June 5, 2024
WoEgypt

Africans Column selected 4 Egyptian women on its list of the 50 Influential African Women Architects 2024. Africans Column is a platform that projects, celebrates, and supports the good works of Africans in art, architecture, and design.

Magda Mostafa is an architect, Principal of StudioTM, and Professor of Design at the American University in Cairo (AUC). 

With a focus on autism-inclusive design, she is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking work in developing the ASPECTSS™ design guidelines, the world’s first research-based framework for autism. 

These guidelines have been instrumental in informing architectural projects across five continents and have earned Mostafa prestigious accolades, including the UIA International Research Award in 2014, with a rare second award in 2023. 

Mostafa’s impactful contributions have been showcased at prestigious events like the Venice Architecture Biennales in 2021 and 2023. Additionally, she co-directs the UNESCO-UIA education commission, shaping architectural education policies worldwide. Through her research and teaching, Mostafa continues to push the boundaries of inclusive architecture, addressing challenges faced by marginalized communities, including those living in informal settlements.

Sarah El Battouty is an Egyptian Architect and the founder of ECOnsult, a pioneering environmental design and auditing company in Egypt. With over 18 years of experience in the field of green building and sustainable development, Sarah has garnered global recognition for her innovative approach to architecture. Her work extends from Egypt to Italy and China, where she collaborates with both private sector entities and governmental agencies to implement green projects aimed at fostering sustainability and environmental consciousness. 

Sarah has been appointed as a senior advisor to the Egyptian president, focusing on sustainable community development. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Egypt’s environmental policy, including initiatives to raise awareness about energy and water conservation and the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement. 

In addition, Sarah was appointed as a Global Ambassador to the UN Climate Change’s Campaigns. 

Sarah El Battouty is the only Egyptian to be recognized by Bloomberg Good Business as a Green Entrepreneurship and the first to be recognized by the UN Sustainable Development Leader.

Sarah’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and gender equality is reflected in her company’s policies of equal pay and gender-balanced leadership.

Shahira Fahmy is founder of Shahira Fahmy Architects, established in Cairo, 2005. Shahira Fahmy Architects has gained international recognition and presence after winning several awards and competitions in London, Chicago, Switzerland, Istanbul and Dubai. 

Fahmy’s work has been featured in numerous publications, such as The New York Times T Magazine, The Architects’ Journal, The Architectural Review and The Financial Times, to mention a few. Fahmy was recently hailed by Phaidon as one of the “architects building the Arab future.”

Shahira Fahmy’s work spans the fields of architecture, urbanism, product design, and art. Fahmy has participated in a number of exhibitions and collaborations: the completion of the Delfina Foundation headquarter in London, with Studio Octopi, 2014; and the exhibition ‘Home in the Arab World’ with photographer Bas Princen.

Alongside her practice, Fahmy currently holds a visiting professor post at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She has been a guest critic, panelist and speaker at Harvard GSD, Yale, MIT, Cooper Union, City College of New York, and RIBA. She was also a project reviewer for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2013 cycle.

May Al-Ibrashy, Conservation Architect, Founder and Chair of Megawra-Built Environment Collective

May al-Ibrashy is aر architectural engineer with close to 30 years of field experience in conservation and heritage management in Historic Cairo. She undertakes projects to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of Egypt, especially Cairo. She focuses on working with local communities and ensuring that they are an integral part of any heritage preservation project.

She has completed the restoration of the magnificent Shrine of al-Imam al-Shafi’i in Cairo, with the support of the US Embassy in Cairo and The Barakat Trust. She is a lecturer in the department of Architecture at the American University in Cairo, and an honorary professor of practice in the School of Arts at SOAS, University of London.

May is founder and chair of the Built Environment Collective, an Egyptian NGO that operates via its space MEGAWRA, a hub and workspace that organizes a regular program of public talks and events in addition to research and community outreach projects in architecture and urbanism. 

She is coordinator of Athar Lina Initiative, a participatory initiative integrating conservation and community development based in Historic Cairo. 

She holds a BSc in Architectural Engineering from Ain Shams University, an MA in Art, Architecture and Archaeology and a PhD in Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London.

Her significant contributions have earned her several awards, including the 2022 Prince Claus Impact Award and recognition as a finalist for the 2023 ArchDaily Diversity in Architecture DIVIA Award.