atelier masōmī is now Mariam Issoufou Architects

April marks ten years of atelier masōmī. To celebrate this milestone, we would like to announce that the firm is changing its name to Mariam Issoufou Architects.

We have seen a growing interest in our work and our intersectional approach to sustainability from South America, North America, Middle East and Europe. This expansion in the geographic scope of our work has presented an opportunity for us to open a design studio in New York, where our founder and principal, Mariam Issoufou, is building a team. Through her professorship at ETH Zurich, in the chair for Architecture Heritage and Sustainability, Mariam’s academic and research activities have expanded beyond our office in Niamey. This expansion has also necessitated a need to consolidate our work under one brand. 

Mariam Issoufou Architects remains committed to the ethos behind atelier masōmī. We view this change as an opportunity to deepen our work while remaining rooted to a holistic view of architecture that is ecologically sensitive and sustains local culture, craft and skills. Since the firm’s founding in 2014, we have been dedicated to using architecture as a tool for social change. Through projects like Hikma Community Complex, Dandaji Regional Market, Yantala Office and Niamey 2000, we have explored the ways architecture can advance local vernaculars, aesthetics, spatial conceptions and building techniques. Our participation in international exhibitions like the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale (curated by Hashim Sarkis),  2023 Venice Architecture Biennale (curated by Lesley Lokko), A Lot With Little (curated by Noemi Blager) and MAXXI Museum’s Good News: Women in Architecture has allowed us to apply our approach to craft and collaborate with artisans at different scales. We are also excited for our upcoming projects like Bët-bi Museum in Senegal, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center in Liberia, and Hayyan in Sharjah. 

The past ten years have been full of ups and downs. We could not have made it this far without our dedicated teams in Niger, New York and Zurich. Our heartfelt thanks also go out to our visionary clients and collaborators without whom our work would not be possible. We are thankful to all who have been part of our journey this far, and hope to have you along as Mariam Issoufou Architects enters the next stage.

Feel free to reach out to us on office@mariamissoufou.com