Mohamed Amersi / Project: Corporate Entertainment Villa, Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi, Kenya.
In 2014, I took the decision to develop a large property on the East African coastline in an exclusive golf course development, which could be used for the purpose of R & R and as a conducive corporate entertainment environment away from my business’ and principal homes in the UK, Middle East and Asia. Upon researching suitable design partners and requesting recommendations through trusted connections, one name continually emerged. Upon viewing their portfolio and meeting with Claudio and Andrea it became immediately apparent that I had found the right counterpart and I was not wrong, Claudio’s passion combined with Andrea’s pragmatic efficiency is a formidable formula.
Mohamed Amersi / Enigma Realty Holdings, Grosvenor House Tower 2, Dubai, UAE / CEO & Co Founder Emergent Telecom Ventures Limited / Founder Gramercy Communications / Partners Senior Advisor to TeliaSonera and Motorola / Project: – Corporate Entertainment Villa, Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi, Kenya.
Salwa Dolmark / Project: Bayt Jullanar, Best Single Residence Dubai and Arabia Overall 2013/14
The Claudio Modola team are in my view, architects par excellence, the quality of service provided far out stripped any experience I have had in previous construction projects both in the Middle East and Europe ... Claudio saw my beach plot for 10 minutes in Dubai and instantly visualized a concept design beyond my wildest dreams.
Salwa Dolmark / Previous CEO Gemaco Interiors Abu Dhabi / Dubai, U.A.E Project: Bayt Jullanar, Best Single Residence Dubai and Arabia Overall 2013/14
Tim Beddow / Editorial Writer & Photographer / Architectural Digest.
Claudio has a unique knowledge of the architecture of the Middle East and Africa, having travelled extensively in Oman and based himself on the island of Lamu where he has successfully completed a number of visionary projects, drawing on his particular interests. Claudio thrives on a challenge. No task is too great. There will always be an ingenious solution. We look forward to witnessing more of his projects rise from the sands of this region.
Client reserves right of privacy / Dubai, U.A.E. / Project: Arequipai Villa
Claudio Modola Design became known to me through mutual connections in the Sultanate of Oman and upon reading about their work in various architectural monthly volumes. After an initial meeting my wife and I found Claudio and Andrea to be extremely passionate about their profession, a quality we felt of great importance particularly in residential design, which reinforced the impressive breadth of work in their niche portfolio. They listened attentively to the requirements of our growing family and over the course of the following months, in coordination with other consultants, developed an extremely beautiful, carefully considered, comfortable family home inclusive of independent Majlis and service block. I found the company to be very client focussed, innovative in their ideas and professional and would have no hesitation in recommending them for future appointment.
The late - Prof. T. Ferro, Economist, Italy / Project: Fort Ferro
Claudio designed a real fortress for me, which today seems as if it has always existed on the sands of this land in Oriental Africa. The purity of the defensive shapes and the incredible chromatic integration with the environment represents a creative success as well as a possible challenge to anyone who wishes to confine contemporary man in smaller spaces. I thank Claudio for having understood my willingness to build something extraordinary in a place so special for me.
Jumana Jiwaji Walia / Project: Kwa Shanzu Apartments & The Mango Farm Development
Kwa Shanzu is a different project for Claudio in that it is apartments rather than a fort or mansion, yet he has excelled, the apartments are large, spacious, airy and the choice of materials refreshing, despite the blazing heat of Shanzu. Claudio took great pain to customise every detail for the plot and has designed 15 apartments of varying internal layout types with all amenities and green technologies. The development has a wow factor and has come about through the careful consideration of what I, as a client wanted to achieve and what he, as a designer wanted to create. Kwa Shanzu is just amazing and for those lucky to live in the apartments the experience will be different, unique, exhilarating and peaceful.
Jumana Jiwaji Walia / Sunset Beach Developments, Property Developer, London - Kenya / Project: Kwa Shanzu Apartments & The Mango Farm Development
Mr and Mrs Jamal Abass / Lighthouse Villa & A17 Vipingo Ridge, Mombasa, Kenya.
We have been extremely pleased by the level of professionalism, efficiency and eye for detail we have experienced with the entire Claudio Modola Design Team. They are passionate about their designs, incredibly experienced and in short never disappoint!.
