MIIM Designs' Founder and Principal Architect Maryam Eskandari Featured in Harvard's Islawmix Magazine

MIIM Designs' Founder and Principal Architect Maryam Eskandari was featured in Harvard University's "islawmix" magazine on the "history, representation and role" of the mosque in the nascent Muslim community and today. The mosque historically has served as a social, spiritual, educational and even economic center for Muslims. MIIM elaborated on the commercial role of the mosque as a contributor to the economic growth of the Muslim community:

"According to Maryam Eskandari, an American architect focusing on creating inclusive Islamic architecture who recently sat down with islawmix and will be featured in the upcoming parts of this series, the relationship between the mosques and surrounding businesses was extremely mutual and contributed to the economic growth of the community as well as the sustenance of the mosques: since mosques were a central communal space, it made sense for merchants to establish themselves there, attracting any and all congregants. The merchants, in turn, would donate portions of their earnings to the mosque for its care and growth. Indeed, we find that the Ka’aba, the holiest site in Islam to where Muslims are obliged to perform pilgrimage at least once in their lifetimes if they are able to, itself was a commercial center both before and after the establishment of Islam"

"While the state of the mosque in its communities evolved throughout the centuries, its position in the heart of the Muslim community in which it was built remained strong as did its function as a space for worship, social interaction, education, justice and commercialism. The mosque was never just walls, brick and calligraphy thrown together for ritual prayer. Instead it was a place of almost functional worship in which the very existence and cultivation of the mutual and altruistic relationships within the community were acts of devotion to God. Today, its role differs greatly from not only society to society – but neighborhood to neighborhood as a result of several factors. This fluctuation has been nowhere more apparent than in the United States."

​Read more here​.

MIIM Attends Conference on "Reconstituting Female Authority"

In March 2013, MIIM Designs Studio attended a conference on “Reconstituting Female Authority: Women’s Participation in and the Transmission and Production of Islamic Knowledge”, hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara. Particularly noteworthy was the discussion on reclaiming history. In her plenary speech, Dr. Asma Sayeed (University of California, Los Angeles, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures) examined women’s religious education, particularly their training in and transmission of ḥadīth (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) from early Islam to the Ottoman period. Sayeed explained that while a number of women were trained in ‘ilm al-ḥadīth (the science of ḥadīth) and were prolific teachers and transmitters to both women and men, few were present in the fields of the Qur’ānic sciences, Islamic law and theology, perhaps because of the need for prolonged, uninterrupted study, which was not conducive to women given the gender interaction norms of this period as well as women’s domestic obligations. Still, women were preservers of the Prophet’s legacy and active members of the class of ‘ulama (scholars), a position still debated today.

Amira Abou-Taleb (American University of Cairo) continued the conversation, in her talk problematizing the subjectivity of history, or more specifically, of historiography. Abou-Taleb closely examined the portrayal of women in volume 8 of Ibn Sa‘d’s Kitāb al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubra, which until today is the oldest surviving biographical dictionary of the early Muslim community, thus serving as an authority on the lives of early Muslims and as a model for contemporary Muslims. Abou-Taleb questioned the validity of the text, citing the 200-year gap between its authorship and the period it narrates, as well as the influence of the socio-political context in which it was authored. Abou-Taleb elucidated that the work was written during the ‘Abbāsid period, which “witnessed the production of the Sunni intellectual narratives of ḥadīth collections [and the] schools of jurisprudence.” This was thus a period in which jurists and scholars were working to establish a moral code, and the portrayal of early Muslims was essential to its development. Consequently, Abou-Taleb argues that gender representation in al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubra is influenced by the (patriarchal) culture and social norms of ‘Abbāsid society rather than on history itself, as can be witnessed by comparing the portrayal of early women in al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubra to biographical works by other authors.

Both Sayeed and Abou-Taleb call us to reclaim history in the pursuit of women’s intellectual authority and participation in the transmission and production of Islamic knowledge.

Samina Ali Discusses the "Muslima" Exhibition and MIIM Designs' "Sacred Space"

MIIM Designs was featured in altmuslim: Global Perspectives on Muslim life, politics and culture ​as the studio commemorated International Women's Day, participating in the International Museum of Women exhibition Muslima: Muslim Women's Arts and Voices. 

