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Yousef Awaad

BSc, MArch,
 PMP, 
LEED AP ND, AICP
Middle East Associate Director, Riyadh

Curious by nature and shaped by context, Yousef approaches the built environment as both a design and social challenge. With a diverse upbringing across the Middle East and Canada, he combines expertise in architecture, urban design, and planning with a nuanced understanding of local politics and place.

As our Middle East Associate Director, Yousef brings over a decade of experience building relationships and leading projects across the region. He excels at bridging creative and technical disciplines, as well as global and local perspectives—translating ambitious ideas into grounded, context-sensitive strategies. Based in Riyadh, he works closely with senior clients in both the public and private sectors on complex cultural, urban, and regional development projects.

Yousef studied at Harvard University and McGill University, and his research has been published by the World Planning Congress and the ACSA Journal of Architectural Education.

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Say hello to Yousef
Modern architectural building with cyclists and tower at sunset.
Coastal luxury resort with terraces, pools, and scenic ocean views at sunset.
Confidential Mixed-Use Master Plan

A project shaped by the notion of place—one that unites beauty, meaning, and belonging. Centered on a series of communities that coexist around human experiences, the master plan seamlessly weaves blue and green landscape strategies with innovative mobility and sustainability solutions. The result is a cohesive city with a strong identity rooted in its local context.

Aerial night view of a brightly lit city, surrounded by darker mountainous terrain.
Makkah City Concept Plan
Makkah is a sanctuary, a cultural hub, and a vibrant global destination. The master plan builds on these qualities through a polycentric and incremental development approach that structures districts both spatially and socially. Communities evolve in a cellular pattern—from the scale of the individual to that of the district—empowering families to take part in shaping their city.
I’m driven by a sense of responsibility to the region and view design as a tool to align identity, process, and impact.
Visitor explores art exhibition with large map on display.
2021 Venice Architecture Biennale
Yousef co-curated the Kuwait National Pavilion, presenting the Gulf desert as a functional staging ground, actively shaping the economic, cultural, and environmental drivers of cities.
Open book with black ribbon, pinkish surface in sunlight.
2023 Space Wars Publication
Yousef co-edited a publication featuring contributions from over 30 experts in planning, architecture, art, and ecology, reframing the history and spatial narratives of Gulf national landscapes.
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