Hisham N. Ashkouri
Encyclopedia
Hisham N. Ashkouri is a Boston
and New York
-based architect
.
Dr. Ashkouri graduated first in class in 1970 with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Baghdad
and continued for his Masters of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania
under the late Louis I. Kahn in 1973. He further completed his Urban Design studies at Harvard University
and M.I.T. with Masters in Urban Design in 1975. Dr. Ashkouri completed his Doctoral work in the field of Ergonomics at Tufts University
in 1983.
Dr. Ashkouri worked with Hisham Munir and Associates in Iraq before coming to the United States
. He then worked at The Architects Collaborative in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, contributing to the Arlington Hadassah Way and the Westin Hotel at Copley Place, both in Boston, as well as the University of Baghdad
Campus Expansion, before establishing ARCADD, Inc.http://www.arcadd.com/ in 1986 as an independent architect and urban designer. Dr. Ashkouri has initiated several international developments mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan including the Baghdad Renaissance Planhttp://www.arcadd.com/baghdad-cbd.htm, $13 billion, the Tahrir Square Development
, $860 million, the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center
http://cinemasindbad.com/, $115 million, the City of Light Development
http://www.cityoflight-kabul.com/index.htm, Kabul, $9.6 billion and the Afghan National Museum, Library and Cultural Center, $247 million, both for the reconstruction of Kabul. Dr. Ashkouri is currently working on the Regatta Mediterranean Resorts complex in Tripoli, Libya.
He was also declared the winner of the design competition for the Baghdad Opera House, but that award was rescinded when the government of Iraq realized he was in the United States.
He won the International Design Competition for the UAE Public Library and Cultural Center
, the Killington Skiing Village Complex Design Competition for Killington, Vermont
, the competition for the Kansai-Khan Library in Tokyo, Japan, and the design competition for the Playground For All Children in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
in Queens, New York, the first such play area for both able-bodied and disabled children. http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_06.html
. He contributed to the Pediatrics floors of the Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston http://www.arcadd.com/MEDICALgallery.html, and has also performed restoration and renovation work on many public and municipal buildings throughout New England.
While working for The Architects' Collaborative
in 1974, Dr. Ashkouri led the urban planning
and design effort for the conceptual plan for the expansion of the Capitol Center for the City of Tallahassee, FL, and in 1983 was architect for the interior spaces, conference center, and guest rooms of the Westin Hotel at Copley Place
.
and Afghanistan
through his architecture firm ARCADD, Inc. He has garnered support for a number of these developments through private sector investment, but he has received insurance support from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) for these projects. He has worked on promoting US-made products for these developments with the US Department of Commerce. Ashkouri has supported private investment in Kabul jointly with the Embassy of Afghanistan
in the U.S.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
.
Dr. Ashkouri graduated first in class in 1970 with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Baghdad
University of Baghdad
The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
and continued for his Masters of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
under the late Louis I. Kahn in 1973. He further completed his Urban Design studies at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and M.I.T. with Masters in Urban Design in 1975. Dr. Ashkouri completed his Doctoral work in the field of Ergonomics at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in 1983.
Dr. Ashkouri worked with Hisham Munir and Associates in Iraq before coming to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He then worked at The Architects Collaborative in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, contributing to the Arlington Hadassah Way and the Westin Hotel at Copley Place, both in Boston, as well as the University of Baghdad
University of Baghdad
The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
Campus Expansion, before establishing ARCADD, Inc.http://www.arcadd.com/ in 1986 as an independent architect and urban designer. Dr. Ashkouri has initiated several international developments mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan including the Baghdad Renaissance Planhttp://www.arcadd.com/baghdad-cbd.htm, $13 billion, the Tahrir Square Development
Tahrir Square Development
The Tahrir Square Development in Baghdad, Iraq, is the proposed first phase in architect Hisham N. Ashkouri's Baghdad Renaissance Plan. Based around an established traffic circle on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad's Central Business District, the proposed development would develop just...
, $860 million, the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center
Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center
The Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center was designed by architect Hisham N. Ashkouri in 2004 to be the first new high-rise hotel, conference center and movie theater complex in modern Baghdad, as a symbol of the reconstruction of Iraq...
http://cinemasindbad.com/, $115 million, the City of Light Development
City of Light Development
The Kabul - City of Light Development is an urban reconstruction plan, first proposed by urban planner and architect Hisham N. Ashkouri to revitalize the capital city of Afghanistan. The plan targets an area just south of the Kabul River for redevelopment...
http://www.cityoflight-kabul.com/index.htm, Kabul, $9.6 billion and the Afghan National Museum, Library and Cultural Center, $247 million, both for the reconstruction of Kabul. Dr. Ashkouri is currently working on the Regatta Mediterranean Resorts complex in Tripoli, Libya.
Competitions
His first winning design competition entry was for the Government of Iraq in 1972 while working with Hisham Munir and Associates, for the “First Oil Compound to be built for the Nation”, the Ministry of Oil and Minerals. Other national competitions awarded were for the Baghdad City Hall, the College of Agriculture at Sulimaniyah, and the Ministry of Justice. http://www.arcadd.com/Internationalgallery.htmlHe was also declared the winner of the design competition for the Baghdad Opera House, but that award was rescinded when the government of Iraq realized he was in the United States.
