WiEconnect podcast series, interview with Iraqi architect, artist, and author Maath Al-Alousi, the founder of Alousi Associates and receiver of the Tamayouz Lifetime Achievement Award for Architecture in recognition of his contribution to architecture and architectural discourse in Iraq and the Middle East region.

For those seeking to explore the possibilities of architecture design services, partnering with a visionary studio can make all the difference. Together, we can shape the future of design with innovation, empathy, and purpose.

The most compelling aspect of this intervention is its refusal to treat heritage as a visual checklist. Instead, it expands the identity of the Sami Makarem House by translating its essence—calligraphic culture, intellectual calm, spiritual resonance—into a contemporary spatial system. Everything begins with alef: one line, one measure, one orientation. From that simplicity, the project builds something rare: an addition that expands a place without diluting it.

A monument is never just stone, steel, or marble. It is a collective decision about what deserves remembrance — and how that remembrance should be felt. That “how” often sits beneath the visible form, embedded in geometry, proportion, sequence, and repetition. Below are three iconic monuments from different cultures and eras. None rely on symbolism alone; instead, geometry becomes the architectural method, turning form into an enduring narrative.

We often describe windows as elements: openings, frames, glazing ratios, thermal values. Yet, the first thing you register when you enter a space is not a U-value, it is a feeling. You sense the quality of light. You notice whether the room invites you outward or protects you from being seen. You read rhythm in the wall: repetition, pause, the quiet tension between solid and void.

To speak of architecture only in terms of form, style, or performance misses its most vital dimension: how it is lived. A building is not...

A layered dialogue between land and sea, memory and transformation! Few urban landscapes embody the tension between continuity and rupture quite like Beirut. At the heart of this city’s evolving identity lies its port—a threshold, a lifeline, and at times, a frontier. This blog traces the complex and shifting relationship between Beirut and its port, revealing how history, policy, and conflict have reshaped this bond across generations.

In this episode of WiE Connect Podcast, we sit down with Lebanese architect Tarek Ibrahim — founder of Paseo Architecture and a rising voice in contemporary design. Dubbed the “Vogue Architect” by Abode2, Tarek has played a pivotal role in shaping cultural ambition and community well-being, earning numerous accolades such as the Excellence in Architecture Award (2018), the German Design Award (2020), and multiple A'Design Awards.

In a time when architecture is increasingly designed for the camera, and experienced through screens, it’s easy to forget a simple truth: buildings are not images—they are environments to be inhabited, remembered, and felt. The book of Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin (1996), stands as a vital counterpoint to the rise of hyper-visual design culture. A poetic and philosophical manifesto, the book calls for a return to embodied architecture.

In the accelerating churn of global cities—where towers rise overnight and neighborhoods vanish without ceremony—heritage conservation...

What defines a landmark? It's a question that may seem obvious at first—until we look deeper. From towering icons like the Eiffel Tower or the Burj Khalifa to ancient wonders like the Pyramids, the word landmark often conjures striking visuals. But the true essence of a landmark isn’t just in its silhouette—it lies in its ability to mark the land, to inscribe meaning onto space.

In this engaging and thought-provoking podcast, Amale Andraos, a renowned New York-based architect, educator, and former dean of the Columbi

Urban Morphology teaches us to see the city as a palimpsest—a manuscript rewritten over time, with traces of each layer still visible. It urges us to look beyond façades and zoning diagrams, to read the cultural sediment embedded in every block, street, and square. Each city wall, courtyard, or axis is not just a design element—it’s a material memory. But in a world of spreadsheets and simulations, can we still hear these older voices beneath the asphalt?

What truly separates good design from great design? How can we create a space that does more than engage the conscious mind?

WiE Connect podcast series, interview with Mohamed Al Assam, the Executive Chairman and Founder of Dewan Architects + Engineers

Heritage is often seen as something we inherit—historic buildings, cultural traditions, or ancient landmarks that recount stories of the past. However, what if heritage is more than just relics encased in glass or monuments frozen in time? What if it's a living, evolving entity shaped by our emotions, memories, and interactions with the spaces around us?

Is nature a fundamental dimension in architecture and design? Is the world truly poorly designed? Where is the gap, and how can it be filled

Reinterpreting Sacred Architecture: Exploring Transcendence, Design, and the Spirit of Space

Harmony in Curves: Exploring the Influence of Calligraphy in Architectural Language

Exploring the Symbiosis of Graphic Design and Architecture: A Collaborative Symphony