Curated by Samina Ali, co-founder of the American Muslim feminist organization Daughters of Hajar and author of the critically acclaimed novel Madras on Rainy Days, "Muslima" features the art, writing and voices of Muslim women from across the globe. What is particularly unique about the exhibition is that rather than speaking about Muslim women, "Muslima" features the art, narratives, and reform efforts of Muslim women themselves in a groundbreaking illustration of the rich diversity of Muslim women's experiences, ambitions, and creativity around the world. 

Ali reiterates this in expressing the aims of the exhibition: "Listen to Muslim women. Listen to their passions. Listen to the realities of what being a woman today means. Being Muslim is just one aspect of a woman's personality. They are leaders, they are CEOs, and they are broadcast journalists. They are mothers, wives, and sisters."

Check out "Muslima" and its "Speak Up! Listen Up!" action campaign to "support the efforts of Muslim women and others worldwide who are leading the movement for a more just, equitable, and inclusive world." 

And be sure to check out MIIM's contribution to the "Muslima" exhibit here! We hope you will continue to join and support us in our own efforts for gender equality in the mosque, in schools, and across the globe. 

MIIM Designs Featured in Aslan Media for "Muslima" Exhibition

MIIM Designs was honored to be featured in Aslan Media  for its participation in the International Museum of Women exhibition Muslima: Muslim Women's Arts and Voices.

Check out MIIM Designs' contribution, "[SACRED SPACE], a series of infographics by Palto Alto-based art and architecture studio MIIM Designs that take on the question, “Is there equal space between men and women in American Muslim mosques?” The infographics show how architecture posits a deeper meaning on the purpose and context of gender inequality through social and sacred spaces - typically negotiated in favor of men - and how this relationship affects female participation and sense of place within American Muslim communities. “Muslim-American communities, the majority of whom are American-born Muslims or American converts, have transplanted the architectural lexicons of mosques located in the Middle East wholesale into U.S. urban landscapes,” MIIM notes in the artist’s statement for [SACRED SPACE], “This trans-continental attempt at architectural mobility from the Middle East to the U.S., however, does not come without issues.”

​According to Aslan, "empowerment does provide opportunity for the unified whole that comes when otherwise-muted voices are amplified, not only breaking down myths and stereotypes but also building intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. This is the goal of Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art and Voices, a provocative and groundbreaking online global exhibition from the San Francisco-based International Museum of Women (IMOW). Curated by Samina Ali, an Indian-born Muslim known for her 2004 novel Madras on Rainy Days, the show is an international showcase of the themes and issues faced by female artists who either self-identify with Islam or are labeled Muslim because of familial, cultural or religious background. Exploring and challenging the broad spectrum of perceived status, agenda, and realities lived by Muslim women today, the exhibition gives voice to their passions, their accomplishments and their expressiveness- redefining both individual and collective identities as artists and activists.​​..

Muslima: Muslim Women’s Art and Voices, which officially launched online on March 7, just in time to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, runs through the end of the year. It marks a global community partnership for IMOW, who teamed up with Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization (UAE), The Women’s Museum (Denmark), The Ayala Museum (Philippines) and over 40 Muslima Ambassadors- creative Muslim women in their 20s and 30s who participated in workshops and online dialogues, serving as advisors, contributors and co-curators."

MIIM Designs PROUDLY SUPPORTS CULTURESHUTDOWN - PARTICIPATE: DAY OF MUSEUM SOLIDARITY – MARCH 4

TO REPRESENTATIVES OF MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES WORLDWIDE:

I ask you to participate in an important international cultural awareness campaign. This campaign is a reaction to the acute crisis affecting major cultural institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. On October 4, 2012, after 124 years of existence, the country’s National Museum (Zemaljski Muzej) closed down due to the government’s failure to secure legal status and adequate funding. Your solidarity is needed!

Six other state-level institutions, including the National Art Gallery (Umjetnička Galerija BH) and theNational and University Library (Nacionalna i Univerzitetska Biblioteka BH) are also about to become permanently inaccessible. The safety of precious artifacts and heritage are at stake.

