Today we’d like to introduce you to Reha Habib
Hi Reha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In elementary school, I wrote myself a letter in a time- capsule that was buried until my senior year of high school. The letter described my goal to study architecture because I wanted to design stuff. Fast forward to 2009, I graduated with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, College of Design, where I was granted a fellowship as a Teaching Assistant for design courses throughout my master’s degree. Architecture school was a grueling seven years of long and sleepless nights in the studio, but I was determined to one day have my own practice. Eventually, I moved to Cairo and worked in an Architecture/Interior studio for almost five years before I took the risk and decided to go off on my own. I began to get clients and started doing projects in collaboration with a friend and Architect, Ramy Takla, and then in 2016 Hossam Shawky, who has a background in business and asset management joined me as a business partner so that I could focus on the creative stuff. Today we are blessed to be doing diverse projects in Egypt, the Middle East and the USA.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been an entirely smooth process. As any business owner knows, there are always ups and downs in any business. Some of my personal struggles have been learning how to set boundaries to avoid burn-out. When I first opened the studio, I was wearing all the hats and I struggled a lot with that, switching between design, management, accounting things and client management. This eased up when I partnered with Hossam Shawky and we grew our team. Secondly, since we are a service-based business it can be challenging dealing with different personalities and I have to constantly train myself not to take things personal. Thirdly, in order for our projects to come to life, there are a lot of third parties involved and it can be a struggle to get everyone outside of my studio who has a hand in the project to care about the outcome of project as much as my team and I do. Being somehow a “perfectionist” (which I think most designers are) I have a hard time letting go, but as you get older life gives you a lot of perspective.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are architectural designers, specialized in creating projects with strong conceptual ideas all the way down to construction details. Our studio takes on architecture, interior architecture and interior design work for commercial projects such as hotels, restaurants, retail spaces as well as residential work. We are known for creating minimal, functional and beautiful spaces. We are a creative boutique scaled studio who puts a lot of effort into details, keen on putting functionality first, and making sure that our work meets and exceeds the needs of our clients.
I am most proud of the integrity of our process that has allowed us to successfully complete and deliver quality projects to clients, and to know that our work is inspirational to others.
I think what sets us apart is that we pour a lot of passion and discipline into our design process to make sure that every project that comes into our studio results in the best work that we can do. We spend a lot of time ironing out and understanding the complexities of each individual project and we are not afraid to take risks to create meaningful experiences.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I actually have two very important lessons.
Don’t take no for an answer when you believe there is a yes. There is always a solution, even if it is not what you thought it would look like because it might end up better than what you were seeking in the first place.
Stay true to yourself and trust yourself. Don’t ever compromise your values, principles or morals for anyone or for any project or any amount of money. When something does not feel right it probably isn’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rehallc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reha_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reha.llc/
