Chahar: A nomadic design process for and from the community – Yasaman Esmaili

About: Yasaman Esmaili, is an architect based in Tehran, Iran and Boston, USA. In 2017, she founded studio chahar, a research-based architectural design studio, formed as a platform for collaborative projects that engage the community at every step of the design process. In order to explore the more overlooked side of the architectural thinking, in 2018 Yasaman cofounded a community based Not for profit in collaboration with Architecture for Refugee, USA, called “Color My Home”, focusing on finding the meaning of our lost homes through architectural thinking. Yasaman is a visiting professor at Keene State College, University System of New Hampshire and also served as an Adjacent Professor at the University of Washington. Yasaman Esmaili’s recent collaborative work has resulted in the realization of several highly acclaimed projects. Hikma, a cultural complex including a mosque and a community centre in Dandaji, Niger, won the 2018 Global LafargeHolcim Silver Award and the 2017 Gold Award for the Middle East Africa region. Niamey 2000, a multi-family housing project located in the capital of Niger received a 2016 Award of Merit from the AIA Seattle and an R+D award from Architect Magazine. The Gohar Khatoon Girls’ School in Mazar-I-Sharif Afghanistan was recognized with a 2018 AIA National Award of Honor. Yasaman Esmail holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Tehran with the highest honor, a Master of Science degree in Design Computing from the University of Washington and Master of Architecture degree from the University of Arizona.