Why am I doing this? I am one of the founding members of the platform CULTURESHUTDOWN, an international initiative connecting scholars, artists and cultural producers responding to this crisis. Cultural institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina are keepers of the unique historical and cultural treasures that provide evidence of coexistence in the region. Preserving them is crucial for securing a sustainable peace.  Artifacts kept in these institutions are an important component of the world’s cultural heritage. Preserving them is a matter of global relevance.

I call on you and other museums across the globe to demonstrate your solidarity with threatened Bosnian cultural institutions by symbolically “erasing” one precious artwork or artifact, rendering it inaccessible for the Day of Museum Solidarity. How? On March 1, I ask you to place the yellow barricade tape in front of the chosen object (ranging from a dinosaurs skeleton to a painting, depending on your collection and your choice). I will provide this custom-designed non-adhesive tape featuring the CULTURESHUTDOWN logo. Take a picture of the “crossed out” object and send it to me. The “crossed out” artifact should be publicly visible in your institution from March 1 – 3.  The collected pictures of Museum Solidarity across the world will be posted on the CULTURESHUTDOWN website on Monday March 4, the scheduled Day of Museum Solidarity. As many museums are closed on Mondays, our global campaign will take the form of a virtual collective exhibition on CULTURESHUTDOWN website. We would appreciate it if you were to post images of this campaign or host this virtual group exhibition on your institutions’ website, should that be possible.

February 1, the date of this public call, marks the 125th Anniversary of Zemaljski Muzej’s existence.March 4, the date of this Day of Museum Solidarity, marks the beginning of the sixth month since the Zemaljski Muzej has been closed to public. We plan to call attention to this sixth month with a virtual exhibition showing documentation of institutions’ solidarity acts across the globe.

This crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina requires political, economic, and institutional solutions. By participating in the Day of Museum Solidarity, you will make an important and much needed contribution to resolving this crisis.

(De-)Centering Islam and the Question of Authenticity

Director of Research, Ailya Vajid, will be giving a talk entitled The Multiple Meanings of Mourning: How Shi’i-American Women Negotiate Tradition and Culture Through Commemoration and Activism. This paper focuses on how American Shi’i women negotiate tradition and authenticity with their own American cultural values, and how they draw upon the courage and strength of powerful female Shi’i symbols in their socio-political endeavors and in their activism for social justice and religious freedom. Read more.

MIIM Designs Workshop at Claremont School of Theology

MIIM Designs Workshop 1 : Peace-building in the Muslim Context: Architecture and

Design as tools for problem solving.

Our workshop gave participants an opportunity to explore various ways aesthetics and design work 

to contribute to inclusion in Islamic Architecture, Mosques, Churches, Temples, Synagogues and other sacred spaces. It explored how communities can exemplify pluralism and work around gender issues through the means of art and architecture in sacred spaces. Learn More HERE

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MIIM Designs Ailya Vajid, Maryam Eskandari , Kosar Jahani and Wajida Syed with Professor Najeeba Syeed-Miller and Claremont School of Theology students

Maryam Eskandari will be the Keynote Speaker at MPA-Houston

ith more than 6 million Muslims residing in the United States there is an ever-present demand for construction of mosques in U.S. cities. The evening will provide a reflection of American history with a focus on the integration of the Muslim community. Maryam Eskandari will present case studies of mosques in the United States to investigate the architectural design and socially negotiated places of the Muslim community.

6:00 PM . . . Registration & Networking
6:35 PM . . . Community Spotlight
6:40 PM . . . MPA Updates
6:45 PM . . . Keynote Speech
7:10 PM . . . Q&A
7:30 PM . . . Call to Action / Close
7:35 PM . . . Dinner

Embassy Suites:
11730 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77079 | View Map

Register Here

MIIM Designs LLC Commits to Partnership with Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

