.”
