Personal profile
Personal profile
Mona Azadian is a practice-based lecturer at the Department of Architecture. She is a registered architect with an International practice background and has collaborated with several multinational firms in the Middle East. Mona is the co-founder of the Dubai-based architectural practice POLIS Architectural Front, with which she has undertaken several works and participated in international competitions, gaining awards. In parallel to professional practice, Mona has been teaching as an architectural design lecturer, sustaining an interaction between practice and academic discourse and utilising her experience in both. She emphasises creative design methods underpinned by critical thinking in both social and environmental contexts. Mona received an honourable mention prize for a design proposal for the Iranian pavilion at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale 2016. “Contemplating the Desert” is a scheme responding to the “Report from the Front” by critical thinking on the illusory process of contemporary urban development, as well as an invitation to recall sustainable methods of water conservation in Iranian traditional urban contexts.
Research interests
Ecological Landscape Design; Environmental Art, Body and Space; Biophilic Design; Circular Economy; Passive Design; Environmental Philosophy; Practice-based research; Design Pedagogy
Experience
Lecturer, IAU University Architecture Department, DUBAI - 2012-2020
Co-Founding Partner, POLIS ARCHITECTURE FRONT, DUBAI - 2011- Present
Founder and Lead Designer, UNTOLD GARDENS, DUBAI - 2018 - Present
Architectural Designer, Variuos Architectural practices (NJP, Burt Hill, Woodsbagot, CAP) - 2002-2011
Awards and honours
2017, UAE Future School Competition, 3rd Prize, Ministry of Infrastructure
2016, Iranian Pavilion for 15th Venice Architectural Biennale, Honorable Mention Award, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
2010, Vertival SPA in Rome, Honorable Mention Award, Arquitectum
2006, Urban Facade Refurbishment for Navaab Highway, 2nd Prize, Tehran Municipality
Education/Academic qualification
Fellowship in Higher Education Academy, Advance HE
Award Date: 12 Oct 2025
Registered Architect Part II, Iranian Architects Registration Board, TCEO
Award Date: 1 Aug 2008
Master, MArch, IAU Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Award Date: 1 Jun 2002
Research areas
- Sustainable Design
- Design for Addaptibity
- Ecological Landscape Design
- Environmental Art
- Asian Architectural History
- Cultural Heritage Studies
- Design Pedagogy
- Practice-based research
Person Types
- Staff
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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A Framework for Efficient and Adaptable Post-Disaster Shelters: Streamlining Material Provisions through Modular Scaffolds
Csikvari, G. & Azadian Qomi, M., 3 Feb 2026, IOP Conference Series, Sustainable Built Environment Conference, 2025, Tokyo. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 1582.Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review
Open Access -
Augmented Reality for Advancing Reflective Learning in Architectural Education: A Site-Specific Design-Build Approach
Csikvari, G., Azadian Qomi, M. & Song, Y., 5 Mar 2026, (Accepted/In press) ICIET 2026 IEEE Xplore.Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review
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Creating Change Through Design: A Cross-University Collaboration to Address Socio-Economic Challenges in China through Multidisciplinary Design-led Approach
Drzewiecka, A. A., Azadian Qomi, M. & Zolotova, M., Jul 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) Proceeding of 10th International Conference on research in Humanities and Social Sciences.Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review
Open AccessFile436 Downloads (Pure) -
Embedding Modular Open Systems for Efficiency and Adaptability in Post-Disaster Shelters
Csikvari, G. & Azadian Qomi, M., 29 Dec 2025, IOP Conference Series, Sustainable Built Environment 2025, Sevilla, Spain. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 1568.Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review
Open Access -
Historical Adaptation in Contemporary Design Practice: “ A practice of Translating Traditional Chinese Courtyard Gardens into a Contemporary Public Space”
Azadian Qomi, M. (Photographer), Oct 2025, (In preparation)Research output: Practice-based research output › Design, Architecture, Interiors
Activities
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Modernism as Heritage in Asia: A comparative study of heritage trajectories in Iran and China
Azadian Qomi, M. (Speaker) & Dong, Y. (Speaker)
30 Aug 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation at conference/workshop/seminar
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Preservation, Production and Reproduction
Brillhart, A. (Organiser), Zhang, X. (Organiser), Tang, B. (Member of programme committee), Schnabel, M. A. (Participant), Han, J. (Chair), Kuang, X. (Chair), Williams, E. (Chair), Chen, G.C.-F. (Chair), Traynor, K. (Chair), Lu, X. (Chair), Bandyopadhyay, S. (Participant), Tao, Y. (Participant), Winter, T. (Participant), Baek, M. J. (Participant), Vichnevetskaia, A. (Participant), Zhu, Y. (Participant), Wu, K. (Participant), Zhang, Y. (Participant), Hu, W. (Participant), Han, Z. (Participant), Zhang, L. (Participant), Li, Y. (Participant), Corti, E. (Participant), Zhu, Y. (Participant), Azadian Qomi, M. (Participant) & Cui, N. (Participant)
29 Aug 2025 → 30 Aug 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising an event e.g. a conference, workshop, …
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Living Shelters: Design and Built Workshop
Azadian Qomi, M. (Organiser), Song, Y. (Participant), Csikvari, G. (Participant) & Dall'Asta, J. C. (Participant)
24 Aug 2025 → 30 Aug 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising an event e.g. a conference, workshop, …
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Roundtable: Future Careers
Azadian Qomi, M. (Organiser), Albano, S. (Chair), Loehlein, G. (Participant), Khan, Dr., M. (Participant) & Bauer, M. (Participant)
14 Apr 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising an event e.g. a conference, workshop, …
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INCLUSIVITY & ACCESSIBILITY_OBSERVATION ACTIVITY with DR. LI
Albano, S. (Chair), Azadian Qomi, M. (Member of programme committee), Qiu, J. (Member of programme committee), Zhu, Z. (Member of programme committee), Berton, A. (Member of programme committee) & Li, L. (Participant)
7 Apr 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising an event e.g. a conference, workshop, …
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