June 1, 2012
MIIM Designs LLC led by co-founder Maryam Eskandari have been invited to take part in Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. MIIM Designs will take part in two platforms: Sustainable Cities and Innovations and Sustainable Development for Fighting Poverty.
Sustainability and Innovations are pillars of development which many cities are struggling to embrace albeit with challenges. Led by Prof. Winnie Mitullah, the concepts are closely linked and have several tenets and cities across the globe address the challenges in varied manner depending on their level of awareness, capacity, and ability to rally relevant resources, including stakeholders. It is therefore useful to hear voices across the globe and share ideas on the challenges facing cities, how the challenges are being addressed, and effective responses and recommendations for ensuring sustainability and innovative approaches for managing cities. We will be focusing on ways to make a contributions to assist heads of State and Governments in Rio+20 come up with: 
· Governance models which acknowledge the partnership approaches, and enable cities to effectively reproduce themselves. 
· Coordination mechanisms for ensuring synergy among various actors operating within cities. 
· Innovative ways and means of mobilizing resources required for various interventions, and effective management of cities for sustainability. 

Sustainable Development for Fighting Poverty initiated twenty years ago at the Earth Summit, or Rio 92, produced two important documents that related to sustainable development with fighting poverty: 1) the Letter of the Earth, 2) Agenda 21 in order to match economic growth and population growth in a sustainable manner according to a model economically viable, socially just and environmentally sound.
In 2000, during the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders committed to implement by 2015 the Millennium Development Goals, among which include the reversal of extreme poverty, hunger and disease that affect billions of people around the world.
The challenge of Rio +20 must, first, re-validate theses tools and reinforce the importance of its implementation on the horizon proposed: 2015, calling on all sectors of society public, private and third sector, to demand and work on its implementation.
New proposals must be prepared, seeking to enrich these tools and make them more practical and objective: Incorporating measures to avoid future economic crises and build resilience in the eradication of poverty. Much effort in formulation, planning and monitoring results have been achieved and should not be wasted, but enhanced.
Nevertheless the main question that we hope to resolve and answer is:What are the main challenges and objectives for Sustainable Development to succeed in Fighting Poverty? 
· Which specific sustainable development policies, explicitly aimed at the eradication of poverty at the local, regional and global level, have been successful? 
· How do we reduce the number of people living on less than 1.25 per day? 
· How to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young? 
· Income partnerships between nations and between different sectors (public, private and third sector) in order to end poverty and promote sustainable development? 

· Promote family health, combat infectious diseases (malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and others) and reduce child mortality?

MIIM Designs "Sacred Space" Exhibition Opens in San Francisco Gallery

Feb. 14, 2012 - May. 31, 2012

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

At the offices of the Foundation, 5 Hamilton Landing, Suite 200, Novato

RECEPTION: Thursday March 22, 2012 4:30-6:30 pm

"Muslim Eyes" is an exhibit that sprang from the mission of the Marin Community Foundation. When a community—supported by religious, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations as well as concerned and engaged individuals—engages in activities to promote social justice and interfaith understanding, sustainable change can occur. To this end, MCF supports efforts that increase awareness, mobilize communities, and catalyze social change to address social inequities in Marin County and around the country. MCF strives to support the powerful link between interfaith dialogue and understanding and creating positive social change.

2011: A Year of Change

December 31, 2011 | Maryam Eskandari

featured in NYC Elan Magazine

2011 was an unforgettable year with the rise of the Arab Spring, the Occupy Movements challenging the corporate world and a general overall social consciousness.  Architects, too, learned that it is our responsibility to design in such a way to enhance and impact some of the world’s urgent concerns: poverty, climate change, unemployment, energy crises and education. With community’s no longer willing to accept the status quo, as we’ve seen in many parts of the world with successful protests, education is a key component for the mass majority. Education has always been a right and architecture has played a vital role in creating school buildings, which have become a teaching tool for urban sprawl in a poverty setting, have responded to climate change, sustainability, energy crises and preservation of culture and heritage. For example, the Children Academy in Haiti, the Boarding School for Girls in India, the Bamboo School in Liberia and The United Nations Relief and Works Agency Zero Carbon Gas Schools in Gaza Palestine, are all exemplary projects that can be set a new standard for architectural education.

