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Masum Azizi, is currently leading two major undertakings under the sustainable housing and economic developments in Afghanistan. 1) “The Village of Hope” a replacement housing project that will provide durable houses for the needy and create over 200,000 jobs annually for the next 10 – 15 years for the people in Afghanistan. 2) “Guidelines for Restoration and Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings and Monuments in Afghanistan” that will provide a step-by-step-approach to achieve the process of restoration and rehabilitation of historical resources. These undertakings can be seen on line at http://www.a-architects.com/news/index.htm
Born and raised in Kabul, Masum was already an experienced architect and builder when he came to the U.S. in 1980. Before taking degrees in architecture, he worked with his father, a builder, gaining hands-on experience in traditional Afghan construction methods. He knows Afghan architectural traditions, local conditions, cultural requirements, and local building materials -- primarily adobe and stone -- as well as the modern construction techniques that can adapt and improve them -- making them, for example, earthquake-resistant in earthquake-prone Afghanistan. Further, as an architect, Masum worked for the Heart International Restoration Project in 1978. He conducted the inventory of historical monuments in Heart Afghanistan where he was awarded a scholarship to further education in restoration of historical resources.
Masum Azizi, member of the American Institute of Architects, is the founder and president of AZIZI ARCHITECTS in Newport Beach, California. He has well over twenty-five years of management, technical knowledge and experience in architecture, planning, construction, environmental and historical preservation, and in three disaster response and recovery programs. He has gained his extensive education, knowledge, and expertise in Afghanistan, Europe and USA. Azizi has lived and practiced architecture in the USA since 1980. Prior to founding this firm in 1998, he served as Project Architect/Manager with leading architectural firms and directed the Environmental and Historic Preservation efforts for both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Office of Emergency Services. Masum has earned the 1997 California Historic Preservation “award” for the successful completion of the restoration of Powel Library at UCLA.
During the past 25 years, Masum has successfully completed numerous architectural projects such as country clubs, public libraries, resort developments, custom homes, ecclesiastical facilities, and office buildings within USA, Europe, and Africa.
In 1978 he was awarded the DANIDA Scholarship for the study of Western European art, history of architecture, archaeology, building crafts, and restoration techniques. Masum completed his postgraduate education in Historic Building Restoration at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1980. Masum received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Sciences from the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture, Kabul University, Afghanistan in 1978. He has completed further studies and training programs in Environmental and Historic Preservation Laws and Regulations at UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, California – 1994; GSA Interagency Training Center, Los Angeles, California – 1994; University of Nevada, Reno – 1995; Federal Emergency Management Agency Training Course, San Francisco, California – 1996; and National Emergency Training Center, Emmetsburg, Washington D.C. – 1996.
In 1979 Masum published “A Study of Traditional Building Crafts in Kabul Afghanistan”, Copenhagen, Denmark. His latest article “Help Afghanistan Rebuild” was published under Viewpoint, in Engineering News Record, May 13, 2002.
Azizi Architects
www.a-architects.com
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Sustainable
Resources 2004 > Presenters
