Azza Aboualam
Bio
Azza Aboualam is an Assistant Professor at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University Dubai. She acquired her M.Arch from Yale University, New Haven Connecticut. Her M.Arch projects involved a range of research based architecture projects. In addition to being a teaching fellow for a number of classes at Yale University and Yale College, she was nominated for the Feldman Prize in architecture during her final year in Peter Eisenman’s advanced studio.
In the region, Azza is best known for her work with the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development’s UAE Architecture Initiative. She was the writer of “In Search of Spaces of Coexistence: An Architect’s Journey,” where her field research and sketches were published. She is also actively researching and documenting the built environment of the Emirate of Sharjah.
Before joining Zayed University, Azza’s previous post was involved in working on a variety of projects with the Department of Public Works in Sharjah, most notable of which being Wasit Wetland Center, the Aga Khan award winner of 2019. A number of her projects were exhibited in a variety of locations such as Yale University, Jameel Art Center, Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Venice Biennale and Citygroup Architecture Initiative in New York.
Office
Dubai Academic City, Dubai
Phone:
+971 4 402 1111
Email:
Azza.Aboualam@zu.ac.aeTeaching Areas
Within the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE), Azza has been engaged in teaching courses that revolve around design, research and representation from the MENA region. She encourages students to deeply examine their surroundings, especially when it comes to understanding and documenting local methods of building. By incorporating a variety of research methods within her classes, such as oral history and archival material, she fosters the exploration of the intersections between the students' personal interests and broader issues in the built environment, such as the documentation of cultural heritage.
Research and Professional Activities
Azza’s scholarly interests include the intersection of ritual, architecture and society in the MENA region, through field research and documentation of narratives in the built environment. She has been appointed as the first Emirati woman to curate the National Pavilion UAE in its participation at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, in 2025. She is also known for her work with the UAE’s Ministry of Culture’s Architecture Initiative where her field research, sketches and writing were published in the book titled In Search of Spaces of Coexistence: An Architect’s Journey. Azza also contributed as a researcher in Building Sharjah and Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai. While working in Sharjah’s Department of Public Works, she led and managed the design and construction of large-scale projects such as the Aga-Khan Award winning building, Wasit Wetland Center, during construction.