“Haiti Partner’s Children Academy”, by San Francisco based BAR Architects in association with Haiti Partners developed an innovative self-sustaining community school in the post- earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The 38,000 square foot complex is perched high within the Mariaman Hills, approximately 2,500 feet above sea level overlooking the rugged steep terrain towards the heart of the urban city center. The learning facility will accommodate 450 students of all class range: from kindergarten through 12th, in its self sustaining building. The building is to be constructed with local materials: limestone and reinforced cinder block. An outdoor amphitheater will be carved into the natural bowl shaped hillside and a vegetable garden is to be tended and managed by the students. The distance from the urban city sprawl to the school is greatly numbered; hence the power grid requires the series of structures to collect its own solar energy, and supply the power to the school. Other sustainable features include rainwater harvesting for irrigation, a local well for potable water and the use of composting toilets. Ground breaking began in the fall and the project is set to be complete in 2014.

In the northern region of India, Rajasthan, known as the “land of kings and colors”, is the new Boarding School for Girls, designs by STL Architects in collaboration with Celestial Partnership.  The 103 acres of land is divided into three parts: Learn, Live and Play and drawing inspiration from the stark geometry of the 6thcentury palaces of Meenas, Rajputs, Yadavs, Jats, Bhils, Gurjars and Bishnois, through the exuberant lattices of intricate patterns and evoking landscapes. Using these palaces as precedents, the design of the 39 acres Boarding School for Girls draws inspiration from the collection of small kingdoms connects the ancient past with modern society, creating a distinct traditional, yet modern architecture that negates the changes of the architectural vocabulary during the age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. The design of the school emulates the monumental circulation paths of the palaces; illuminating hierarchical arches that are proportioned exuberantly into a peaceful geometric garden which creates a serene environment for students, faculty and visitors.

For fourteen years, from 1989 to 2003 the country of Liberia has been ripped into two civil wars, killing over 300,000 civilians. Currently the country is the 162nd constitution of the Human Development Index and is still recovering from the devastations of these wars. However, Brazilian architect, André Dal’Bó da Costa, has been determined to develop the most important social and architectural programmatically educational building: The Bamboo School Project. The Bamboo School Project is to rebuild the foundations of a proper school and provide and environment where education is accessible. The building is to be a prefabricated building designed offsite, and assembled in Liberia using local materials, mainly bamboo and enclosed using adobe masonry, a Liberian technique. The adobe allows for a porous surface on the exterior that will protect the interior from rain, yet allow for natural lighting to penetrate through.  The tin-roof construction allows for other fundamental amenities such as water, light and sanitation; and currently to house 160 students from the ages of 3 to 15. The students learn English, Reading, Writing, Science and Mathematics. The future goal is to expand the size of each school to accommodate up to 300 students.

Lastly, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, along with Mario Cucinella Architects with the financial support of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development through the Islamic Development Bank are in the process of building a standalone school building in the Gaza strip. This Zero Carbon Gas Schools in Gaza Palestine relies only on renewable, free and local available resources such as rainwater harvesting, zero CO2 emissions solar and ground energy. The design of the school is to promote the use of affordable and locally available materials as well as expanding on the development of simple construction systems, mitigating the use of advanced and expensive technologies. The construction of the schools is to be composed of three distinctive elements: a concrete slab foundation, pre-fabricated concrete pillars, and an overhanging roof. The concrete slab foundation would include rainwater tanks as heat/cold storage for the heating/cooling of interiors. The tanks are sized in order to fulfill the overall water demands of the building all year long. The Pre-fabricated concrete pillars are to be filled with the excavated ground. This allows for huge thermal mass in order to minimize temperature swings. The overhanging roofs act as a second bio-climate, regulating the daylight and solar gain provided into the classrooms. The roof area is sized according to the average rainfall in order to match water demands, and integrated on the roof are the solar thermal and photovoltaic cells that meet the electricity demands of appliances and provide hot water. Originally the school(s) was to be a pilot project has now expanded towards a sustainable, carbon-free Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory and 20 more schools are to be built. Through the educational and instillation of water resource management, efficient renewable energy through solar and wind technology, the demand for fossil fuel in occupied Palestinian territory as well as Lebanon, Jordan and Syria will be alleviated.

