An Architect’s Journey: Excerpts from “Noushin, A Memoir: The Making of a Woman Architect”
Document Type
Video
Date
Spring 3-7-2023
Keywords
Noushin Ehsan, Women in Architecture
Language
English
Disciplines
Architecture | Other Architecture
Description/Abstract
In her talk, Noushin will read a few excerpts from her book, Noushin, A Memoir: The Making of a Woman Architect, which discusses her personal journey as a young child in Iran whose foremost ambition was to become an architect and the sometimes-difficult paths she navigated as she achieved each of her goals. Noushin will focus on the qualities it takes to establish and lead a successful international practice of architecture/planning and will share her philosophy that all architects must possess a desire to use their knowledge and talent to serve humanity. Her doctrine, called Spirit of Space, denotes that an architect must understand the value and impact of subliminal feelings of joy in spaces and the impact of creating designs that “sing.” To achieve this goal, Noushin believes the architect must employ a holistic approach to craft designs that are timeless, promote positive emotions, and work towards contributing to a healthy society.
Recommended Citation
Ehsan, Noushin, "An Architect’s Journey: Excerpts from “Noushin, A Memoir: The Making of a Woman Architect”" (2023). School of Architecture Lectures Series. 295.
https://surface.syr.edu/architecture_lectures/295
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Additional Information
Noushin Ehsan, AIA is a licensed architect with over 50 years of international experience. She resides in Manhattan and is the president of 2nd Opinion Design where she guides each project to a better result. She also consults with national and international governments on their architectural and planning projects. In addition, she lectures about” Spirit of Space” at universities and institutions throughout the world.
In 1985, she founded Accessible Architecture PC, where she promotes the concept of “design for all” in a way that uplifts mind, body, and spirit. From 1974 to 1985, she was the managing director of B.E.B. Consultants, an architectural firm based in New York, London, Paris, and Tehran. Her projects were built in the USA, England, Holland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
Professor Ehsan has taught at many universities including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, and Polytechnic Institute of London. Also was adjunct professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), Massachusetts and Architectural Association (AA), London. She studied architecture at Tehran University and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, also received her master’s degree in Architecture & Urban Design from UCLA. She is a recipient of several honors and awards, which include the Design Merit Award from Hunter College in New York City and the Business Achievement Award for Betterment of the City of New York. In 2022 she publishes NOUSHIN, A Memoir: The making of a Women Architect. She is a Baha’i, and her faith is the center to her activities.