A new generation of architects is emerging, one that goes beyond simply constructing buildings to thoughtfully consider our changing world. These visionary builders combine innovation with responsibility, beauty with sustainability, creating what can only be described as "makers of the future." Among the most prominent voices in this movement is Mariam Issoufou, a Nigerian-born architect whose work exemplifies this engaged approach to architecture.
Issoufou, who works between Niamey, New York, and Zurich, builds intelligently and brilliantly, proposing a way of construction that is more just, more human, and more rooted in reality. Her architectural philosophy centers on the belief that building must take into account both environmental and human factors, creating structures that exist in symbiosis with their context.
Born in Saint-Étienne, France, in 1979, Mariam Issoufou grew up in Niger before moving to the United States in the 2000s. She initially studied computer science and worked in the technology sector for about a decade before surrendering to her true passion: architecture, which she describes as an "obsession." Her architectural awakening was influenced by her family's Western-style home, which was poorly adapted to Nigerian culture, leading her to question the cultural and environmental impact of construction from an early age.
In 2013, Issoufou made a radical decision that would change her career trajectory. She resigned from her tech job and enrolled in architecture at the University of Washington while pregnant with her daughter. A year later, she founded Atelier Masōmī, which later became Mariam Issoufou Architects, marking the beginning of her journey as a professional architect.
For Issoufou, it's impossible to think about architecture without associating it with environment and humanity. As she explained to Afrique Magazine: "I always pay attention to climate issues, temperature, and the economic implications of architecture. There is a great responsibility to create an environment in symbiosis with the context." Deeply influenced by the richness of Tuareg culture, her country's history, and its ancestral constructions, she perceives herself as an "heir to a rich and complex culture."
However, being attached to one's roots doesn't mean "staying immobile." Currently a professor of architecture at ETH Zurich, after a stint at Brown University in the United States, Issoufou is also a recognized speaker who defends a strong conviction: building is above all about understanding inhabitants and their culture. This commitment extends to inspiring a new generation of African architects.
For her, building in Africa means primarily valorizing local materials that are adapted to both climate and economic realities. "We don't have the same financial and construction resources as in Europe," she explains. Her approach has earned widespread recognition, including the Roux-Dorlut Prize, two LafargeHolcim Awards, and the Prince Claus Award. Issoufou has established herself as one of the great voices in global architecture, always placing humanity and the planet at the heart of her creations. The New York Times recognized her significance by naming her one of the 15 creative women of our time.
Among her notable works is the Dandaji Regional Market in Niger, completed in 2018. In Niger, the market is an institution, and traditionally, vendors would set up around an ancestral tree. Issoufou imagined a place inspired by traditional architecture, creating individual shade structures made from recycled metal that protect merchants from the sun while accommodating their stalls. The inhabitants quickly took ownership of this new living space where people meet, exchange, and share.
The Niamey 2000 housing project, completed between 2016 and 2020, addresses the housing crisis in the rapidly expanding Nigerian capital. Inspired by pre-colonial cities like Timbuktu in Mali or Zinder in Niger, Niamey 2000 proposes a new way of living while respecting social norms and family privacy. Built with raw earth—a local resource—it was designed to maintain interior coolness. The project was shortlisted for the 2022 Aga Khan Architecture Prize.
In Senegal, the Bët-bi Museum, completed in 2022, draws from Mandingue culture. With its triangular architecture, the museum embodies the connection between nature, ancestral spirits, and the living. Issoufou established underground galleries to honor "what existed before while creating a space dedicated to art and creative expression."
Looking ahead to 2025, Issoufou designed the Rolex Pavilion for the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, themed around "intelligence"—natural, artificial, and collective—in the face of climate challenges. Built with local and recycled materials, including beams from two-hundred-year-old Venetian palaces, the pavilion maintains the brand's emblematic green color and circular glass while allowing Issoufou to collaborate with local artisans and manufacturers.
Issoufou's work represents a new paradigm in architecture—one that refuses to simply construct but instead seeks to understand, respect, and enhance the places and communities it serves. Between history and future, nature and humanity, local materials and modernity, she embodies an architecture that is sober, rooted, and profoundly unifying. Her conviction that "architecture must be designed for people" continues to influence a new generation of builders who see construction as an act of cultural preservation and environmental stewardship.
