Merging Tradition and Technology: How MEAN* Architects are Shaping the Future of Middle Eastern Design
MEAN (Middle East Architecture Network), recognized as one of ArchDaily’s Best New Practices in 2024, is reshaping the architectural landscape of the Middle East. The firm masterfully integrates computational design, digital fabrication, and material research with local cultural heritage. Founded in 2016, MEAN adopts a forward-thinking approach, developing site-specific architectural solutions that balance technological advancement with cultural relevance.
Their projects range from experimental furniture, like the Mawj Chair, to large-scale interventions such as The Adaptive Majlis, a reinterpretation of traditional cooling and social spaces through digital fabrication. Combining tools like parametric design, AI, and 3D printing with local materials, MEAN* creates a unique architectural language that honors the past while looking to the future.
In a recent interview, MEAN*’s founder, Riyad Joucka, discussed the studio’s philosophy and the challenges of defining a contemporary Middle Eastern architectural identity.
*(Nour Fakharany): MEAN aims to develop a ‘new character and identity of Middle Eastern architecture.’ How would you define this identity in today’s evolving architectural landscape?**
(Riyad Joucka): “There is no single definition of ‘Middle Eastern’ architecture. It’s a diverse, layered vernacular shaped by centuries of cultural exchange and evolving civilizations. Architecture in the region today stands at a crossroads between heritage and innovation. At MEAN*, we’re not interested in nostalgia. We focus on redefining regional architecture through technology and material research, while staying rooted in culture and context. The goal is to develop an adaptive architectural language, one that respects tradition but continues to evolve with time.”
(NF): What does it mean to you to create a ‘native architectural language’ that balances heritage with avant-garde technologies?
(RJ): “It’s not about copying traditional forms; it’s about figuring out why they worked and how they can evolve. We look at vernacular strategies such as passive cooling, spatial relationships, and material logic, and reinterpret them through parametric design, AI, and digital fabrication. We aim for a future-forward, yet deeply contextual architecture that represents the ambitions of the future and reflects the heritage of the past.
(NF): What role do material research and experimentation play in your design philosophy, especially when working in the Middle East’s unique environmental conditions?
(RJ): “Materiality plays a major role. The Middle East has a harsh, but resource-rich environment, and we explore locally available materials in new ways, like 3D-printed sand composites or bio-based resins. It’s not just about sustainability, but also rethinking how materials shape cultural identity.”
(NF): How does your practice utilize computational design and digital fabrication to enhance your ability to preserve local character, ecology, and history? Can you share a project that exemplifies this approach?
(RJ): “Computational design enables us to analyze and integrate complex environmental and historical factors, while digital fabrication transforms these insights into precise, tangible forms. As part of my Practice Fellowship at Zayed University, my project, The Adaptive Majlis, embodies this approach; it reinterprets traditional cooling strategies and social spaces through 3D-printed modular components, neatly merging heritage with advanced fabrication techniques.”
*(NF): Can you discuss a project that best represents MEAN‘s ability to merge local context with state-of-the-art technology?**
(RJ): “Our Mawj Chair is a small-scale, but powerful example. Inspired by ocean waves, it was designed using computational fluid dynamics and 3D-printed as a seamless form. It shows how technology can amplify local inspiration rather than dilute it.”
*(NF): How does MEAN collaborate with local craftsmen, suppliers, and communities to ensure authenticity?**
(RJ): “We see digital fabrication and craftsmanship as partners in the design process, from its early beginnings. We partner with regional artisans to integrate details and finishes into our computational designs, linking high-tech precision with traditional artistry.”
(NF): What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for architecture in the Middle East over the next decade?
(RJ): “The biggest challenges are climate adaptation, cultural preservation, and economic sustainability, but these are also opportunities. With novel, emergent technologies like AI, 3D printing, and new materials, we can design regionally responsive, future-ready spaces that push architecture forward without erasing its identity.”
