Award-Winning Palestinian Architect. Zakaria holds a Master’s degree in Regional and Cities Planning from Akdeniz University (Mediterranean) in Antalya, Turkey (2019-2022), and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine (2012-2017) with honors.
Throughout his master's thesis, Zakaria discussed urban planning policies and strategies as tools for disaster risk management for urban areas through a systematic framework, and the application of these policies to re-planning destroyed urban areas in Palestine during different periods of conflict. He chose the Shujaiya area which was destroyed in 2014 as a case study to apply the outputs of his master's thesis.
During his journey to obtain his master's degree in Turkey, Zakaria worked in several part-time/full-time/remote jobs. He also started the WALLS project, the project aimed to document and analyze the Palestinian urban heritage. He published part of his work during his MA in the form of working papers and presentations on the ResearchGate website, and several projects on Behance.
He worked as a teaching assistant in the architectural design and planning studios in the Department of Architecture at the Islamic University of Gaza during the period (2017-2018), also he participated in editing the 14th issue of Al-Omran magazine issued by the department. He also participated in a scientific lecture on protecting the Palestinian urban heritage through his Al-Tantura Village project.
He also worked as a local consultant architect with Catholic Relief Services in the Gaza Shelter Response Preparedness Project, where he participated in cooperation with the engineering team in developing designs and shop drawings for different shelter prototypes and supervising their implementation over five months.
Zakaria won several awards at different levels:
+ Sultana N.Nahar and Alburuj R. Rahman (Ohio State University) Award for STEM as the best graduate of the Architectural Engineering Program for the year 2017.
+ Catholic Relief Services Award for Best Temporary Shelters Designs.
+ Palestine Land Society Award for The Reconstruction of Destroyed Palestinian Villages, for the Al-Tantura Village Project.
+ Design Award for the main building of the Al-Azhar Institutes in Palestine.
Zakaria founded recently (August 2022) an architectural studio called (The Office Architects). The office works in architecture, research, and society, as well as investigates Palestinian collective architecture and urban practices in public space.
Throughout his master's thesis, Zakaria discussed urban planning policies and strategies as tools for disaster risk management for urban areas through a systematic framework, and the application of these policies to re-planning destroyed urban areas in Palestine during different periods of conflict. He chose the Shujaiya area which was destroyed in 2014 as a case study to apply the outputs of his master's thesis.
During his journey to obtain his master's degree in Turkey, Zakaria worked in several part-time/full-time/remote jobs. He also started the WALLS project, the project aimed to document and analyze the Palestinian urban heritage. He published part of his work during his MA in the form of working papers and presentations on the ResearchGate website, and several projects on Behance.
He worked as a teaching assistant in the architectural design and planning studios in the Department of Architecture at the Islamic University of Gaza during the period (2017-2018), also he participated in editing the 14th issue of Al-Omran magazine issued by the department. He also participated in a scientific lecture on protecting the Palestinian urban heritage through his Al-Tantura Village project.
He also worked as a local consultant architect with Catholic Relief Services in the Gaza Shelter Response Preparedness Project, where he participated in cooperation with the engineering team in developing designs and shop drawings for different shelter prototypes and supervising their implementation over five months.
Zakaria won several awards at different levels:
+ Sultana N.Nahar and Alburuj R. Rahman (Ohio State University) Award for STEM as the best graduate of the Architectural Engineering Program for the year 2017.
+ Catholic Relief Services Award for Best Temporary Shelters Designs.
+ Palestine Land Society Award for The Reconstruction of Destroyed Palestinian Villages, for the Al-Tantura Village Project.
+ Design Award for the main building of the Al-Azhar Institutes in Palestine.
Zakaria founded recently (August 2022) an architectural studio called (The Office Architects). The office works in architecture, research, and society, as well as investigates Palestinian collective architecture and urban practices in public space.
For more information: zijassar@gmail.com
