Maryam Karimi
Maryam Karimi holds a Doctorate in Philosophy and a practice-based Ph.D. in Visual Arts from York University, a Master’s degree in Architecture (M.Arch) and a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Science (B.Arch. Sci) from the University of Waterloo. Her interdisciplinary research examines the intersections of architecture, technology and social justice.
Her Ph.D. dissertation explored the potential of framing theories of consciousness in relation to evolving technologies of governance and regulation, bridging philosophical inquiry with practice-based explorations in the visual arts and architecture. Her creative practice spans architectural design, sculpture, object creation and public installations, frequently addressing themes of memory, protest and participatory design in politically charged and socially resistant contexts.
Currently, Maryam is Special Faculty at Carnegie Mellon Architecture, where she teaches courses on design ethics, climate adaptation and the intersection of architecture, equity and sustainability. Her ongoing research addresses critical global issues, including climate justice, the ethics of AI and smart cities, the spatial politics of public space and protest, memory and collective commemoration, and decolonization within the built environment.
Maryam is also the co-founder of The Fly-Bottle, a not-for-profit organization that fosters interdisciplinary, communal inquiries among scholars and practitioners in the humanities, arts and social sciences. Inspired by Wittgenstein's metaphor of breaking free from the "fly-bottle" of limited paradigms, the organization serves as a platform for collaborative research, dialogue and critical reflection on contemporary societal challenges, encouraging innovative approaches to rethinking structures of power, culture and design.
Fall 2025 Teaching
This seminar confronts the ethical imperatives of architectural practice within the intersecting crises of climate collapse, technological acceleration, and systemic injustice, reconceiving design not as a neutral exercise in problem-solving, but as a deeply political and philosophical act.
This studio situates itself at the convergence of critical research and spatial design, urging students to ground their architectural proposals in rigorous theoretical frameworks while exploring bold and experimental interventions.
Spring 2025 Teaching
This studio introduces integrated architectural design as the synthesis of disparate elements, demands and desires. It situates architecture as a technological, cultural and environmental process that is inherently contingent and entangled yet tethered to a historical project of autonomy.
An architectural thesis is a proposition that results from a critique and reexamination of the role of architecture as a critical participant in the conditioning of (public) space. Marking the transition between academic and professional practices, the thesis project is an exciting opportunity for students to define their unique positionality and modes of practice relative to the discipline of architecture.
The Master of Advanced Architectural Design (MAAD) program culminates with a design thesis in the final year of studies. This two-semester independent project allows students to conduct design research and develop a project on a topic they have defined in consultation with the program track chair.