Founded by Nicolas Fayad and Charles Kettaneh, EAST Architecture Studio is a collective practice committed to architectural design and experimental research. The studio yields innovative built

environments of various scales, engaging both contemporary society and traditional culture. The firm operates as an open laboratory in search of new architectural typologies that reconsider

the intersection between spatial experience, form and technology, while adjusting to changing social, economic and environmental landscapes. Lebanese national Nicolas Fayad completed his

bachelor’s degree in architecture at the American University of Beirut in 2008 before earning a master’s in architecture with distinction from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in

2010. In 2021, Fayad was a visiting professor of architecture at MIT’s School of Architecture + Planning, where he co-taught an option studio called “Trauma Urbanism”. He is a visiting assistant

professor of architecture at the American University of Beirut where he teaches architectural design studios and seminars. Lebanese-American born Charles Kettaneh joined the Department of Architecture at the American University of Beirut in 2003 before moving to New York City where he earned his bachelor’s in architecture with honours from Pratt Institute in 2009. His professional path includes experience in international design offices across the US. Prior to founding EAST, Kettaneh worked in Lebanon upon joining Raed Abillama Architects for several years.

Source: Aga Khan Award for Architecture