Name: Tarek Moubayed
Hometown: Lebanon
Major: Master in Architecture
Graduation Year: 2023
Employer: AECOM
Title: Architect

Why did you choose the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design? What drew you to design?
The diversity of the student body and faculty was undoubtedly one of the most important reasons, drawing me to the Hines College. When I think of diversity, I not only think of it from an ethno-racial standpoint, but also from the cultural, intellectual, and creative perspectives bringing everyone to the table. Design, in and of itself, is a process of bringing people together to solve problems. In this day and age, the various set of problems we face requires a diverse group of thinkers and doers capable of tackling the issues with innovative solutions. This is the kind of environment I was exposed to at the college, and it is one I am grateful for.

In essence, similar reasons are what drew me to design. I always felt the need to think of solutions to problems that were not my own – to a fault (when I should also be working on my own problems!). Seeing the day-to-day struggles people have with the functionality of the spaces they inhabit or the cities those spaces occupy made me interested in diving into the art of problem-solving in architecture!

What is one of your favorite memories from your time on campus? Was there a particular professor who influenced your education?
Even though it has not been too long since I graduated, the memories have somewhat begun to fade, and I am left with a great group of friends and a strong network and community in and around Houston. Some of the silly memories I will not forget are going with friends to Shasta's and grabbing a coffee and ice cream while on my dieting yet stress eating cyclical stages.

Some more serious memories would be my general aha moments in classes with some really great faculty members who supported my growth and made me the mature man and designer I am today. While I do not want to specifically call on anyone because I feel I was influenced by all faculty in a very unique and memorable way, I would definitely have to mention and thank professors Deepa Ramaswamy, Susan Rogers, Bruce Race, Matthew Johnson, and Sofia Fonseca de Nino. I also want to give a special thanks to associate dean Trang Phan for her support in this journey. They all played a vital role in shaping who I am today.

Tell us about a typical day in your job. Do you have a particular design or business philosophy?
My typical day at work involves collaborating with people all over the country to resolve design issues from the mundane to the complex. AECOM's tagline is "Delivering a better world." While that could be a generic statement anyone adopts, I do not think just anyone can deliver. I am cognizant of the fact that we are not perfect, but I do believe AECOM’s process and methodology strive to develop high-quality deliverables we can to a wide range of public- and private-sector clients we serve across the globe.

Having only been out of school for a year, the design philosophy I live by is to first, ask questions; second, make mistakes; and third, learn from my mistakes. I hope that doing so will make me a thoughtful architect over time, but for now, it is a work in progress! This design philosophy – the philosophy of iteration – was definitely something I learned from the Hines College. We try so many times to find the right solution, and then when we do, we inadvertently stumble upon another set of complexities we did not anticipate. I believe it is this set of unknowns and the process of experimentation that make me enjoy both where I work and what I do for work.

What is one career accomplishment of which you are particularly proud? How do you feel the College prepared you for this?
I feel like this is a question you would typically ask someone with years under their belt. For now, I am proud of my ability to juggle work, get licensed, maintain a social life, volunteer, and be actively engaged in the community. I am often told that I am trying to do too much all at once, but as long as the ship has not sunk, I can keep living in a "this is fine" mode, just like the meme of the dog in the burning house by artist KC Green. Even though I try to do too much , I will keep operating at this pace, and maybe next time, I will have a BIG accomplishment I am proud to share.

What is one valuable lesson you learned during your time at the Hines College?
One lesson I cherish from the Hines College is the notion that you really can do anything you put your mind to. While my parents were always very supportive and believed in me in that same way, I grew up in a design environment where my design skills were not necessarily sharpened in the same manner. While my undergraduate degree from my previous school equipped me well for the Hines College, the freedom to design was not as 'free,' and we were more restrained by the need to create what we ‘needed.’ While that is not necessarily an erroneous design philosophy, I believe the real world will, at some point, equip you with the skill to tackle the problems you will face every day. The problem with that philosophy is it will not equip you with the ability to tackle the bigger problems our society faces when they come up tomorrow.

At the Hines College, it was unique that I got to experience both design philosophies of my choosing, which goes back to the diversity of intellectual perspectives I mentioned. I got to see what it was like to be a more pragmatic day-to-day architect, and also what it would take to be a more generalist designer who can look at the problem from the satellite, rather than the microscope. I know this is a heated topic at our school and in our profession, but I do believe that there is a state of equilibrium where we can be equipped with everything we need to be successful designers.

What advice would you give to current architecture and design students?
The only advice I could impart is to be curious and explore what you like or dislike while you are at school because the professional world does not always give everyone the opportunity to do so. I think architecture, at the end of the day, is a degree that opens doors to do a bunch of cool things, and the same goes for interior architecture and industrial design. Houston's diversity on an economic-industry level means that we have a plethora of interesting markets to tap into when it comes to the design process. Find what you like and go for it, and if you are like me and you still do not know what you really like, then just go for it. The chances are it is out here somewhere!

Website: aecom.com