Omar Allabban is an architectural designer with a drive to make design both compelling and effective from shaping immersive experiences that have won over clients, to leading concept-to-detail delivery on international boutique projects. His work spans high end residential, cultural, and experimental typologies, grounded in a deep fluency with design tools and a drive to push innovation forward. He thrives in fast-paced studios where initiative is valued and ambition is matched by precision.
OMAR ALLABBAN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
PERSONAL INFO
DATE OF BIRTH: JUN 10 , 2001
NATIONALITY: EGYPTIAN
LANGAUGES: ARABIC (NATIVE), ENGLISH (FLUENT)
EDUCATION
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE | SEP 2018 - MAY 2023
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Virtual Environments Design Project Featured on Dezeen Magazine
• Contributed to the 2nd Place Proposal for Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES
RHINOCEROS | LEVEL I CERTIFICATION
GRASSHOPPER | INTERMEDIATE LEVEL CERTIFICATION
AUTODESK REVIT | PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
VR SKETCH | PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
SKETCHUP
3D PRINTING
RENDERING + POST-PRODUCTION
ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE
UNREAL ENGINE
EXPERIENCE
WAIWAI
DXB
JUNIOR ARCHITECT | OCT 2024 - PRES.
• Played a central role in the concept design of a series of mosques in Diriyah Gate, Riyadh shaping the architectural narrative and design direction from the ground up in close collaboration with the project leads.
• Delivered design packages that facilitated a smooth transition to SD and DD phases, meeting both cultural sensitivity and contemporary architectural standards.
• Actively contributed to fast paced design iterations using Rhino, Grasshopper, and Adobe Suite, balancing.
ZAYED UNIVERSITY
RESEARH ASSISTANT - PROF. RIYAD JOUCKA | OCT 2024 - SEP 2024
• Contributed to research involved with the developing field of additive manufacturing in architecture and construction.
MEAN* (MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECUTRE NETWORK*)
JUNIOR ARCHITECT | JUN 2023 - OCT 2024
• Led the full design development of Repeat Pilates Studio in Barcelona from pre-concept to DD100%, handling all design outputs across digital and physical mediums.
• Initiated and developed a 3D-printed modular housing proposal for Emirati homes, allowing for endless permutable configurations; project supervised by Professor Riyad Joucka.
• Produced compelling visualizations, prototypes, and research that expanded MEAN*’s design discourse
MODULE ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT | JUL 2022 - SEP 2022
• Developed and implemented VR-based client presentations using Twinmotion and Revit, significantly improving design communication and project approvals.
• Independently trained the office team in VR workflows, establishing a new internal standard for interactive presentations.
KILLA DESIGN
ARCHITECTURAL INTERN | DEC 2021 - FEB 2022
• Assisted in preparing high quality client presentations for a residential complex in the Belgrade Waterfront masterplan, supporting senior architects with design and documentation.
SPIRALING GROUNDS
REIMAGINING CITIES TO COMPLIMENT NATURE
Year: 2023
Function: Innovation & Research Center
Role: Concept Design, Production, Visualisation
Project Context: B.Arch Thesis Project
DESIGN CONCEPT:
My senior design project began with a thesis exploring the field of evolutionary biomimicry in its mathematical, biological, and artistic aspects to come up with a new design methodology that can create buildings that blend better with nature instead of disrupting it. This was done by studying the mathematical development of organic patterns on both the macro and micro scales to understand how to mimic them in their beauty and efficiency of filling spaces. The research found that methods of growing our buildings by simulating the development process of organisms are still not possible due to technological limitations, but they can prove to be a revolutionary success in the fields of energy efficiency if achieved, and can dramatically alter how our city skylines look in the future. This means that the field of biomimicry is in need of research and development since it has only existed for the past 30 years.
