Alaa Albarazy
Architect | Urban & Sensory Designer
Academic and Researcher in Architecture & Digital Design

Professional Summary

Alaa Albarazy is an architect and designer specializing in sensory technologies and spatial computing. He merges architectural vision with digital tools to craft immersive, multisensory experiences. Albarazy is known for his ability to bridge academic research with creative practice, producing works that deeply reflect on both physical and virtual realities.
His portfolio spans international exhibitions and projects across Qatar, China, Italy, London, and South Korea. He has delivered lectures at prestigious global conferences and contributed to the development of experimental exhibitions and narrative-driven documentaries.
Alaa holds a Master of Fine Arts in Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Science in Architecture & Urban Design from Eastern Mediterranean University. He has also completed an Executive Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris and holds a Bachelor's in Architecture. His academic and professional background fuses creative insight with analytical thinking, positioning him at the intersection of design, innovation, and urban transformation.
As CEO and founder of The-A Studios, Alaa Albarazy leads multidisciplinary design firms in Qatar, offering media production, architecture, interior design, and technology integration services through THE-A Media Studio, THE-A Design Studio, and THE-A Lab, all focusing on client-centric, innovative designs.


Education

• Master of Fine Art in Design – Virginia Commonwealth University
• Master of Science in Architecture & Urban Design – Eastern Mediterranean University
• Entrepreneurial Studies in Creative Art – HEC Paris
• Bachelor’s in Architecture – Eastern Mediterranean University

 
Professional Experience

• Creative Director
  THE-A Design Studios LLC – Qatar | 2023 – Present
  Leading creative strategies across architecture, interior design, media, spatial computing, and immersive technologies for a multidisciplinary design firms.
  
  
• Artist-in-Residence (AIR 9)
  Fire Station – Qatar Museums | 2024 – Present
  Developing interactive sensory installations that explore cultural narratives and experiential design.
  
  
• Adjunct Professor
  Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar | 2024 – Present
  Teaching advanced courses in Virtual Reality and immersive design within the Continuing Education Program.
  
  
• Creative Consultant & Research Associate
  Institute for Creative Research – VCU Qatar | 2025 – Present
  Overseeing creative and technical production for interdisciplinary exhibitions and research projects.
  
  
• Exhibition Designer
  VCUarts Qatar | 2022 – Present
  Design and coordination of exhibitions for the Intangible Lab, featured at Msheireb Museums, Qatar Museums, and Yuz Museum, China.
  
  
• Film Director
  VCUarts Qatar | 2022 – Present
  Directed artistic and cultural documentaries screened in Qatar, China, and the USA; archived by Qatar’s National Library.
  
  
• Postgraduate Research Fellow
  The Intangible Lab – Qatar | 2022 – 2023
  Led projects under "Mapping Migration Memories," exploring migration, identity, and memory in digital and physical contexts.
  
  
• Creative Director
  MetaMosque LLC – USA | 2021 – 2024
  Led development of the virtual mosque project as a symbolic and social public space on Web3 and XR platforms.
  
  
• Visiting Lecturer & Jury Member
  Cyprus International University
  Delivered lectures and participated in graduate architecture and urban design jury panels.
  
  
• Exhibition Designer
  VCUarts – Dean’s Office
  supported the development of “Desert Exhibition” at the Benton Museum of Art, USA.
  
  
• Academic and Organizational Committee Member
  Eastern Mediterranean University – Cyprus
  Managed academic events, exhibitions, and municipal collaborations on urban beach redevelopment initiatives.
  
  
• Design & Visual Production Coordinator
  TEDxEMU – Cyprus
  Produced visual content aligning with the event’s branding and theme.
  
  

         Academic & Teaching Experience

• Full-Time Teaching Assistant – Faculty of Architecture
  Eastern Mediterranean University – Cyprus
  Taught six core courses: Architectural Design Studios I & II, Urban Design, Visual Communication, Building Materials & Construction, and Digital Communication. Supervised workshops and tutorials, fostering technical and creative student development.
  
  
• NAAB Accreditation Team Member - Eastern Mediterranean University – Cyprus
  Directed and produced the university’s primary NAAB accreditation film and documented student projects and college events.
  
  
• Teaching Assistant – Digital Communication in Architecture
  Eastern Mediterranean University – Cyprus
  Assisted in digital tools training for architectural visual communication and 3D presentation.
  
  

        Professional Training

• Al Sadd Engineering Consultants – Qatar (2014)
  Training in architectural documentation and multidisciplinary coordination.
  
  
• Santiago Calatrava LLC – Qatar (2015)
  Worked on iconic architectural projects including:
  • UAE Pavilion, Expo 2020, Dubai – Model and design development.
  • Sharq Crossing, Doha – Emergency egress planning and conceptual development.
  • Calatrava Book Project – Spain – Contributed to content for the publication.
    
    
• Al Waha Contracting – Qatar (2016)
  On-site training in architectural detailing and construction drawings.

 

Conferences and Talks I Have Spoken At

• Main Speaker – Build Your House Exhibition, Qatar, 2025
  “Technology: A Language We All Must Speak”
  Talk on smart home systems, AR/VR, and the future of housing design.
  
  
• Keynote Speaker – INDEX Design Qatar, Doha, 2024
  “Technology and Design: Is It Too Late to Jump on the Train?”
  Explored integration of AI and smart tech in architecture and industrial design.
  
  
• Talk – Qatar Museums, 2023
  “Utilizing Technology and Sensory Systems in Art Installations”
  Showcase from the “Zwara” exhibition on immersive sensory experiences.
  
  
• Lecture Series – Cyprus International University, 2023
  “The Power of Extended Reality in Design and Architecture”
  Discussed the transformative potential of XR in architectural practice.
  
