Abdukarim Umarov is an architect and urban designer, currently pursuing his Master’s degree of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD) at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Prior to commencing his graduate studies, he worked at multi-award-winning architectural firm, X-Architects based in Dubai, UAE. Umarov received his Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, where he was a recipient of Merit and Dean’s list scholarships.
His practice in the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and Kyrgyz Republic has allowed him to gain crucial experience in developing a personal career ethos while being part of various design firms. As part of X-Architects team, he was involved in cultural, religious, residential, and mixed-use projects across multiple scales at competition, concept, and schematic design stages. He gained his internship experience at Kieferle & Partner as well as Loci Architecture & Design, both based in Dubai, where he played a crucial role in the development of a master plan for a construction village in the NEOM, KSA and contributed to the design process of several residential and mixed-use projects in Dubai. His current interests focus on the potential connectivity between the academic and conceptual approach to the projects in the field of architecture, with more commercially-oriented natures of urban and real estate developments.
Apart from architecture, Umarov finds his passion in product design, photography, and automobile industries. He designed Power|Plant, product that was sold out at CAAD Concept Pop-Up Store in 2019. He has won several photography competitions while in university and continues to remain active in taking part in various regional photography contests.
Should you have any further questions or would like to get in touch for potential collaboration, interested in a commission, or just want to chat, please feel free to reach out at aumarov@gsd.harvard.edu.