Hisham Youssef

Hisham is a native of Egypt, where he grew up until moving to the US, where he completed his college and graduate studies at Harvard and Columbia universities. Trained as an architect, he completed projects in many parts of the world, including the US, Asia-Pacific, Australia, the Middle East and Europe. He has also lived and worked in many cities, including Tokyo, London, Dubai and now Shanghai, where he has lived since 2011. Hisham continues to practice architecture and teach architectural design at universities in China. From an early age, Hisham had a passion for travel and architecture. Growing up in Cairo, he would often wander the streets of the old city, where he developed an understanding and appreciation for the complex issues of heritage protection and preservation, while also protecting the welfare of the families who at times lived in and around old monuments in the city. Hisham authored a monthly column in Dubai on architectural issues for Middle East Architect. He occasionally writes on design, travel and cultural issues for several publications. In Shanghai, Hisham regularly organises events for the architecture and design community, and remains very active in the industry. Hisham's passion for photography dates back to his college years where he was the photography editor of the prestigious student-run The Harvard Crimson newspaper.