Përparim Rama is an award-winning architect and conceptual artist, who turns ideas into spaces of experiential excellence. As founding director of the London-based 4M Group, he is responsible for the overall project management and development planning of the practice. His projects range from the luxury residential to the commercial, from high-end hotels to mixed-use development, and urban planning. Despite having a team of directors, Rama continues to be the driving force behind the business and takes a hands-on approach, ensuring that the exceptional standards he set at the start of 4M Group in 2004 remain in place throughout his company. In 2009, 4M was ranked in the top fifty Sustainable Design Studios in the UK by Open City. His unrivalled vision, leadership and top-notch quality work has been noticed by news outlets such as London Building Design Magazine, BBC, RAI, The Times newspaper, and has resulted in a plethora of happy clients worldwide.
Last year the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale saw Rama representing Kosovo for the first time in the country’s history, with an installation entitled, “The Filigree Maker,” an emotional barometer related to Kosovan streets and buildings. The pavilion was internationally praised, and was noted especially by the Biennale’s President Paolo Baratta, who referred to it as “architectural democracy.”
Rama consults the Qatari National Research Fund on the Doha 2030 Vision, a government sponsored initiative for the future urban planning of the capital city. He is the London team project leader on the Dhermi 10HA sustainable village master plan project along southern Albania’s Ionian coast. Through his many collaborations on large-scheme projects, he has developed a creative thinking method for the design of new enterprises.
His background includes being the specialist consultant on developing Tools for Spatial Planning and Architecture for Newham Council and Tower Hamlets in London in preparation for the London OLYMPICS 2012. He was in charge of the international design consortium led by 4M GROUP in design to planning approval for the ENK Complex mixed-use development in Prishtina, Kosova. Additionally, he was project leader in designing the urban regulating plan for the capital city. Rama’s architectural projects, however, do not stop at London, Kosovo and Albania, but extend to New York, USA; Dublin, Ireland; Turks and Caicos Islands; Udine, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; Lagos, Nigeria; Basel, Switzerland; Prague, Cheque Republic; and Damascus, Syria.
As a former tutor at Nottingham University School of Architecture, and in his capacities as visiting tutor/critic at the University of East London (on Degree, Diploma and MSc in Computing & Design), and Visiting Critic at the Architectural Association, as well as his work as co-supervisor to PhDs in the area of Generative Architecture & SMART building design (at the MA and PHD program at SMARTlab Digital Media Institute), Rama has a significant reputation among students for being passionate about the subjects he teaches and for holding students to high standards. He not only encourages them to learn how to articulate their vision, but also supports them in developing a creative mind-set that considers both design and build implications on humanity and the environment.
Rama has extensively examined spontaneous settlements and self-organisation, focusing on Generative Architecture with a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Computing & Architecture. He has immersed himself in lessons from nature for the built environment, and has particular research interests in sustainable development strategies shaping cities, and chaos and complexity theories.
Founded in 2004, 4M Group is a London – based bespoke design-build firm of talented and ambitious architects, designers, builders and planners from different parts of the world. With vision and a fundamental commitment to innovation and sustainability, 4M is a thriving organisation that has a thorough expertise in delivering innovative solutions across private and public sectors.
Our areas of expertise include residential, retail, hospitality, and urban mixed-use projects. From architectural design to completion, every aspect of the project is managed and implemented by our staff, providing a full-service from design, cost and programme consultancy through to construction project management. 4Ms collaborative client- designer relationship and dedication to surpassing expectations has resulted in lasting friendships and a global network of connections.
Our approach is hands-on: we are builder architects. Our concern is the happiness and well-being of individuals and communities. We integrate the art of architecture with innovative technology, crafting iconic designs that continue to challenge existing standards and advocate for a novel realm for living and working.
Some of our current projects include: a pharmacy chain in Lagos, Nigeria; the master-planning and architectural design of an Eco-Village in Dhermi, Albania; a community of homes in Bernica Park, Kosovo; high-end residences in London’s Chelsea, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Belsize Park, Southwark and Hackney.
Internationally recognised for delivering projects of high-quality, our goal is to create soulful and timeless spaces which move the human spirit and enhance the connection between our clients and their surroundings. As a socially and environmentally conscious firm of specialists, we strive to create spaces that are not just aesthetically appealing, but also showcase an inherent ecological responsibility that simultaneously caters to the needs and desires of those who use them.
We take great pride in our work and undertake each project with passion and special attention to detail, considering the spatial and material demands of each client. 4M’s ability to empathise and focus on understanding the needs of each client is the cornerstone of our work and office philosophy.