He won the International Design Competition for the UAE Public Library and Cultural Center
UAE Public Library and Cultural Center
The UAE Public Library and Cultural Center is actually three buildings: a 1,000,000 volume National Library, a performance auditorium and a Conference/Exhibit Center. The site includes a main entrance court with a central fountain, an amphitheater for public & children’s performances and a...
, the Killington Skiing Village Complex Design Competition for Killington, Vermont
Killington, Vermont
Killington is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 811 at the 2010 census. Killington Ski Resort is located here....
, the competition for the Kansai-Khan Library in Tokyo, Japan, and the design competition for the Playground For All Children in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park, Flushing Meadows Park or Flushing Meadows, is a public park in New York City. It contains the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the U.S...
in Queens, New York, the first such play area for both able-bodied and disabled children. http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_06.html
National work
Dr. Ashkouri established the standard specifications for branches of the U.S. Post OfficeUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. He contributed to the Pediatrics floors of the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston http://www.arcadd.com/MEDICALgallery.html, and has also performed restoration and renovation work on many public and municipal buildings throughout New England.
While working for The Architects' Collaborative
The Architects' Collaborative
The Architects' Collaborative was an American architectural firm formed by Walter Gropius and seven younger architects in 1945 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The other partners were Norman C. Fletcher , Jean B. Fletcher , John C. Harkness , Sarah P. Harkness , Robert S...
in 1974, Dr. Ashkouri led the urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and design effort for the conceptual plan for the expansion of the Capitol Center for the City of Tallahassee, FL, and in 1983 was architect for the interior spaces, conference center, and guest rooms of the Westin Hotel at Copley Place
Copley Place
Copley Place is an enclosed shopping mall, constructed in 1983, located in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. It is owned by Simon Property Group, which acquired it in the 2002 breakup of the then-Dutch owned Urban Shopping Centers, Inc...
.
International work
Dr. Ashkouri’s designs abroad include:- University of BaghdadUniversity of BaghdadThe University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest Arab university following the University of Cairo.- Nomenclature :Both University of Baghdad and Baghdad University are used interchangeably....
Campus Expansion (with TAC) - Area 5 and Area 9 Parking Structures, Kuwait City, Kuwait http://www.arcadd.com/Internationalgallery.html
- Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference CenterSindbad Hotel Complex and Conference CenterThe Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center was designed by architect Hisham N. Ashkouri in 2004 to be the first new high-rise hotel, conference center and movie theater complex in modern Baghdad, as a symbol of the reconstruction of Iraq...
, Baghdad, Iraq - Baghdad Renaissance Plan, BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq - Tahrir Square DevelopmentTahrir Square DevelopmentThe Tahrir Square Development in Baghdad, Iraq, is the proposed first phase in architect Hisham N. Ashkouri's Baghdad Renaissance Plan. Based around an established traffic circle on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad's Central Business District, the proposed development would develop just...
, Baghdad, Iraq - City of Light DevelopmentCity of Light DevelopmentThe Kabul - City of Light Development is an urban reconstruction plan, first proposed by urban planner and architect Hisham N. Ashkouri to revitalize the capital city of Afghanistan. The plan targets an area just south of the Kabul River for redevelopment...
, KabulKabulKabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan - Afghan National Museum, Kabul, Afghanistan
Current projects
Currently, Dr. Ashkouri is developing city-scale reconstruction and infrastructure plans for war-torn countries such as IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
through his architecture firm ARCADD, Inc. He has garnered support for a number of these developments through private sector investment, but he has received insurance support from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is an independent agency of the United States Government that mobilizes U.S. private sector investment in new and emerging markets overseas in order to support both the sustainable economic development of those markets and the creation of American jobs...
(OPIC) for these projects. He has worked on promoting US-made products for these developments with the US Department of Commerce. Ashkouri has supported private investment in Kabul jointly with the Embassy of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in the U.S.
See also
- Reconstruction of IraqReconstruction of IraqInvestment in post-2003 Iraq refers to international efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq since the Iraq War in 2003.Along with the economic reform of Iraq, international projects have been implemented to repair and upgrade Iraqi water and sewage treatment plants, electricity production,...
- Baghdad Renaissance Plan
- Tahrir Square DevelopmentTahrir Square DevelopmentThe Tahrir Square Development in Baghdad, Iraq, is the proposed first phase in architect Hisham N. Ashkouri's Baghdad Renaissance Plan. Based around an established traffic circle on the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad's Central Business District, the proposed development would develop just...
- Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference CenterSindbad Hotel Complex and Conference CenterThe Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center was designed by architect Hisham N. Ashkouri in 2004 to be the first new high-rise hotel, conference center and movie theater complex in modern Baghdad, as a symbol of the reconstruction of Iraq...
- Kabul, Afghanistan
- City of Light DevelopmentCity of Light DevelopmentThe Kabul - City of Light Development is an urban reconstruction plan, first proposed by urban planner and architect Hisham N. Ashkouri to revitalize the capital city of Afghanistan. The plan targets an area just south of the Kabul River for redevelopment...
- Afghan National Museum
External links
- ARCADD, Inc.
- Kabul - City of Light, 9 Billion dollar modern urban development project
- Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center
- Baghdad Renaissance Plan
- Architect Envisions New Baghdad
- UAE Investors Keen On Taking Part In Baghdad Renaissance Project
- Iraq Museum International: Interview with Hisham Ashkouri
- Man With A Plan: Hisham Ashkouri
- Renaissance Plan In The News
- Playground For All Children