About

For Yahya, design is a creative process that challenges us to combine our understanding of Life, of Science, and of Art. And where these aspects overlap, Yahya believes First Principle thinking can reveal solutions that stretch our understanding of reality.

Based in Dubai, Yahya is President & Design Director at NORR. With 36 years of global experience, Yahya leads NORR’s design efforts in the Middle East and Asia. Yahya undertook his undergraduate and graduate studies at Princeton University. A licensed architect in New York, Yahya lived and worked for 14 years in the US before moving to Dubai in 1996. Since then, Yahya has played a pivotal design role at NORR, bringing to life visionary projects throughout the region.

Yahya believes that Great Design, done right, can solve many of humanity’s problems. For this to happen, he believes our efforts must always be inclusive, inviting opinions in an open-minded search of possibilities. An exploration where owners and designers fully participate in the process.

Yahya advocates integrated design as a means to transform our built environment. He sees design as a patient search - equal parts analytical and intuitive. Central to his design philosophy is a multi-disciplinary approach that includes owners, architects, engineers, and others, working collaboratively to unlock hidden potential. Today, Yahya leads a highly motivated team of designers and doers. A diverse, multicultural gathering of incredibly creative women and men, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, dedicated to excellence in everything they do.

Yahya’s built work includes signature office, residential and hotel towers, retail malls, and multi-use developments. A winner of numerous international awards, Yahya’s design and research is featured at conferences and in leading publications worldwide.

For Yahya, design is a creative process that challenges us to combine our understanding of Life, of Science, and of Art. And where these aspects overlap, Yahya believes First Principle thinking can reveal solutions that stretch our understanding of reality.

Based in Dubai, Yahya is President & Design Director at NORR. With 36 years of global experience, Yahya leads NORR’s design efforts in the Middle East and Asia. Yahya undertook his undergraduate and graduate studies at Princeton University. A licensed architect in New York, Yahya lived and worked for 14 years in the US before moving to Dubai in 1996. Since then, Yahya has played a pivotal design role at NORR, bringing to life visionary projects throughout the region.

Yahya believes that Great Design, done right, can solve many of humanity’s problems. For this to happen, he believes our efforts must always be inclusive, inviting…

See more See less