Young archipreneur turning dreams into reality

Architecture is a beacon of innovation and creativity for those who want to bring to life novel design concepts through experimentation, research, and exploration. It is also turning people’s dreams into reality.

Mikhail Ahmad

But turning dreams into reality is somewhat indelible in 24-year-old Mikhail Ahmad. In fact, Mikhail is one of the most sought-after young architects and is cementing his name within the field. 

Going back to his childhood, Mikhail grew up with his brother at Goed Fortuin – a small village on the West Bank of Demerara which housed over two thousand, six hundred forty-four (2,644) people. 

He attended the Goed Fortuin Primary School before being awarded a place at the Zeeburg Secondary School after which, he was transferred to the West Demerara Secondary School from 2010 – 2012. His parents made this decision so that he can be closer to home. 

Growing up, Mikhail explained that he was exposed to architecture and construction due to the fact that his father is also an Architect while his brother is an Engineer. 

I grew up being exposed to construction as my dad Naseer is also an Architect and my brother Xyzfaohn an Engineer. Between spending time on construction sites and taking an interest in arts, I pursued Architecture. 

After graduating from the West Demerara Secondary School in 2012, Mikhail hopped over to the University of Guyana, where he pursued Civil Engineering. But by 2013, his passion for the arts and design grew more potent and, as such, switched over to Architecture. 

I was well rounded in all things Architecture, from History to Design to Construction. I always took to learning about new and innovative technologies that could improve my designs, which would, in turn, improve the livelihood of those using my spaces.

At the end of his third year at the University of Guyana, the young archipreneur revealed that he had an epiphany that he would be on the verge of job hunting in the same year of graduating. Not wanting to be unemployed, the young man acted swiftly and launched LA Architecture. 

The thought of being graduated and unemployed was a scary one. As such, I wanted to stay ahead of the curve. At the start of my final year in 2016, between working part-time with my uncle selling carpets and working on final year projects, I birthed LA Architecture, my own Architecture company. 

According to the businessman, LA Architecture or LA, as called by many, is a Guyanese-based and operated company that specializes in Home Designs and Consultancy. 

“Simply put, clients engage us in designing their house or building; we produce a design, structural drawings, and illustrations; our renderings and animations are popular with the locale. When requested, we provide an engineer’s estimate, which gives a good sense of the cost of the project.” 

He continued, “ After Designs have been given the green light by the relevant authorities, we are often contracted to stay with the project through the life of the construction as an in-house consultant. Our job as the consultant is to ensure that our design goes from paper to reality as it was meant to be. We also check that proper construction techniques and methods are used to have a successful and happy end product building.” 

In addition to the design and supervision of homes, LA Architecture renders its services to the builders and suppliers involved both dependently and independently. 

We work with contractors, fabricators, joiners, furniture builders, landscapers, etc. on in house projects, but also as an independent in making proposals on their behalf to companies and agencies when contracting for works.

When asked what is different about LA architecture to its competitors, Ahmad said;

I believe what sets LA architecture apart from other local architecture companies is our love for the process of getting to that end product, no matter how many times we go from design to construction, the love for the process remains, as clichéd as that is. A repeated gesture from our clients is how enjoyable it was to work with us from paper to concrete. Form follows function, and I believe we stand tall in building happy homes and relationships.

This young businessman is of the view that architecture can improve the livelihood of our people. He added; 

As I have seen done in many places across the globe, take Denmark, for example. I’m hopeful and looking forward to more youths pushing my cause of making architecture more prominent in Guyana as it is needed so much. So many of our everyday problems can be resolved easily if only we put some architecture into it. 

From now on, Mikhail is looking to grow his business by providing construction supplies and services and, ultimately, real estate. He also hopes to design, build, and sell our very own LA Homes to the people of Guyana. 

Contact Information for Mikhail Ahmad

• • Telephone: 592-610 – 1232 
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Facebook Page: L.A architecturegy
  • Instagram Page: Laarchitecturegy
  • Website: www.laarchitecturegy.com