I’m an architect interested in the environment, astronomy, history, and spatial philosophy.

I’m deeply inspired by deserts and their systems of navigation and timekeeping, with a particular fascination for how language and folklore preserve environmental knowledge.

I earned my Bachelor of Architecture from Kuwait University in 2023 and my Master of Science in Computational Design Practices from Columbia University in New York in 2025, where my thesis, Resistant Atlas: Names of the Sun, received the Most Outstanding Capstone Award.

My thesis has since developed into an ongoing research practice, bringing together essays, instruments, digital tools, and spatial installations. Read about it here.

My professional path moves between architecture, research, academia, and creative direction. I currently work as an architect in Kuwait, designing hotels, and I also lead my independent practice, RUMMA Studio.

Previously, I worked in AlUla as an amateur astronomy researcher and guide, leading stargazing experiences and lectures, researching Arabic astronomical folklore, and developing star maps, public programs, and astronomy workshops.All while getting lost in the desert and finding my way back again with the sky.

I am currently an artist-in-residence at Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a participant in the upcoming Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2026.

For further information: badriyahalsalem@gmail.com