Sara Bokr: The architect imbuing spaces with meaning

Sara Bokr approaches architecture with a keen eye for disruption. Just two years out of architecture school, the Palestinian designer is already flipping the script on what design can—and should—do. Sara’s mission? To strategically create spaces so that they work for everyone, especially those who’ve been overlooked. From creating private breastfeeding spaces in public, to exploring the architecture of violence in Palestine, or designing shelters for workers, Sara is using architecture to push the boundaries of equity, functionality and inclusivity.

“I’m always nostalgic for creating things that I used to think about or see as a kid,” Sara shares with Dazed MENA. “I had an unending imagination around making objects all the time. Those random thoughts made me the designer and architect I am today.”

Born and raised in Sharjah and now based in Dubai, Sara’s influence is already being felt across the region. Starting out working full time at an engineering firm in Dubai, Sara quit her job to open her design practice Circ Studio. She’s now behind some of the projects for the city’s coolest brands—from pop-up spots at Sole DXB to working with Ziina, Precious Trust, Blu Matcha Cafe and Rascal’s Deli. Her creativity is what feeds her talent to envision such spaces. “My work process is fuelled by daydreaming, alongside observing the way people in my day to day life interact with spaces, furniture and objects around them.”

Her work has landed her features in Hypebeast, Identity Magazine Middle East, and even a collaboration with GQ Middle East and Adidas Originals. But it’s not just about making spaces look good (which she happens to accomplish nonetheless)—it’s about designing them to meet real needs. “My work integrates human-centred thinking that emphasises social interaction when coming up with a concept,” Sara explains “Finding ways to balance vernacular design within our modern context, while also addressing the region’s social needs and issues.”

Take Omooma, Sara’s game-changing chair for nursing mothers. In a context where women are still shamed for breastfeeding in public, Sara’s design offers a private, comfortable solution. The chair creates a personal cocoon in busy public spaces like offices or cafes, allowing women to breastfeed without feeling forced into isolation. Wrapped in tinted oak wood and camel leather, with a linen curtain for privacy, the chair is a small but radical statement: mothers deserve spaces that don’t alienate them from being in public. 

But Sara’s vision for architecture extends beyond convenience and comfort. She’s driven by a belief that design can be a tool for justice. Sara is using her platform to address social inequities through design. For her, architecture is about creating environments that foster connection, evoke understanding and challenge the status quo. Her philosophy applies to her innovative perception of how she hopes the SWANA scene will evolve in her field: “I’d like to say collaboration within different disciplines. I want to see fashion designers collaborate with architects on their projects,” Sara says. “I want to see filmmakers collaborate with musicians, and so on.”

Another key part of this vision was showcased earlier this year at Dubai’s Crystal Clear exhibition, where Sara’s work, ‘The Material and Fabrication School of Gaza,’ was on display. The project, which is as much political as it is architectural, aims to address how Gazans, whose lives are circumscribed by the Israeli occupation, can create and sustain spaces for refuge and knowledge amidst ongoing destruction. “Between the rubble, and within the rubble, a space emerges to the making of other spaces,” Sara explains. The project reimagines Gaza’s future through a blend of memory, imagination, and architectural invention. Its capsule-shaped structures—part shelter, part archive—are designed to offer not just physical protection but also a means of conserving culture, community, and history in the face of systemic erasure. 

As a Palestinian living in Dubai, Sara is persistently navigating the intersection of cultural identity and urban design. She’s part of a new wave of architects shaping the future—not just of cities, but of culture itself. She’s blurring the lines between architecture, fashion and social activism, all while putting people—especially women and marginalised communities—at the centre of her work. Currently, Sara is working on a project that blends furniture with fashion garments in addition to designing a themed smash room where each space is an immersive experience on its own. 

She believes that architectural design can serve as a medium to evoke humanity and challenge unjust structures. Her work reflects a philosophy that emanates today’s youth culture—one that unflinchingly demands spaces where people can live with dignity. It’s a vision that is especially urgent in a region where space is relentlessly contested or controlled. “I want to change how people see architects and architecture as always being polished, formal and serious,” Sara contends. “I want to bring in more flexibility, randomness, and playfulness, allowing for more creative and natural designs that can adapt to how people actually live and use spaces.”

As the SWANA region continues to rethink its relationship with space, Sara is a name to know. With our living spaces dictating the terms of our existence, her work reminds us that architecture is not neutral. Architects make the choice to exclude or embrace, divide or unite. Create warmth or frigidity. With her focus on designing spaces that are functional, inclusive, and resilient, Sara is not just designing structures, she’s designing a more just, equitable future.