PEOPLE

Get to know the passionate experts driving our mission forward. Our team is a diverse group of scientists, researchers, and innovators, each bringing unique skills and perspectives to our work. United by a shared commitment to excellence and impact, we collaborate to push boundaries, solve challenges, and make a difference. Meet the people who are turning ideas into breakthroughs.

May A. Megahed

RESEARCH STAFF

Researcher (August 2025-Present)

Biography

May Mahmoud is an architect and researcher with over a decade of international experience across Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the UK. Her professional and academic work centers on sustainable, culturally rooted architectural practices, focusing on environmental performance, spatial identity, and urban development. She holds a degree in Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport and is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA I). Her architectural practice integrates creative design with contextual understanding and technical precision, contributing to diverse housing, educational, commercial, and urban development projects.

Research Interests

At KAUST, her research focuses on integrating environmental design strategies into architecture through vernacular approaches, with a strong emphasis on the cultural dimensions of sustainability, emphasizing how spatial design negotiates identity and climate within architectural contexts. Her key interests include

  • Environmental Design
  • Architectural Identity and Cultural Representation
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  • Sustainable Urban Development

Education

  • B.Sc. Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, 2014
  • RIBA Part I, Royal Institute of British Architects, 2012

Professional Profile

  • Founder | Architect Sweden & UK, May 2017 - Present
  • Project Manager | Saudi AgriFood Tech Alliance, KAUST, KSA, Sept 2024 - August 2025
  • Guest Lecturer
    Linkoping University, Sweden 2018 - Dec 2024
  • Architect SVEA, Sweden 2022-2023
  • Construction Project Manager and Architect, Botrygg, Sweden 2018-2020
  • Freelance Architect, Egypt, Saudi Arabia 2014 - 2017

KAUST Affiliations

  • Climate and Livability Initiatives
  • Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering
  • Urban Lab

Research Interests Keywords

LCA Environmental Design Sustainable Architecture Urban Development Culture and Architecture
UrbanLab. Talent. Affirmations. Thought. Inspiration. Transmission. Knowledge. Meeting. Community. Future. Transition.