As we saw in 2011, the world faces various problems, all of which are weaved by a unified ribbon. Some countries choose to continue to dominate in the greed of the natural environment and only expand their own wealth through building mile high skyscrapers and Platinum LEED University campuses, while others see their wealth in educating the next generation in the natural local materials through generating sustainable architecture. It is critical that different architects pursue their own passion, some give into the demands of the client and are swept away by the financial means ofcreating a grown-up playground in one of the most highly cultural and religious holy lands, while other architects recognize their practice as an activism in educating the public of the historical attributes that lies beneath our feet and pushing for a comprehensive solution. As architects play a critical role in 2012, we need remember that architecture should embrace the environment, social, mental and political problems and most importantly, through the patronage of architecture, the values of humanity are hoped to be instilled in our next generations.

American Mosques & Muslim Identity: Debating Gender, Form, and Architecture

Lecture & conversation with architect Maryam Eskandari, co-founder of MIIM Designs LLC and a graduate of the Aga Khan Program in Islamic Architecture at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a focus on modern and contemporary “Islamic” Architecture in the West.

event information

ARAB DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

MIIM Designs Studio's Maryam Eskandari will be speaking at Arab Development Initiative on "Redesigning Spaces for Social Change"​

To register

A Decade of Designing a Muslim-American Identity

September 10, 2011 | Maryam Eskandari

featured in NYC Elan magazine

This weekend, the world marks the tenth anniversary of the horrific events of September 11th. This tragedy pushed the Muslim American community to the forefront, forcing us to discover who we are, as a collective. This grueling process of defining identity can be traced through architectural designs where various attributes have been explored. From the relatively unknown Islamic inspired architecture of the World Trade Center, to the Islamic Center in Manhattan, we start to see not only a pattern of expression, but also a community coming into our own.

The World Trade Center in New York, an iconic masterpiece stood majestically around 1300 feet high. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki, an architect praised for merging modernism with Islamic architecture, recreated Mecca’s courtyard within the busy Financial District claiming the World Trade Center’s plaza was, “a Mecca, a great relief from the narrow streets and sidewalks of the surrounding Wall Street area.” Three decades ago, Yamasaki, the desired designer of the 1970’s, was commissioned for his ability to merge Islamic and postmodern design, an amalgamation of defining a renowned form of architecture. He was applauded for his innovation.

Read More

48th Annual ISNA Convention: Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony

Friday July 01, 2011

Islam, Pluralism and Social Harmony

Description: America finds itself at a crossroads with a financial crisis at home and war abroad. At every critical juncture in history, social movements—from civil rights to anti-war—have brought people of all races and creeds together around common values and aspirations. This session will offer reflections on the collective movement that is needed for our times, and the sacred place of love and non-violence in realizing the call for social harmony in a pluralistic society. 

Speakers: Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
Ingrid Mattson
John Esposito
Zaid Shakir

Saturday July 02, 2011
Role of Islamic Tradition in Addressing Contemporary Challenges-Conversation Between Tariq Ramadan and John Esposito 

Speakers: Tariq Ramadan 
John Esposito

SUNDAY JULY 03, 2011

Inclusive Mosques in the 21st Century

Description: When we create sacred spaces that affirm human dignity, we acknowledge the spiritual potential of all who enter. The inclusive mosque synthesizes our architectural legacy, recognizes the contributions of women and welcomes those seeking answers. This session presents steps to ensure mosques are places that give life to strong, loving communities that stand against injustice.

Speakers: Akel Kahera
Maryam Eskandari

Aisha Al-Adawiya

Bringing the Pilgrims to Qom

March 25, 2011 | Maryam Eskandari

featured in PBS|Frontline - Tehran Bureau 

Islamic Republic of Iran push to develop Shia holy city of Qom as a top Middle Eastern destination.

[ dispatch ] Since the early 16th century, during the Safavid dynasty, the holy city of Qom has been a significant center of Shia theological education and a locus of pilgrimage. Recently, its development has become a top priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the past eight years, Iran has been expanding Qom, not only as an "Islamic Education Center," in competition with other such cities such as Najaf, Iraq, but with the goal of making it one of the major destinations in the Middle East.

