Contact

Hamza AlSawaf
www.linkedin.com/in/hamza- Design Manager - Urban Planning at Modon Properties
alsawaf-4308931a (LinkedIn) Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Top Skills Summary

Architecture
A qualified architect, urban designer and masterplanner with over
Architectural Design
15 years of international experience delivering solutions for wide
Masterplanning
array of projects ranging from offices, hotels, resorts, mixed use
Languages master plans, golf course and lifestyle residential communities and
residential projects of varying scales and types in addition to cultural,
English (Native or Bilingual)
heritage and urban regeneration developments.
Arabic (Native or Bilingual)

An accomplished designer with a track record of leading diverse

design teams in the delivery of high-quality projects through all work
stages. They have gained wide acclaim from both clients and peers.
I demonstrated over my career a special skill and understanding
of place making principles that my clients have come to value and
appreciate. My role has ranged from running design charettes and
meetings with prominent clients to delivering landmark projects.
This wealth of experience enables me to combine development
constraints and aesthetic intent to find and deliver inspiring solutions
to my clients.

Some of my projects were notably recognized on the international

arena. The Ras Al-Khor Sanctuary Vision masterplan was the gold
medal recipient for 2020 WAN awards in The Future Urban Design
Category, a development that was and still at the heart and core
of Dubai’s commitment to be a leader in sustainable development.
Meydan One and Marsa Meydan masterplans were also recognized
and showcased during Cityscapes’ recent editions while The Valley
community was launched in Dubai in 2019.

Experience
Modon
Design Manager, Urban Planning
February 2022 - Present (1 year 10 months)
United Arab Emirates

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Jacobs
Senior Masterplanner
August 2021 - January 2022 (6 months)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

AE7
Senior Urban Designer | Masterplanner
July 2013 - August 2021 (8 years 2 months)
My role is Leading the design efforts of the masterplanning team for multi-scale
projects in the UAE, the region and internationally delivering projects spanning
over more than 20,000 hectares of land development. I provide exceptional
design solutions that positively contribute to the value creation resulting in
lasting relations with prominent clients.

Contributing as an integral part of marketing, delivery and client management

gaining AE7 leadership’s recognition for the potential of the masterplanning
and urban design service as a revenue generator and a business unit rather
than a supporting service.

Providing valuable inputs to AE7 leadership in business development

strategies.
Contributing expertise in the design process providing inputs in urban
framework, site analysis, development scenarios, design and building
guidelines as well as projects’ feasibility studies.

Participating in projects charrettes and design reviews, projects’ peer reviews

and 3rd party project reviews.

Managing projects ensuring conformity to scope of work, allocated budgets,

and timeframes.

Internally, I constantly provide on-going expertise, with the support of the

masterplanning senior colleagues, towards streamlining workflow and
increasing the teams’ productivity by establishing and implementing relevant
processes, procedures and the utilization of the appropriate design, analysis,
and production tools. These improvements allow the masterplanning
department to cater for the needs of the clients and meet the challenging
projects’ milestones. Additionally, I provide continuous mentoring for junior
staff members.

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Dewan Architects & Engineers
Senior Architect
March 2012 - July 2013 (1 year 5 months)
Played vital role in delivering high quality and compelling urban design and
urban regeneration solutions for the old cities of Karbala and Najaf that helped
them overcome the current pressing issues and plan for the anticipated
challenges. This effort has helped grant Karbala’s Urban Renewal project the
authorities’ consent and exhibited it for public viewing.

Delivered variety of masterplanning projects in the urban renewal, educational

and mixed-use sectors in UAE and Iraq.

Contributed to the design process providing inputs in urban framework, site

analysis, development scenarios, design and building guidelines.

U+A
Project Architect
November 2011 - January 2012 (3 months)
Dubai Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Worked closely with the principal designer director to deliver several luxurious
residential and commercial projects.

Managed the design process providing vital inputs into the coordination efforts
between the various disciplines.

FUNKTION Design
Design Director
July 2010 - November 2011 (1 year 5 months)
Co-founded Funktion Design Consultants in Dubai, UAE.

Promoted Funktion Design effectively within the industry and to the target
audience in multiple occasions such as exhibitions, fairs, trade shows and
corporate events in the GCC and Middle East regions.

Played a vital role in Developing, supporting, and maintaining successful

relationships with key alliances such as individuals, external groups, partner
organizations, influencers, local communities, suppliers & agencies, and other
stakeholders that brought 3.5 million Dirhams in bids to the Firm within the first
year of establishment.

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Developed project management procedures and design manuals.

Provided design solutions for various architecture and masterplanning projects

in the Middle East and North Africa.

Woods Bagot
Architect
July 2007 - July 2010 (3 years 1 month)
I Had very successful three years during which I developed core competency
and expertise in the hospitality sector seeing through variety of hospitality
projects from inception to various stages.

Delivered designs for variety of contracted architecture and masterplanning

projects as well as competitions.

Successfully managed complex projects involving intricate interplay between

architecture and masterplanning. Transitioning from macro to micro, I
exhibited well-rounded knowledge in coordinating at multiple scales providing
coherent and comprehensive design solutions that put the human experience
at the core.

Exhibited excellent ability in working within multidisciplinary environment and

collaborations with multiple offices.

Played very valuable role in The Kempinski Hotel in The Wave, Muscat
showing skillful ability to translate initial concepts into world-class destinations
utilizing Woods Bagot’s capabilities and the complete synergy with the client
team.

I was involved in the construction of The Sant Regis Saadiyat Island in Abu
Dhabi overseeing the design, documentation and construction activities for
various components including its main ballroom’s upgrade to a larger capacity
and arrival court.

Provided valuable inputs during 3rd party design reviews which resulted in
winning the design contract for Al Yasmeen Mazzeh Rotana Hotel project in
Damascus, Syria.

Lacaza
Architect
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September 2006 - July 2007 (11 months)
Developing concept design proposals for various architectural and
master planning projects.
Coordinating and resolving design and technical issues and insuring
construction documentation is in concert with design intent.

Dubarch
Architect
June 2004 - September 2006 (2 years 4 months)
Developing concept design proposals for various architectural and
master planning projects.
Resolving design and technical issues and insuring construction
documentation is in concert with design intent.

Education
American University of Sharjah
Bachelor’s Degree, Architecture · (1999 - 2004)

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