  
• Seminar – Final International University, Cyprus, 2023
  “Merging Reality: Digital Depth into Reality”
  Explored layering digital systems onto physical space.
  
  
• Conference Presentation – Greece, 2023
  “Extending Intangible Heritage through Physical Re-enactment”
  Presented in the Film & Sound Art segment of the Digital Culture & Audiovisual Challenges Conference.
  
  
• Conference Presentation – Cyprus, 2023
  “MetaMosque: Exploring the Mosque as a Virtual Public Space”
  Explored virtual religious and symbolic spaces in digital environments.
  
  
• Conference – AMPS Prague, 2023
  “Mapping Migration Memories”
  Presented visual documentation of migration and identity in a heritage context.
  
  
• Webinar – Arkin University, Cyprus, 2023
  “Public Space and the Metaverse”
  Discussed shifting concepts of public space in VR/AR and the metaverse.

 

Creative workshops presented by me

• "Beyond the Canvas: Transforming Real Spaces into Immersive VR Art"
  Fire Station Museum, Qatar – 2025
  Hands-on training in LiDAR scanning and immersive performance art.
  
  
• "Extended Reality : Discover the Art of Creating an AR portal for a journey into Another World"
  Msheireb Museums, Qatar – 2024
  Interactive AR design workshop for creative educational engagement.
  
  
• "Let's Play Energy: Unleash Your Electric Power!"
  Qatar Museums – M7, Doha – 2023
  Interactive sensory environment using cardboard and vinyl to inspire self-expression.
  
  
• "Do not touch" Rather than telling you, what if I can show you instead.
  VCUarts Qatar – 2020
  Workshop on interactive user experience and non-contact design systems.
  
  
• " Design experiment in a relational context"
  Design Week IX – EMU, Cyprus – 2019
  Collaborative workshop on socially responsive design strategies.
  
  
• 3D Modeling in Building Information Systems (BIM)
  EMU, Cyprus – 2017
  Intensive Revit training covering modeling, rendering, and template creation.
  
  
• Fundamentals of 3D Modeling
  EMU, Cyprus – 2017
  Workshop on 3ds Max modeling and Mental Ray rendering.
  
  
• Advanced 3D Visualization: V-Ray & Introduction to Lumion
  Cyprus – 2017
  Advanced visualization training using V-Ray and Lumion for instant rendering.
  
  
• How Do We Draw? For Architecture Students
  Design Week – EMU, Cyprus – 2015
  Introductory workshop on architectural sketching and creative drawing methods.

 
Exhibitions Featuring My Work

• London Design Biennale - DUB DOUBT
  Interactive Installation – International Design Exhibition
  London Design Biennale | London, UK – 2025
  
  
• Design Doha Biennale - Bunch of Mottos
  Sensory Designer – with MOTOElastico
  Design Doha Biennale
  Msheireb, Qatar – 2024
  
  
• Msheireb Museums & Yuz Museums China - Mapping Migration Memories
  Exhibition & Installation Designer
  Contemporary Art from Qatar
  Shanghai, China – 2023
  Msheireb Museums, Doha, Qatar – 2023
  
  
• M7 Msheireb Cultural Forum -  I Feel
  Forever Valentino-inspired Immersive Installation
  M7, Doha, Qatar – 2023
  
  
• Prototypes for Humanity Dubai and VCUQatar - MetaMosque
  Prototypes for Humanity – Dubai, UAE – 2022
  Graduation Exhibition – VCUQ – Doha, Qatar – 2022
  
  
• Thobe and Abaya – Participating in Melting Pottery
  Circolo Del Design & Munlab – Turin, Italy – 2022
  Ecomuseo dell’Argilla – Cambiano, Italy – 2022
  Rossana Orlandi – Milan Design Week – 2022
  Summer Gallery – Porto Cervo – 2022
  
  
• Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism - A Hi Call for Socializing
  Participating in Crossroads. Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
  Seoul, South Korea – 2021
  
  
• Venice Architecture Biennale - Accept Each Other
  Participating in Future School, Korean Pavilion – Venice Architecture Biennale
   Italy – 2020
  
  
• Faculty of Architecture Main Exhibition Hall - Here is not Here
  Faculty of Architecture – EMU, Famagusta, Cyprus – 2019

 


Competitions & Awards

• My short film The Unyielding Determination was officially selected for screening at the European Union Short Film Festival – Youth Edition, Qatar, 2025.
  
  
• MetaMosque, my virtual mosque project, was selected to represent Qatar at Prototypes for Humanity, celebrating creative solutions to global challenges – Dubai, 2022.
  
  
• First Prize Winner at Scale7 Hackathon for the Fashion In-motion project – an experiential design blending fashion and technology – Qatar, 2020.
  
  
• Honorable Mention in the Building 4Humanity Design Competition for the project Architecture for All – Portugal, 2019.
  
  
• Best Architectural Concept Award for my graduation project The City as Museum, exploring the intersection of urban space and narrative – Cyprus, 2018.
  
  
• Second Place and Best Architectural Direction Award in the Residential Villas Design Competition for a project combining local identity with contemporary solutions – Egypt, 2014.
  
  

Technical Skills
 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Advanced in Autodesk Tools: AutoCAD, Revit, 3Ds Max, ReCap
• Skilled in Adobe Creative Cloud: Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere
• Experienced in VFX and 3D Integration
• XR | VR | AR – Spatial computing & immersive experience development
• Advanced Unity and Unreal Engine skills for immersive content
• 3D Modeling with Rhino and SketchUp
• Realistic Rendering with Lumion, Twinmotion, and V-Ray
• Professional in filmmaking, mixed media, and 360° video production
• Certified Drone Pilot – Aerial Filming & Simulation
• Expert in LiDAR and 3D Aerial Imaging