I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the American University of Beirut in 2014. Beirut, my city, is an urban manifestation of contradictions and wildly divergent thinking.

A fluid entity that frustrates as much as it inspires, the city fueled my interest in space and design, and their ability to affect, color and determine our urban fabric and experiences at large. I simultaneously double-minored in studio arts and art history to better understand the complexity and interrelatedness of design, art and history.

I continued exploring my broader interest in design through a startup that I co-launched soon after graduation. Through this platform, I was able to collaborate closely with graphic designers, filmmakers, painters and musicians to create objects, spaces, installations and buildings. These experiences strengthened my conviction that good design is an amalgamation of multidisciplinary professional training and innate local know-how.

In Parsons I hope to have the chance to critically engage intersections of art, design and our urban fabric. I also hope to incorporate my research back into my startup, allowing it to grow into an experimental outpost in Beirut that can explore how different modes of design practices can better inform the design process, designed object, and their influence on the world around us.