Axonometric View
Diagrammatic Flow of Research
Main Render
Ground Level Plan
Bird Eye Persepctive
Lower Level Plan Central Perspective
North Elevation
Section A-A
Interior Perspective
REPEAT PILATES
WELLNESS, CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, AND INCLUSIVITY
Year: 2024
Function: Pilates Studio
Role: Concept, Schematic & Detail Design
Project Context: MEAN* - Barcelona, Spain
When designing the spatial identity of Repeat Pilates Studio, we draw inspiration from the fundamental principles of Pilates: balance, harmony, and movement. We abstract these notions into geometric forms, relating them to the concept of repetition, which is a shared principle between architecture and Pilates. Just as Pilates exercises harmonize the body and mind, our design philosophy centers on creating spaces that align seamlessly with your clients’ vibrant energy. This approach ensures the seamless integration of form and function, fostering an environment where members can connect with their inner harmony and vitality.
OurvisionforRepeatPilatesStudioinBarcelonaintegrateswellness and contemporary design while celebrating diversity. Through the seamless blend of form and function, our design fosters an inclusive and empowering environment, inviting all bodies to thrive on their wellness journey.
Exterior View
Reception 2 Ceramic Tiles Detail
Mapei
Ceramic Glazing
Mapei Grouting (Ultracolor Plus 132)
META-MODULAR
PERMUTABLE HOMES
Year: 2023
Function: Residential Building System
Role: Concept Design, Production, Visualisation
Project Context: MEAN* - House of the Future
Conceived as a modular system, Meta-Modular represents a systematic approach to residential development, providing innovative solutions to the housing challenges confronting the new generation. This flexible system opens potentials to design an infinite amount of adaptable, sustainable houses that are inspired by the culture of the UAE. Meta-Modular is designed to help create houses that are organic and responsive with the ability to adapt to the changing needs of its inhabitants.
The kit of parts allows the dwellers to live in a dynamic space that grows and shrinks in response to the family’s ever-changing needs. The system’s adaptability can be highlighted through the houses’ ability to accommodate new family members, changes in the financial status of the family, evolving preferences, and changing lifestyles.
Exploded Axonometric
House Typologies
4D Printing
Twin Townhouses - Two BedroomsStandalone Villa - Three Bedrooms
Courtyard Villa - Four Bedrooms
The true essence of the system is its modularity at every level. It consists of infinite types of blocks (rooms) of varying sizes and styles. The blocks are composed of endless variations of units (walls) of different finishes, patterns, and articulations. These units, in turn, are made up of modules that can be highly customizable. At each layer of this modular system, customization is the key, offering families unparalleled control over the design, from the spatial qualities down to the smallest details. This approach allows for an infinite number of permutations, ensuring that each house reflects the inhabitants’ tastes and needs.
This permutable nature of Meta-Modular ensures that the houses never become outdated, too small, or inadequate with time. It provides a harmonious and everevolving environment that truly reflects each family’s unique journey. By continuously adapting and evolving, it minimizes the need for extensive renovations or relocations, thus creating a habitat with solid roots yet flexible parts that are modular.
3D-Printed Model Photos
Physical
1- 3D Concrete Print Modules & Store2 - Transport Required Modules to the Site
Male Connector Steel Plate Rubber Gasket Double Glazed Glass
In Diriyah, we’ve crafted a design concept that builds on continuity with local heritage. We pay attention to each mosque location and reflect upon the urban and natural context it relates to.
Each project of the mosques revolves around a single idea of a Community Spaces. We understand the formation of the public spaces around the mosque as a crucial part of the project. Entrances, Courtyards, Riwaq, gardens, and shaded spaces are responding to the contextual directions, and flow of the people. The mosques present the idea of accessibility and openness through their placement and design of access which enriches the public spaces given in the Masterplan.
The language of public forms in mosques allows for the building to blend into the urban fabric through the means of adequate scale of each form. Starting from the most external ones to the praying rooms, the mosque is an ensemble that presents itself as accessible and humane.
