ABOUT ME

Dr. Naim Jabbour is an educator, researcher, and designer whose work explores the intersection of architecture, culture, performance, and the built environment. Originally from Lebanon, his background informs a design and teaching approach grounded in cultural context, spatial narrative, and critical inquiry. His teaching and scholarship emphasize design thinking, design process, spatial analysis, and the relationship between culture, place, and the built environment. His academic interests include architectural design, theory, urbanism, performance, and culture-driven spaces. Dr. Jabbour is dedicated to mentoring students and advancing rigorous, process-driven design pedagogy within architectural education.

EDUCATION

Doctor of Design in Architecture, Carnegie Mellon
Master of Liberal Arts in Sustainability, Harvard University
Master of Science in Architecture, Carnegie Mellon
Bachelor of Architecture, LSU
Graduate Certificate in Green Buildings & Communities, Harvard University
Graduate Certificate in Daylighting Buildings, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
Building Performance Analysis Certificate, Autodesk
Innovation Engineering Blue Belt Certificate

PROFESSIONAL

Associate Professor, Penn College (2009-Present)
Principal Designer, Atelier Naim Jabbour (2009-Present)
Principal Investigator, NSF-S-STEM BE Scholars Grant Program (2017-2022)
Assistant Dean, School of Construction & Design, Penn College (2018-2019)
National Chair, USGBC Students, Center for Green Schools, USGBC (2011-2015)
Project Executive/Designer, PBK (2001-2008)

MEMBERSHIPS, AFFILIATIONS, ACCREDITATIONS

USGBC National Member
Central PA USGBC Chapter Member
NCARB Member
AIA Member - Associate AIA
Lebanese Green Building Council Member (education & awareness committee)
Harvard Alumni for Climate and the Environment
LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty BD+C
LEED Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group Member, USGBC (2023)
AIA PA School Construction Task Force (2023)

DESIGN MANIFESTO

Where Design meets Performance

I believe that architecture is not a static object but an active process—one that creates, molds, and shapes our world over time. Architecture has agency. It influences how we live, how we gather, how we perform, and how we care for one another and the environments we inhabit. At its best, architecture enhances life in multiple, interconnected ways: socially, environmentally, culturally, and experientially.

My design philosophy is rooted on the conviction that design must be both aspirational and accountable. I am deeply interested in an architecture that is restorative, symbiotic, and regenerative—one that gives back more than it takes. Buildings should no longer be conceived as isolated artifacts, but as integrated systems that participate in ecological cycles, respond intelligently to climate, and evolve alongside their contexts. Architecture must work with the environment rather than against it.

Sustainability, in this sense, is not a stylistic gesture or a checklist—it is a design ethic. My design process is focused on advancing buildings that are energy-efficient, climate-responsive, resilient, and carefully attuned to site, orientation, and material life cycles. Performance is not an afterthought; it is a generative force that informs form, space, and experience from the earliest stages of design. Environmental data, climate intelligence, and building science are essential tools in shaping architecture that is both responsible and poetic.

I strive for an architecture that is equally articulated by tectonics and environment. Material assemblies, structural clarity, and construction logic are inseparable from daylight, airflow, thermal comfort, and ecological impact. Craft and performance are not opposites—they reinforce one another. When architecture reveals how it is made and how it works, it fosters understanding, durability, and care.

As professionals, we must move beyond false dichotomies: theory versus practice, beauty versus performance, pragmatism versus idealism. I advocate for a pragmatic utopian architecture—one that is visionary yet grounded, speculative yet buildable. This architecture does not chase novelty for its own sake; it seeks meaningful innovation that is socially, economically, and environmentally viable. Design excellence must coexist with constructability, affordability, and long-term value.

Architecture must ultimately serve people. It should promote equity, wellness, and dignity while creating spaces that inspire curiosity, belonging, and stewardship. Buildings should support communities, respond to real human needs, and contribute positively to the public realm. Social responsibility is inseparable from environmental responsibility.

Through research and teaching, I aim to cultivate an architectural language rooted in performance, empathy, and resilience—one that prepares us not only for the challenges of today, but for the uncertainties of tomorrow. Architecture, when thoughtfully conceived, has the power to repair relationships between people, place, and planet. That is the cause I am committed to advancing.