DESIGNING
By Kadie Yale | Photography by Garrett Rowland
While she always loved
architecture, Fauzia Khanani,
founder and principal of
Studio Fōr, didn’t grab hold
of her passion until her
mid-twenties. From there, she
has built a career on listening
closely and taking risks.
Fauzia Khanani’s thoughtfulness shines through her words and delivery. She speaks deliberately with the occasional pause to ensure the words are expressing
exactly what she means.
This trait was also brought to light in her decision
to change her architecture and design studio’s
name from Fōz Design to Studio Fōr as of
February 28. The “Fōr” stands for the firm’s
emphasis on designing for clients, an important
factor of Khanani’s work. While discussing the
current state of interior design and architecture,
she paused before stating that truly listening to
a client is one of the most important jobs for a
designer. That being said, she admits there are
infrequent times when she can’t help but say,
“Trust me on this one; I’m the designer.”
One so thoughtful in her choices may be
unfortunately stereotyped as timid. However,
Khanani’s career path can best be described as
intrepid. While she was interested in design in her
younger years, it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that
she decided to turn her passion for architecture
into a career despite a background in the medical
industry and an initial rejection from the Berkeley
Masters of Architecture program. (She would
eventually graduate from there.)
This audacious nature continued to help pave
her path. After working in San Francisco, Khanani
uprooted and moved to New York City, establishing
LEFT + BELOW Khanani
began to bring her
architectural dreams to
life when she was asked
by friends to design
their home in New York's
Hudson Valley.
