Amale Andraos

Amale Andraos
Name	Amale Andraos
Birth date	1973
Birth place	Beirut, Lebanon
Nationality	Lebanese American
Alma mater	Rhode Island School of Design, Columbia University
Occupation	Architect, educator, author
Known for	Co-founder of WORKac, Dean of Columbia GSAPP

Amale Andraos is a Lebanese American architect, author, and educator noted for her contributions to contemporary architecture, urbanism, and pedagogy. She co-founded the architecture firm WORKac and served as Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Andraos's practice and scholarship intersect with major figures, institutions, and projects across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Early life and education

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Andraos grew up amid the aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War and the urban contexts of Beirut, Paris, New York City, and Montreal. She studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and pursued advanced studies at Columbia University where she completed a Master of Architecture. Her formative mentors and influences include figures associated with OMA, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Eisenman, Stanford University affiliates, and critics linked to The New York Times, The Architectural Review, Domus, and Architectural Record.

Career

Andraos co-founded the firm WORK Architecture Company (WORKac) with Dan Wood in 2003, expanding practice across contexts linked to New York City, Beirut, Beijing, Toronto, and London. Her career bridges practice and academia, engaging with institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, The Cooper Union, Yale School of Architecture, Princeton University School of Architecture, and MIT. She has lectured at venues including MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Harvard GSD, Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Venice Biennale. Her writings have appeared in outlets such as Architectural Record, Dezeen, Architectural Review, Log, and The New Yorker.

Major projects and works

WORKac projects under Andraos's direction include high-profile urban and cultural commissions such as the Dominican Academy expansion in Manhattan, the QueensWay proposals, conceptual research tied to The High Line debates, and residential and institutional work across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Montreal, Shanghai, and Beirut. She contributed design research for competitions including entries for the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1, and proposals related to Zaha Hadid Architects-adjacent contests and comparisons with practices like Foster + Partners, SOM, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Herzog & de Meuron. Her projects intersect with urban initiatives such as PlaNYC, Smart Cities Mission, and cultural events like the Venice Architecture Biennale. Publications of her work appear in monographs alongside names such as Tadao Ando, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Jean Nouvel.

Academic and teaching roles

Andraos served as Dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), where she led curricular initiatives engaging with programs at Graduate School of Design, GSAPP Columbia, and collaborations with The Earth Institute, Columbia Business School, Barnard College, and international partners including ETH Zurich, TU Delft, Politecnico di Milano, Aalto University, and University College London. Her academic appointments and visiting professorships include Harvard GSD, Yale School of Architecture, Princeton University, The Cooper Union, Sydney School of Architecture, and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She organized symposia and seminars that partnered with UN-Habitat, UNESCO, World Bank, Ford Foundation, and municipal agencies such as NYC Department of City Planning and New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Awards and honors

Andraos and WORKac have received recognition from organizations such as the American Institute of Architects, Architectural League of New York, New York State AIA, Municipal Art Society of New York, Progressive Architecture, Interior Design Magazine, Wallpaper*, and Dezeen Awards. Her academic leadership was noted by outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and she has been a juror for competitions including the Pritzker Architecture Prize-adjacent panels, AIA Gold Medal committees, and international design awards. Grants and fellowships linked to her research include support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Guggenheim Foundation-adjacent programs, and partnerships with philanthropic entities like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.

Personal life and influences

Andraos's practice and pedagogy reflect influences from architects, theorists, and cultural figures such as Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn, Alvar Aalto, Paul Rudolph, Bernard Tschumi, Peter Zumthor, Rem Koolhaas, Jane Jacobs, and writers published in Perspecta and The Architectural Review. Her global outlook draws on the urban histories of Beirut, New York City, Paris, Alexandria, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Istanbul, and engages with contemporary debates involving institutions like UN-Habitat, ICLEI, and C40 Cities. Personal collaborations and networks include practitioners and academics affiliated with WORKac, Columbia GSAPP faculty, AIANY, The Architectural League of New York, and editorial circles at Architectural Record, Log, and Places Journal.

Category:Lebanese architects Category:Columbia University faculty