Albert Nganga / CEO Ditrulo LLC, New York, USA / Project: Sharazade
Claudio Modola and his team were able to interpret my vision of a modern swahili townhouse and enhanced it with impressive architectural details. My needs and desires were always first priority and I felt spoilt at times. I attribute their ability to understand client needs due to the firm's global footprint and diverse experience within their ranks. Claudio's knowledge of Lamu, contemporary design, and high degree of professionalism, fused my passion for all-things-Lamu within the process of constructing property on the island.
Marcella Anselmetti / Filmmaker, Tuscany, Italy. / Project: La Marelle
"La Marelle” è il nome francese del gioco da strada nel quale si lancia un sasso che un tempo era una conchiglia , su caselle numerate generalmente con un frammento di gesso e le si segue a volte saltando su due gambe e a volte su una sola. L’obbiettivo è rappresentato dall’apice dell’insieme di caselle chiamo “Le Paradis”. Un gioco infantile che magicamente ricorda la vita insomma.Il progetto è la celebrazione struggente di un vivere tropicale al femminile, di un tempo non necessariamente scomparso. La Marelle è un gioco delicato di ombre, un dono candido alle acacie , ai fiori violenti del tropico all’Oceano e a una buona amica.”
Domitilla Peugeot, Paris, France / Project: Kilamawingo
Lorsque je suis venue a Lamu pour la premiere fois, j’ai immediatement ete seduite par le charme de cette ile : la culture swahili, les ruelles etroites du village de Shella toutes encombrees d’anes, la vegetation, l’ocean, l’odeur du jasmin le soir.... Cherchant a tout prix une maison a acquerir, je rencontre Claudio Modola et decouvre Kilamawingu House. C’est une maison unique par son architecture : sur des bases datant du XVIII s. Claudio Modola a fait de cette maison un lieu de vacances ideal pour la famille tout en respectant l’integrite du style Swahili. Une piscine, des barazas, des jardins, une fontaine sont venus entourer la maison. La maison est delicieuse a vivre, la lumiere y entre de partout. L’espace y est agreable et convivial. Chacun de nous y trouve son coin de predilection : sur le toit, sous le toit, dans le jardin ou au bord de la piscine.Un lieu cree avec intelligence et amour, merci Claudio!
Mrs. Suno K. Osterweise / Project: Fungua Moyo
I have found in Claudio Modola Design, partners who have been able to interpret the mediation that I desired between the exotic charm of my dreams and my way of being. During the project and realization of my African house I understood the force of an aesthetic look and the courage required to propose and build it. I owe Claudio for the pleasure of living in some magnificently generous spaces during my African vacations and to feel the wonderful sensation of possessing a rare fragment of an epoch believed to be lost.
Mrs. Suno K. Osterweise / Board of Directors, Museum of Asian Contemporary Art, San Francisco, USA. / Project: Fungua Moyo
Mary Greenwell / Project: El Yafir
Upon returning to Lamu in 2003, I was struck by the power and beauty of the landmark known as ‘The Fort’, designed and built by Claudio Modola Design. It is an extraordinary structure, yet still has the ability to blend harmoniously with the dunes and rolling sea. The firm has since designed my home, it is the jewel in the crown, a gem, the bijou of Shela. The locals love it and the tourists walk by in wonder, necks craned up, pondering who lives there, witnessed by me on the first floor! Claudio and his team made the entire experience of building in Africa seem easy, I have my ‘El Yafir’, thank you all
Mary Greenwell / Award Winning Celebrity / Royalty Make Up Artist, London - Hollywood / Project: El Yafir
Dr.Stefano e Francesca Starvaggi / Project: Blue Empire
Our love story with a beach far away has now lasted for over 15 years and finally we have our own sanctuary on it. From the initial drawings we understood that our search for shapes and atmospheres had come to an end. Claudio created an extremely sophisticated organic home without disturbing our contact with the surrounding environment, which was of great importance to us. The precious woods from the Congo, the whitened tree trunks washed in by the sea, the shells, the fossilized corals and Arabian plasterwork have created an overall effect that we consider to be of exceptional beauty. We would like to thank Claudio Modola Design for their outstanding work, of which we are extremely proud.
Dr.Stefano e Francesca Starvaggi / Medical Practitioners, Cesenatico, Italy. / Project: Blue Empire
