Hazem Rashed-Ali, Assoc. AIA

I serve as the Dean of the College of Architecture and Construction Management (CACM) at KSU. I moved to KSU 3 years ago from Texas Tech University, where I was the Associate Dean for Research at TTU’s College of Architecture. Prior to that, I worked at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M University. I teach design studios, building technology, and performance simulation courses. My research focuses on high-performance design. I previously served as President of the Architectural Research Centers Consortium.

I practiced architecture in Egypt, where I worked on several award-winning projects. I have been involved with AIA since 2013. Examples include serving as a member of the AIA Higher Education Advisory Team, the TXA Board of Directors, and on the jury for the AIA COTE® Top 10 Competition. I hold a PhD from Texas A&M University, a master’s from Oxford Brookes University, and a Bachelor of Architecture from Ain Shams University.

Can you share a project that you’re particularly proud of and why it resonates with you?

Between 1999 and 2001, I had the opportunity to work on the Al-Azhar Park project in Cairo, Egypt. The park is located in the Darrasa Hills, next to some of Cairo’s older and historic areas. Prior to developing the park, the site was used as a landfill and had more than 130 feet of debris. The project transformed this landfill into a landmark 30-hectare public park, providing critical, much-needed green infrastructure not just for the surrounding neighborhoods, but for Cairo as a whole. The park has also become a catalyst for urban and social renewal in one of the most congested cities in the world, especially in the low-income neighborhood immediately adjacent to the park. While I only worked on the project for two out of the eight years it took to be completed, I am very proud of contributing to such a transformational project.

Who has been a significant mentor in your career, and how have they influenced your work?

The first, and most influential, mentor I had in my career was Abdelhalim Ibrahim. Ibrahim, who passed in 2021, was a renowned award-winning Egyptian Architect whose firm, Community Design Collaborative (CDC), I joined shortly after graduating. Ibrahim taught me the value and power of design and how good architecture can positively impact the lives of people and the communities we serve. In his office, we worked with traditional designs, materials, and systems using a human-centered approach that engaged users and involved them in the design process. He instilled in us a belief that architecture is not only about buildings but also about building a society. The experiences I gained from him personally and from working in his firm have shaped my views about architecture. Ibrahim’s work was celebrated in an excellent book by James Steele, titled “Abdelhalim Ibrahim Abdelhalim: An Architecture of Collective Memory,” which I highly recommend.

In what ways do you hope your work impacts the communities you design for?

Serving as the Dean of KSU’s College of Architecture and Construction Management, I have the privilege of leading one of the largest built-environment colleges in North America. I believe CACM plays a critical role in creatively shaping the future of our communities. Through our educational mission, we prepare our students for built environment professions, through which they can help address significant societal challenges in innovative and creative ways. Through our research, scholarship, and creative activities mission, we expand the body of knowledge of our disciplines, as we advance society’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the built environment, the value of design and construction, and develop future innovations in theory and practice. While building a vision for the future, we engage the community today, working to have a direct impact on our local communities and to enhance the quality of life of all community members.