Maestro Architects was founded in the year 2004, when two architects merged their private practices in order to make a formidable team and venture more into the corporate world and government projects. It was officially registered on 15th February 2005.The founding partners, Architect Charles Ogeto and Architect Kimathi Itaru, had earlier met in 1995 at Githunguri and Partners Architects, where Charles was a junior architect and Kimathi was then a student on attachment programme from the Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Architect Charles Ogeto was to stay at Githunguri and Partners until the year 2001, and having graduated with a bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Nairobi (UoN) in 1994, it became obvious that he now needed to venture out on his own, equipped with lifelong skills imported under the tutelage of Architect Geoffrey Ngugi Githunguri, a respected architect and fellow member of AAK.
Architect Kimathi Itaru now has over 12 years post registration experience, having graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors of architecture degree from JKUAT, and joined Aaki Architects for a short stint under Architect Francis Mungai, a renowned Architect and university lecturer. Kimathi soon sat his BORAQS exams in 2001 and was registered with the Board. He has also trained and is certified as a lead auditor with NEMA (National Environment Management Authority).
Early December of 2004, the two met for a cup of tea with one agenda in mind, and the rest is history. Charles is poetic whilst Kimathi is practical and business oriented and the idea of “master builders” came up – an architectural studio that has mastered the art of building and designing iconic structures yet environmentally and culturally responsive works of architecture with a poetic tinge! And yes, “Maestro” architects was born!
Architect Charles Ogeto has now over 15 years post registration experience, having sat the BORAQS registration exams in 1996, four years after graduating from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Management from Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) in 1997. In addition, Charles is a member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), BORAQS as well as a board of governors’ member in several schools.