Section - Mosque 1
Elevation - Mosque 1
Exterior Perspective 2 - Mosque 1
Exterior Perspective - Mosque 2
Section - Mosque 2
LUCID CONVERGENCE
SURREALIST EXPERIENCE IN A METAVERSE HOME
Year: 2022
Function: Meta-House
Role: Concept Design, Production, Visualisation
Project Context: Virtual Environment Studio
DESIGN CONCEPT:
Lucid Convergence is a meta-house consisting of a collection of fragments translated into spaces that are conjoined together and intersecting with each other, mimicking the feeling of lucid dreaming with surreal scales and symbolic non-functional spaces. This concept was designed fully using VR technology, immersing the designer with his entire toolkit within the world of his creation.
“Each room in the house is a geometric translation of its symbolic meaning in dreams. This design principle creates a house in the metaverse that serves as an artistic statement to its owner in the virtual world, rather than serving as a conventional functional home.
A dynamic and multi-dimensional environment designed to optimize both visual aesthetics and functional utility. The tiered seating, with its graduated levels, provides a highly effective means of accommodating large numbers of people while ensuring a clear and unobstructed view of the surrounding area. The vibrant colours of the seating material serve to imbue the space with a sense of liveliness and energy.
In this dystopian world, the capitalist metaverse reigns, and survival hinges on a special superfood token. To acquire it, individuals must work within the metaverse to earn money. The superfood takes the form of nonphysical collectible pills resembling vitamin supplements, providing vital nutrients.
The food incubator, with its space-themed design, serves as a constant reminder of the virtual disconnection from reality. Shaped like a space station, it hosts a challenging competition where players navigate a mazelike environment to locate the elusive superfood. The fortunate winner receives 500 units of this superfood, securing sustenance for several years. With each competition’s end, the space station and the superfood’s location are randomized once again.
Interior and Exterior Perspectives
Section
Design Process
Stage 03 - Final Form
Stage 01 - Rings Orbiting Around Metaball Mass
Stage 02 - Development of Masses & Rings to Organic Forms
PENUMBRA
CARBON FIBER SHADING STRUCTURES
Year: 2023
Function: Shading Structure
Role: Concept Design, Production & Visualisation
Project Context: MEAN* - Confidential
The concept for the Penumbra Pavilion aims to create a striking shading experience that showcases the unique capabilities of carbon fiber with a modular and tileable design.The shading pavilion consists of a series of polygonal cone structures, strategically placed and arranged in a seamless pentagonal tiling pattern across the site. This creates a visually distinctive and appealing experience to the visitors, especially with the slender design of the columns that is enabled by the innovative material.
The pavilion showcases upcycled pre-impregnated carbon-fiber as a building material to create a unique and lightweight structure. The use of this ultra-performative material allows for an exceptionally lightweight and slim canopy design that is only 5mm thick, and can go up 5 meters in the air with remarkably wide spans.
Exploded Axon
3D-Printed Concrete
Wooden Deck
Steel Diagrid Membrane
discovery of a new kind of pentagon capable of “tiling a plane”--that is, fitting together on a flat surface without overlapping or leaving any gaps.
It’s said to be only the fifteenth such pentagon ever found and the first new one to be found in 30 years. Finding one is a bit like discovering a new atomic particle, Dr. Casey Mann, associate professor of mathematics at the University of Washington in Bothell and a member of the team, said in a written statement.
The team made the find with the help of a computer program designed just for the purpose.
“We discovered the tile using a computer to exhaustively search through a large but finite set of possibilities,” Mann told The Guardian, adding that the team had been “a bit surprised” to find the new type of pentagon. In addition to Mann, the team includes Dr. Jennifer McLoudMann, who is also an associate professor of math at the university, and David Von Derau, a recent graduate of the university.
Source: Huffington Post August 2015
Concept Design - Modularity
Polygon A is an irregular pentagon that is mirrored to create Polygon B. Together they can be tiled through rotation to create gapless, repeatable pattern. This pattern guides the positioning of the modular structure.
Polygon A and B are rotated to create the aforementioned pattern. The rotations are represented by lighter shades of each polygon.
