K+M arquitectura y urbanismo is a Lima, Peru-based studio founded by architects Sharif Kahatt and Marta Morelli in 2010. The studio is interested in the diversity of scale, context, program, and user base, and views each project as a new opportunity for exploration and improvement of urban life. It has extensive experience in urban and mixed-use projects in various countries in North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Since its founding, K+M has been developing housing, office, and cultural buildings in several Peruvian cities. Equally committed to cultural development, the studio actively participates in academic events, exhibitions, and conferences in Peru and around the world. It is a founding member of the Peruvian Association of Architectural Studies and is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Sharif S. Kahatt. (1974) Architect and urban planner, Sharif S. Kahatt has worked on a wide variety of commercial, academic, institutional, entertainment, and residential projects in Peru, Germany, the United States, Spain, Japan, and Egypt.
After graduating as an architect from Ricardo Palma University in 1997 and receiving the Rafael Marquina Award for best thesis, Sharif worked at Vella Arquitectos and then began his work as an independent architect and lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at Ricardo Palma University. In 2000, Sharif worked for the architectural firm NHM-Architekten in Hamburg, Germany, before moving to Spain, where he earned his master's degree with distinction from the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB). Between 2001 and 2004, Sharif was a member of the architectural team at SMITHGROUP in Washington, DC, where he participated in the design of institutional and academic buildings. In 2004, Sharif returned to Barcelona to begin his doctoral studies while also working for the real estate firm SACRESA, specializing in housing, retail, and entertainment in Barcelona, overseeing the design of a shopping center in Barcelona. In 2007, Sharif earned a Master's degree in Architecture and Urban Design from Harvard University and subsequently collaborated with the architectural firm Machado & Silvetti Associates in Boston as project manager for Eastown and Westown, two urban developments in Cairo, Egypt.
Since 2010, Sharif has directed K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo, developing projects in Peru, and combines professional practice with teaching as a senior lecturer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
Marta Morelli. (1975) An architect, Marta Morelli, has worked on various projects in Peru, the United States, and China. Her experience includes residential, academic, and commercial buildings.
Early in her career, after graduating from the Ricardo Palma University School of Architecture, she worked for two years in Guillermo Málaga's office, developing various projects in Lima and other cities in Peru. In 1999, she began her independent practice with the design of the new headquarters of the New Acropolis Cultural Institute in Lima. From 2002 to 2004, Marta was part of the architectural team at Leo A. Daly in Washington, D.C. In 2005, after earning a first-class honours degree from the Master's program at the Barcelona School of Architecture (ETSAB), Marta moved to Boston, where she designed a single-family house on the beach in Cape Cod while attending a year of private courses at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. From 2006 to 2009, Marta collaborated with Elkus Manfredi Architects in Boston as a Senior Designer for mixed-use projects in the U.S. and China and taught in the design studio for the Master of Architecture program at Boston Architectural College.
Since 2010, Marta has directed K+M Architecture and Urbanism, developing projects in Peru, and she combines her professional practice with teaching as an associate professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.
