Tasneem Zraikat is a Jordanian architect and artist with an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts and master’s degrees in Architecture and Construction Management. She has worked as an architectural designer in Jordan and the United States and has studied traditional architecture and vernacular construction methods. For the past six years, she has focused on traditional architecture and planning projects while researching locally sourced materials in Jordan through hands-on explorations with clay and natural fibres.
Tasneem Zraikat
Architect and Crafts Designer | New York - Amman
Tasneem Zraikat. Image courtesy of the Designer
The Interview
What inspired you to pursue a career in design?
Beauty that I found in my surroundings while growing up, whether it was from nature or my mother's handcrafts.
How does your cultural or regional context influence your design work?
Some of my work reflects my research into local vernacular architecture in Jordan through storytelling about traditional practices, especially those from my parents' childhood memories.
What is your design philosophy or approach to creative problem-solving?
Beauty is sustainable. Beauty and durability go hand in hand. This is a philosophy that I learned as a student of traditional architecture.
Describe a project you're most proud of and why it's meaningful to you.
My ongoing research into traditional construction materials has opened my eyes to the fact that we can depend on low-tech methods and handcrafts to create beautiful and durable structures.
Who are your design influences or mentors, and how have they shaped your work?
I am inspired by the works of Hassan Fathy, Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa, Leon Krier, and Andrea Palladio among others. They all share a love for beauty and many of them are focused on a larger purpose, which is designing for community.
What role do you think design plays in shaping communities and culture in the MENASA region?
Good design and planning strengthen communities by promoting collective identity and purposefulness.
How do you stay inspired and continue to evolve your creative practice?
I will always be a student, which is very important. I also love making with my hands for the joy of making, and I always find that my hands help me see and understand in a way that modern tools don't.
What are the biggest challenges facing designers in the MENASA region today?
One of the challenges is perhaps the limited options when it comes to local production facilities.
Works
Image courtesy of the designer.
Image courtesy of the designer. Credit: Omar Hosam Aldeen
Socials
@tasneemarch