by CENTRAL ASIAN UNIVERSITY
April 20-26

This project began in the mahalla itself. As part of a course on urban research, students of the School of Architecture and Design at CAU spent several weeks in the Chigatay mahalla of Tashkent — taking measurements, engaging with residents, and studying the materials from which this environment has been shaped over centuries. Materials that carry not only a structural function, but also knowledge.
The exhibition explores the neighbourhood as a living spatial system shaped by material practices, movement, and collective interaction. Focusing on the “mahalla”, the traditional neighbourhood structure of Uzbekistan, the project examines its internal logic without presenting it as a fixed or idealized model.
Through a series of interconnected installations, the exhibition translates principles of material transformation, informal circulation, and collective authorship into a contemporary architectural language.
The exhibition is arranged on two levels and brings together several installations, each of which reveals different aspects of the mahalla — from the structure of space to its perception.
Visitors engage through movement, touch, sound, and participation, allowing spatial order to emerge through interaction rather than prescription. The mahalla is presented not as a nostalgic reference, but as an evolving framework capable of informing future architectural and urban practices.
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Shukrullo Jahongirov

Sakina Mukhamedjanova
Gulimokh Juraeva
Gulimokh Juraeva is an emerging architect and spatial designer from Uzbekistan and co-founder of the Arts and Crafts Society. Her practice focuses on material research, urbanism and public space design, with a particular interest in rethinking conventional materials through a sustainable lens — transforming overlooked resources into the building blocks of new architectural proposals.
Rakhshona Makhkamova
Rakhshona Makhkamova is an emerging architect from Uzbekistan working between experimental design, spatial installations, and research. She is a co-founder of the Arts and Crafts Society, a creative collective exploring the intersection of architecture, art, and material experimentation. Her work explores architecture as a living environment shaped by interaction, atmosphere, and narrative, often investigating the subconscious dimensions of human perception and spatial experience.
Rahmatulloh Azizov
Rahmatulloh Azizov is a fourth-year Architecture and Design student at CAU, specializing in VR, AR, and AI in architecture and digital fabrication. He has worked on international research projects with AX CAPITAL and contributed to projects in Russia, the UAE, and Greece. His academic work explores contemporary spatial design, with publications on Scopus, Google Scholar, Zenodo, and OpenAIRE. Currently, he works at the university’s FabLab, focusing on digital production, prototyping, and emerging technologies, combining technical precision with innovative, interdisciplinary approaches.
Humoyun Bakhtinurov
Humoyun Bakhtinurov is an uzbek architect with a background in art and design.
Graduated from an 11-year Republican specialized boarding school of arts in the field of design, qualifying as an industrial designer, where form, composition, and intuition became the foundation of his approach.
Actively participate in local and international competitions, while exploring the integration of VR/AR into the construction process.
"In my work, I return to the essence of human nature — designing spaces that feel instinctive rather than imposed."
Safina Mukhamadjonova
Safina Mukhamadjonova is an architect and designer exploring the space where architecture blurs into art, installations, and material experimentation. With an architectural mindset, she is interested not only in form and function, but in how space can be felt, questioned, and reimagined. As part of the Arts and Crafts Society, she approaches her work with curiosity, exploring how materials and ideas shape spatial experience.
Her practice focuses on atmosphere and perception, creating installations that invite people to feel space rather than simply observe it.
Sofia Deripalko
Sofia Deripalko is a multidisciplinary artist from Tashkent, Uzbekistan and a student of Architecture and Design at Central Asian University. Her research-based practice explores cultural identity and the uniqueness of Uzbek culture, while occasionally reflecting on the roles of women in society.
Central Asian University is becoming the first university from Uzbekistan to be represented at Milano Design Week, and is among the few participants from the country in recent years. This takes the project beyond the framework of a single exhibition and makes it a significant event both for the university and for the professional environment.
Central Asian University
Join us in celebrating a key milestone for Central Asian University: in 2025, CAU has been awarded a 4-Star rating in the international QS Stars system, becoming the only private university in Uzbekistan to achieve this level of recognition.
Contacts
264, Milliy bog St, Tashkent, 111221, Uzbekistan
info@centralasian.uz
+998-71-200-05-22
Website