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Saphiya Abu Al-Maati works at the intersection of policy, politics, and the built environment. She obtained her Master of Architecture from Columbia University in 2017 and a Bachelor of Peace and Conflict Studies specializing in Human Security from UC Berkeley in 2014. Her interests stem out of a continous search to understand the way in which politics become embedded in our physical surroundings, and the return effects of our physical environment on political policy. This line of inquiry has also led to an enagement in strategic communications, utilizing this skillset and understanding to further investigate the means through which political messaging and urban policy are translated to the public.
Saphiya co-curated the 2021 National Pavilion of Kuwait at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, presenting the project ‘Space Wars,’ an indepth research project bringing together international individuals and firms to investigate the desert hinterland. Her co-curators include Yousef Awaad Hussein, Aseel Al-Yaqoub, and Asaiel Al-Saeed. Her recent research has been published in the “Deserts” edition of the Journal of Architectural Education, “Deserts are not empty” edited by Samia Hennia and “Architecture of the Territory” edited by Collective for Architecture. She has served as an advisor to the Kuwait Council of Ministers, consulting on national urban projects and strategic communications, alongside her work with local design firms delving into the historic, cultural, and temporal aspects of national projects currently underway.
Saphiya was awarded the Science Po and Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science’s travel grant for ‘On the Stakes of War and Peace: Diplomacy, Anthropology, Climate, and Conflict’ and has co-taught design studio courses at Barnard College and Columbia University GSAPP. Her research on the influence of regional political parties on the physical development of Kuwait has been a part of multiple conferences, including the UNESCO World Heritage Conference (Bahrain). She continues to work with local cultural institutions, such as Sadu House and AlSadu Society, as a Creative Development Advisor on various cultural initiatives and exhibitions.