Hisham Youssef is Senior Design Manager for International Projects at Gensler. He joined Gensler in 1997 with extensive architecture and interior design experience at international design firms, with projects throughout Asia and the Middle East.
From 1989, immediately on completing his graduate work at Columbia University for his Master in Architecture degree, Hisham joined the world renowned firm of Rafael Vinoly Architects in New York City, where he became an integral part of the design team that won the world famous Tokyo International Forum project, one of the last grand projects in Japan - completed in 1996. While at Vinoly, Hisham participated in a variety of institutional projects and competitions including projects in Brazil, Japan and the United States.
Following this stint, Hisham joined the boutique firm of JB+C in New York (1994-1997) where he was responsible for design, management and coordination with international architecture firms throughout Asia Pacific, including Japan and Australia, of the retail branch bank rollout for Citibank.
Hisham was born in Cairo where he did his schooling. He was accepted for his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983. During his years at Harvard he was the Photography Editor of The Harvard Crimson, the oldest daily college newspaper in the US. He was also the photography editor of The Harvard Lampoon's parody of Newsweek magazine, which was featured in Life Magazine. He was also Teaching Fellow in the Visual and Environmental Studies department working with graphic designer Toshi Katayama, and assiting in the production of Professor Albert Szabo's book on the Indigenous architecture of Afghanistan.
Hisham is a dual Egyptian American citizen. He currently splits his time between New York, Dubai and Cairo where he maintains residences. Hisham is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is a licensed architect in New York State. He also co-founded The Architectural Association of UAE (aaUAE), and became the first President 2007-2008. aaUAE is a platform for dialogue and ideas exchange related to design and the built environment in the UAE.
