Amir is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture and Design, where he received a Master of Architecture degree in the summer of 2023. Prior to that, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and International Studies from Austin Peay State University in 2017, where he majored in Spanish and French. Amir also studied abroad at the Universidad de Burgos in Madrid, Spain, and L’Université de Chicoutimi à Québec in Quebec, Canada. In addition to Spanish and French, Amir also speaks Arabic as a familial language.
Amir began interning at DIA in June 2022 and decided to stay after his internship due to the great work, people, and firm culture. He was inspired to pursue architecture after studying linguistics and fine arts, where he was exposed to drawing, painting, and sculpture. Studying language and culture prompted him to travel, where he was exposed to people, places, and design. This combination of experience and insight inspired him to return to school and pursue architecture, where design and culture merge.
In his personal life, Amir was born in Clarksville, TN but raised partly in Brooklyn, NY. He came to Knoxville for school in 2019 and enjoys the mountainous landscape and natural beauty of East TN. In his free time, Amir enjoys playing soccer and is a volunteer soccer coach with Emerald Youth. He also enjoys watercolor painting, playing piano and guitar, cooking, hanging out with family, and traveling. So far, he has been to 8 countries.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages and International Studies in 2017 from Austin Peay State University
- Master of Architecture in 2023 from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Accreditations & Affiliations
- AIA
- NCARB
- Emerald Youth Foundation
Honors & Awards
- Don Tinsley Architecture Scholarship
- J. Cary Brossman Memorial Scholarship