Mariam Issoufou is an architect from Niger. She studied architecture at the University of Washington and then in 2014, founded atelier masōmī, an architecture and research practice that tackles public, cultural, residential, commercial and urban design projects. The firm is headquartered in Niamey, Niger, with a design studio in New York. Her work is guided by the belief that architects have an important role to play in creating spaces that have the power to elevate, dignify, and provide a better quality of life. Through her practice, Mariam aims to discover innovative ways of doing so, while maintaining an intimate dialogue between architecture, people, and context. Mariam is also professor of Architecture Heritage and Sustainability at ETH Zurich. She has occupied academic roles as adjunct associate professor of Urban Studies at Brown University and as the 2021 Aga Khan critic at Harvard Graduate School of Design. Mariam is on the board of the African Futures Institute (AFI) in Ghana. She is also an advisory board member for German non-profit, Diversity In Architecture.
Projects and Recognitions
Mariam Issoufou is a 2019 Laureate of the Prince Claus Award. She was named as one of 15 Creative Women of Our Time by the New York Times. atelier masōmī realised the Hikma Community Complex (2018, Niger), a library and mosque complex, which won two Global Lafarge Holcim Awards for sustainable architecture. The project is a culture and education hub where the secular and religious peacefully co-exist to cultivate minds and strengthen the community.
Kamara Esmaili Dandaji Religous Secular Complex (2018, Niger), atelier masōmī. Photo by James Wang.
atelier masōmī http://www.ateliermasomi.com
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