Rasha graduated with a Master's degree in Architecture from UNC Charlotte (2007-2010). Her thesis entitled "The Divided City: from Separation to Reconciliation" earned the Excellence in Architectural History/Theory Award.
Her thesis proposes two programmatically-related design interventions on two damaged/abandoned sites in Beirut. Together, these interventions aim to promote social and economic interaction between the city’s divided communities and therefore eventually contribute to reconciliation. Beirut is selected to be the focus of this work due to its complex layers of war and heritage. Beirut has undergone years of cycles of violent attacks, destruction, and reconstruction. The invisibility of the former Green Line adds to the complexity of the city and makes the concept of reconciliation and bridging challenging and worth exploring.
Rasha has a Bachelor's degree (Cum Laude) in Software Information Systems with a minor in Mathematics from UNC Charlotte (2001-2005).
As she is interested in cities of conflict and division, she is passionate about development projects in Palestine and in the Palestinian refugee camps.
Check out her e-portfolio at www.wix.com/rashadumarieh/portfolio_thesis.
