Info

Civil Architecture is a cultural practice pre-occupied with the making of buildings and books about them. The work of Civil asks what it means to produce architecture in a decidedly un-civil time, presenting a new civic character for a global condition.

Since its founding by Hamed Bukhamseen and Ali Ismail Karimi, the practice has attracted a strong following for their provocative works and their offer of an alternate future for a nascent Middle East.

Contact

Phone:

+973 394 777 02
+965 944 947 45

News

ARCHITECTURE BETWEEN SEASONS (LECTURE) AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT - SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

Mar 4, 2024

"HOUSE BETWEEN TWO TREES" AMONG TEN HIGHLIGHTS IN DESIGN DOHA IN DEZEEN

Feb 28, 2024

"HOUSE BETWEEN TWO TREES" AT THE DOHA DESIGN BIENNIAL

Feb 24, 2024
- Aug 5, 2024

"CIVIL WORKS: EIGHT PROJECTS FOR THE GULF" LECTURE AND EXHIBIT IN GEORGETOWN UNIVERSTIY QATAR

Dec 9, 2023

"SITE NOTES" FEATURED IN PIN-UP

Nov 20, 2023

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITS IN "A PERMANENT NOSTALGIA FOR DEPARTURE" AT THE CAC IN CINCINNATI

Sep 22, 2023
- Jan 28, 2023

A SMALL PALACE & OTHER AMBIENT WORKS (LECTURE) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI - COLLEGE OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND PLANNING

Sep 20, 2023

A SMALL PALACE & OTHER AMBIENT WORKS (LECTURE) AT DARAT ALFUNUN IN AMMAN JORDAN

Jul 25, 2023

"SUN PATH, RAJAB TO SHAWWAL 1444" FEATURED ON DEZEEN

Feb 15, 2023

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE AT THE ISLAMIC ARTS BIENNALE

Jan 23, 2023
- Apr 23, 2023

"FOREIGN ARCHITECTURE/DOMESTIC POLICY" CATALOGUE NOW AVAILABLE VIA HUMBOLDT BOOKS

Nov 26, 2022

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE FEATURED IN AZURE’S BABYLONS OF TOMORROW: THE ARCHITECTURE OF ARAB FUTURES

Nov 24, 2022

"OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE" SPOTLIGHTED IN PIN-UP

Nov 7, 2022

"TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF NON-URBAN HISTORY" FEATURED IN CHILEAN ARQ 111

Sep 21, 2022

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE PRESENTING "OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE" AT THE MAYRIT BIENAL IN MADRID

Jun 21, 2022

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE + BAHRAINI-DANISH EXHIBITS "SEASONAL SPRINGS" IN THE BAHRAIN PAVILION AT EXPO 2020

Mar 20, 2022

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE PUBLISHES "THE HORIZON" WITH EFLUX ARCHITECTURE AND ARKDES.

Mar 7, 2022

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE PRESENTING AT EXPO 2020 - CULTURES IN CONVERSATION

Nov 6, 2021

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE WINS COMPETITION TO DESIGN PUBLIC FURNITURE ALONG THE PEARLING PATH IN MUHARRAQ, BAHRAIN

Jun 8, 2021

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE'S DESIGN FOR "ABU MAKHROUQ PARK" IN RIYADH RECEIVES 'HONORABLE MENTION' AT THE AIA MIDDLE EAST DESIGN AWARDS

Dec 20, 2020

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE + 2M'S PROPOSAL FOR SAN JOSE MONUMENT,'LANDFORM', RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMUNITY COMPETITION PANEL (CCP)

Jul 30, 2020

MINOR PARADISES SHORTLISTED FOR THE WORLD LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AWARDS

Apr 29, 2020

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE AT SHARJAH ARCHITECTURE TRIENNIAL

Nov 9, 2019
- Feb 8, 2020

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE IS AWARDED SECOND PLACE IN THE ART JAMEEL HAYY CINEMA COMPETITION

Nov 6, 2019

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE X STUDIOLIBANI AT AMMAN DESIGN WEEK

Oct 4, 2029
- Oct 12, 2019

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE AT OSLO ARCHITECTURE TRIENNALE

Sep 26, 2019
- Nov 24, 2019

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE SHORTLISTED FOR THE RIFAAT CHADIRJI PRIZE

Sep 19, 2019

CIVIL ARCHITECTURE AT SEOUL BIENNALE

Sep 7, 2019
- Nov 9, 2019

"FOREIGN ARCHITECTURE / DOMESTIC POLICY" (EXHIBITION)

Apr 23, 2019
- Jun 20, 2019

LIVING IN ARCHITECTURE (LECTURE)

Apr 12, 2019

PEARLING PATH TALK SERIES (LECTURE)

Apr 10, 2019

"VERDANT SCULPTURE" (LECTURE)

Feb 27, 2019

"WISHFUL TROPICS" (LECTURE)

Nov 16, 2018

"INSCRIPTIONS ACROSS ARABIAN LANDSCAPE" (EXHIBITION + LECTURE)

Oct 4, 2018

"WE HAVE NEVER BEEN URBAN" (LECTURE)

Jul 16, 2018

"OBJECTS FOR A PAINLESS PAST" (EXHIBITION + PUBLICATION)

Feb 12, 2018
- Feb 18, 2018

"SHIFTING MORPHOLOGIES OF GULF CITIES" (LECTURE)

Apr 7, 2018

"DWELLING AND RESIDUE" (LECTURE)

Feb 7, 2018

People

HAMED BUKHAMSEEN

Founder

+

Hamed Bukhamseen is an architect from Kuwait. Hamed earned a BFA and BArch from the Rhode Island School of Design, and a MAUD from the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he is currently pursuing his doctoral studies. His research is concerned with the developmental projects undertaken by sovereign wealth funds and their socio-political impact within their host nations. He has previously worked as an architect in Japan, Germany, and the US and as a faculty member at the Kuwait University - College of Architecture.

ALI ISMAIL KARIMI

Founder

+

Ali Ismail Karimi is an architect whose work explores public space, ecology, and the extractive landscapes of the Middle East. He had previously worked in Belgium with OFFICE KGDVS, in Chile with Alejandaro Aravena/Elemental, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Bahrain. His writings have been published in various media outlets including San Rocco, the Architectural Review, and e-flux. Ali earned his MArch from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and was recently a visiting critic at Rice Architecture.

FATIMA NICKAHDAR

Architect

+

FAY KAZROONI

Junior Architect

+

DANA KHALID

Intern

+

Previous Employees: Nada Abudaqer, Abdulla Aldossary, Halah Alessa, Latifa Alessa, Alanood Alkhayat, Manar Alkhars, Mohamed Alkhenaizi, Maryam Alnoaimi, Haneen Altehmazi, Sara Alzeer, Maryam Ajoor, Rana Ajrawi, Hanan Ashhad, Alzaen Bindayna, Fatema Fathallah, Jafar Haddad, Dalal Adel Sarhan, Kawthar Marafi.

To apply to work at Civil please send a portfolio (10 MB max.) and CV to: work(at)civilarchitecture.org