Hana Abdel's diverse background bridges interior architecture, art, and a deep appreciation for cultural heritage, shaping her distinctive approach to curating architecture content at ArchDaily. Originally from Lebanon and now based in Canada, Hana has spent more than a decade exploring interior architecture alongside artistic practices such as sculpture, ceramics, and drawing. Although she is no longer actively practicing interior architecture, these experiences continue to enrich her understanding of spatial narratives and the relationship between materiality and place.
As Manager of the Projects Curators team, Hana focuses on identifying architecture that tells compelling stories beyond aesthetics. Her editorial vision emphasizes projects that thoughtfully engage with cultural context, traditional techniques, and emerging voices, ensuring a diverse and inclusive representation. She is committed to shining a light on underrepresented communities and innovative practices that push the boundaries of architecture.
Hana keeps a close eye on evolving trends influencing the discipline today, including the growing emphasis on adaptive reuse and renovation driven by housing challenges, as well as the expanding role of architects in shaping not just buildings but public and outdoor spaces. This attentiveness helps her guide the team in selecting work that is both timely and meaningful, fostering a global dialogue about architecture's impact on society.
Combining her practical background with editorial insight, Hana cultivates a curatorial approach grounded in sensitivity and curiosity. Her leadership ensures that ArchDaily's curated projects offer readers not only inspiration but also critical perspectives on the social and cultural dimensions of architecture worldwide.
Read on to learn more about Hana's perspective and journey.
What first sparked your interest in architecture — and what led you to editorial work?
It was my long-standing interest in art history and historic sites that was key in guiding me towards studying and working in design and architecture. For the past 10-plus years, I've maintained some practice in interior architecture and art production (sculpture, ceramics, drawing) with constant research and reading about the history of spaces, artifacts, and furniture. Therefore, a shift to editorial/curatorial work came very naturally, as a culmination of these interests and my vast exposure to global heritage sites through travels.
What do you look for when deciding whether a project or topic is worth publishing?
When seeking and curating built projects, I look for captivating works — captivating in many possible ways. The story behind a project is usually a primary element I look for, and it can be showcased through the use of quality raw materials, unique layouts, beautiful setups and imagery, or even just with a moving back-story. I look for cases where I can highlight bright young practices that need the exposure, underrepresented communities, or forgotten traditional building techniques. I try to be as open-minded and flexible as I can. Being considerate is important when looking for genuinely valuable works to feature.
Is there a project or story you've published that particularly resonated with you — and why?
A project that has resonated with me is Sealab's School for Blind and Visually Impaired Children in rural India. An unassuming project, that is such a beautiful case study with its involvement of the children in the creation process, and understanding of their needs. It's the most intelligent and thoughtful project I've published. The architects were not too big on exposure, but we pursued them because it was a quality reference to anyone wishing to create a positive change through design. Other works we think don't get their due are represented weekly via our Project Review Instagram posts.
What shifts or emerging trends in architecture are you paying close attention to right now?
While I try to make sure that multiple themes are tackled in my curatorial search, a few trends can be highlighted.
- The rising cost and availability of housing, and how it's pushing architects to move from large-scale building to interior architecture, thus renovation and adaptive reuse programs are becoming more common.
- The changing role/profession of the architect is another interesting topic to consider.
- Finally, I am looking into outdoor/public spaces. Attention to landscape is a recurring focus and provides interesting input from different regions/climates that boast diverse ecosystems and public space use traditions.
What's something you've learned from your editorial work that continues to shape how you see architecture?
Through my curatorial experience, I have been amazed at how comparable our (built environment) issues are and how architects and designers arrive at similar solutions, even when they are worlds apart.
Through editorial work, we are able to spread practical knowledge and relatable references/solutions that can actually be helpful to users. Therefore, we have to be responsible with what we choose to showcase and have a clear understanding of different contexts and backgrounds. I trust the content team's dedication and healthy curiosity to always learn and get beyond biases, ensuring the best transfer of information.
This profile is part of the series "Voices of ArchDaily," a dedicated space highlighting the people behind our content team—their interests, experiences, and professional journeys.
