Cardiff University welcomes Ibrahim Ibrahim as Honorary Visiting Professor

Ibrahim is the Managing Director of Portland Design, part of the global Perkins&Will architecture and design group. A graduate of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, he is a leading expert on how people relate to place and the nature of their engagement with physical and digital environments.

Ibrahim has played a key role in the delivery of high concept design projects across the world, including RAI Amsterdam, the city’s flagship multifunctional exhibition and conference centre, and Bikini Berlin, the world’s first concept shopping mall.

He is part of the international team working on the redevelopment of Parco Romano, reclaiming an old industrial site to become a vibrant and diverse green neighbourhood in Milan and which will play host to the Olympic Village for Milano-Cortina 2026.

A regular speaker at conferences and a frequent contributor to journals and trade press, he has written several articles for The Economist ‘Insights’ and is a published author; his book, ‘Future Ready Retail’ explores the future of retail and place and their impact on brands, the customer experience, our high streets and town centres.

Ibrahim’s expertise in place-shaping and his extensive experience in advisory roles make him an ideal candidate to contribute to the Welsh School of Architecture and wider University. As an Honorary Visiting Professor Ibrahim will bring his considerable expertise to a breadth of activity, from contributing to discussions on the school’s current and future teaching portfolio, to supporting the development and future trajectory of the WSA brand, to fostering connections between Cardiff University and industry leaders, to helping strengthen the School and College as the University develops its Futures Initiative and makes futures thinking more central to research, teaching, and outlook.