Somali born architect chosen to represent the UK

MA Projects have been selected by the Architecture Foundation (UK) and Ordem Dos Arquitectos (Portugal) to participate in the New Architects Portugal/UK exchange programme as part of the 2010 Lisbon Architecture Triennale. The aim of the programme is to identify, exchange and promote the best new architects from countries around the world through developing networks, dialogue and cultural exchange that allow for the sharing of information, ideas and new thinking.

MA Projects along with two other UK architects and three practices from Portugal have been identified by the partners as exciting emerging architects who will act as ambassadors for the architectural scenes in their respective countries, taking part in reciprocal programmes to each country with a schedule of co-ordinated activities including public lectures, studio visits and site tours.

MA Projects is young London based architecture and design practice, set up in 2009 by partners Rashid Ali and Ed McCann after working together collaboratively for a number of years. Through their interest and readings of contemporary cultural and social issues, art, architecture and urbanism, MA Projects have developed architectural and landscape projects that expand on ways one experiences and inhabit spaces at macro and micro scales.

Rashid Ali BA(Hons), DipArch, MSc was born in Somalia in 1978. He studied architecture at the University of Greenwich and the Bartlett school, UCL and City Design and Social Science at the London School of Economics. Prior to co-founding MA Projects he worked at Adjaye

Associates in London where he was involved in the development and building of a number of high profile public projects such as the Ideas Store libraries, London, Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo and the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Denver, as well as running arts projects that included collaborations with artists Chris Ofili and Olafur Eliasson. Alongside practice he teaches architecture at the Oxford Brooks University. He has lectured and taught widely in the UK including the Welsh School of Architecture, UCL, University of Nottingham and Manchester School of Architecture.
In 2008 Rashid was nominated for the Building Design Young Architect of the Year Award (YAYA).

For more details please see;
http://www.architecturefoundation.org.uk

For interview contact:
rashid@rashidali.eu