The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with Soraya Hosni

Perhaps now more than ever before, we are all aware of the built environment that surrounds us, and of the impacts it has on the health of individuals, communities, and the planet. The Architecture of Place series brings together the established and emerging voices working to create a better built future.

From December 2025 through February 2026, the ICAA, INTBAU, and The King's Foundation will co-host The Architecture of Place: In Conversation with..., a series of interviews featuring three designers and place-makers from different backgrounds and points of view: Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, Felicity Cain, and Soraya Hosni.

In this three-part series, each speaker will alternately serve as interviewer and interviewee, discussing the influences, experiences, and projects that have shaped their approach to the architecture of place. Each session will conclude with an open Q&A. The programs are free and open for public registration, and recorded versions of the programs will be made available to all.

In this iteration of the series, Felicity Cain will interview Soraya Hosni.

Soraya Hosni is a cultural strategist and Yale World Fellow who oversees arts and culture funding initiatives across the USA and the MENA region. She is the founder of The New Medina, a cultural revival initiative dedicated to reclaiming ancestral knowledge and architecture in historic Islamic cities. Trained as an anthropologist and cultural entrepreneur, her work sits at the intersection of heritage, sustainability, and belonging.

Presented as part of The Richard H. Driehaus Curricula for the Built Environment at the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. The ICAA is very grateful to The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation for its generous support of this program.