After the late 1700s, when the city flourished as a center of religious learning under Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, little attention was paid to its development for more than century. However, in 1915, when invading Russian forces entered the nearby city of Karaj, many residents of Tehran province moved to Qom, spurring its growth into one of the region's major metropolitan areas. Consideration was even given to shifting the Iranian capital from Tehran to Qom. Over the past six years, under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a vast amount of development money has been flowing into the city.

Read more: 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2011/03/bringing-the-pilgrims-to-qom.html#ixzz1I11ml48P

Gender, Sexuality and Urban Spaces

This was a great, if in cohesive group of panelists. They’ve each done really interesting research on different architectural expressions of ‘women’s spaces’ in three different US institutions: contemporary Mosques, Gymnasiums at the turn of the century, and Settlement Houses in the early 1900′s.

Maryam Eskandari gave a very compelling presentation on the need to re-examine mosque typology and explore the gender hierarchy assumptions embedded in that typology. Essentially, her work has determined that mosques prioritize men’s space, making the front of the mosque inaccessible to women, and allocating the separate women’s prayer space as ½ to 1/5 the amount of space allocated to the men. She talked about radical activists in the US staging Rosa Parks-style interventions in this model. And, she advocated for the role of architects in changing the typology, making contemporary mosque design reflect the changing politics of the practice of Islam in the US where communities are more open to mixed gender prayer spaces.

read more @ Plural Titanium

Libya’s Architecture on the Brink

featured in NYC Elan magazine

Maryam Eskandari ​| March 3, 2011

In the past couple of years, Libya has been on the forefront on cutting edge architecture. Competing with other middle east countries, such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, Libya has been able to keep up with the “architecture boom” that has been on the rise in that region. However, several days ago, when the Security Council of the United Nation slapped a 15-0 vote sanctions on Libya in hopes to send a strong message to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi;  many of the architectural firms stepped up to support the United Nation decision. The western firms with on-going project have all vowed that they would never work in Libya, under Gaddafi’s regime and have suspended all projects.

The Stirling-prize winning architecture firm, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS), currently has several projects in the country. Of which, two are of the first sustainable design guides for the Libyan government. FCBS’s managing principle Julian Gitsham stated that the firm has stopped all projects even the most highest commissioned one – the current 60 hectars masterplan of the capital, Tripoli and the new eco town in eastern Green Mountain region. “We had stopped work [on the Tripoli masterplan] because we hadn’t been paid – that was a couple of weeks ago,” Gitsham told BD. “We are now not intending to re-start work because of what’s been going on.”

Following FCBS’s lead on is Edward Cullinan Architects, who is working on several sustainable developments. The firm has decided to pull out, stating that they would rather work in other “democratic regimes” despite the fact that the Libyan government was very much in celebration of prominent sustainable architecture and very cautious in regards to the environment.

Other firms such as Aecom and Foster and Partners have yet to decide what actions they plan on taking to support the United Nations sanctions. On Wednesday Aecom, the word’s largest architecture firm has decided to withdraw all staff and family members and are monitoring the situation that is being on folded in the country, while Foster and Partners are still “monitoring” the events. Foster and Partners was part of the first British trade delegation to arrive in Tripoli days after Tony Blair, the prime minister of England then, ended the two countries diplomatic freeze. 

Keppie, Feilden Clegg Bradley and Capita Symonds are all fleeing the country. Keppie announces that the company enjoyed doing significant work in Libya yet “Until the current conflict is resolved we are not in a position to make a final decision on future work in the country.”  While Capita Symonds staff where all evacuated when it’s Benghazi airport in the east of the country was destroyed by bombing.

The only firm that has been successful in Libya has been RMJM architects, which received the Islamic architecture award for their work in 2009 on the Zilten Campus at Asmariya University for Islamic Sciences. The 1million sq.ft. campus is located 75 miles southeast of Tripoli on a 202-acre site. The core academic functions are organized in four quadrants which allows for facultiy office and academic support. The new campus houses 4,600 students with full amenities of a university: academic and support buildings, conference and student center, administration building, library, recreation center and  residential halls.  

Not all firms have been fortunate as RMJM, but have stated that they will continue to protest  the embattled Gaddafi regime,  particularly in regards to human rights after the current government killed 230 people last week.