Razane El Housseini ‘s journey toward architectural innovation began in Batroun, a small coastal town in northern Lebanon, where the sea breaks against Phoenician walls and church bells mark the rhythm of the day. Her story reflects a belief that professional recognition should come from merit, skills, and determination rather than background or connections.
Although she comes from a Muslim family, her childhood unfolded to the sound of those bells. She completed all her schooling at Sainte-Famille School, sharing the same desks, songs, and celebrations as her friends. Every winter, she joined the Christmas choir, her heart as light as theirs.
In Batroun, she was the choir’s joyful exception; in Beirut, she was the girl from the nuns’ school. Both descriptions always made her smile because, to her, they reflected the same truth: she carried both cultures within her, just like Lebanon.
A Country That Coexists, a System That Divides
For Razane El Housseini, that dual belonging reflects the story of an entire nation.
Whatever their faith, Lebanese people share the same customs, the same love of life, and the same generosity. Doors open with the same warmth, and there is always an extra place at the table for whoever drops by.
Yet life’s great milestones are still governed by religion. With no domestic civil marriage framework, couples of different faiths often travel to Cyprus to marry. Love, however, has never known borders, and couples continue to find their own way.
In public institutions, positions are allocated according to sectarian balance, sometimes at the expense of competence.
Lebanon did attempt to bridge that gap. The Taif Agreement, signed in 1989, envisioned a non-sectarian Parliament alongside a Senate representing the country’s spiritual families, intended to protect each community. That Senate has never been established.
For Razane El Housseini, this unfulfilled vision would become more than a political concept. It would inspire an architectural project rooted in her understanding of Lebanon and her belief in a system that recognizes people for their abilities rather than their religious affiliations.
Razane El Housseini: The Senate She Designed
Razane wanted to give shape to an institution that existed only on paper.
It became her architecture graduation project at ALBA (Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts), presented in May 2017.
Razane El Housseini chose Baabda as its location, positioning the proposed Senate on the axis linking the Presidential Palace to the Ministry of Defense and forming a triangle with the Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Her design began with a cube, symbolizing power and stability. She divided it into two sections to allow the axis to pass through the structure. From the forecourt, the eye would travel from the Presidential Palace all the way to the Ministry of Defense.
She then connected the two halves with a dome sheltering the assembly chamber.
Two distinct volumes, one shared heart for debate.
On the day of her presentation, Razane felt she was drawing the country she dreamed of. Her project received a distinction.
Choosing Her Own Path
Then the dream met reality.
After graduating, Razane spent almost a year searching for employment. One architecture firm offered her a position, but on one condition: she had to be recommended by a politician who was funding one of its projects.
She refused.
Having just designed an institution intended to move beyond sectarian divisions, she could not begin her professional journey by compromising the very principles her project represented.
Rather than give in to the system, she turned to another passion.
Self-taught in cold-process soap making and natural cosmetics, Razane began running workshops at Vermillon Rouge in Beirut, teaching young women how to create their own products. She also sold her handmade soaps.
The experience became her breathing space: an opportunity to earn a living independently, meet people, and share something she genuinely loved.
Yet architecture remained her calling.
In April 2018, she traded the sea of Batroun for the lakes of Switzerland, carrying with her something no one could take away: her skills.
She went on to work as an architect in Switzerland for five years, gaining experience and developing a deep understanding of the precision of Swiss construction.
Razane El Housseini: From Architecture to Architectural Innovation
Those years eventually led Razane toward her true professional passion: architectural innovation and the use of emerging technologies in construction.
She specialized in Building Information Modeling (BIM), earning her Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) from HEIA-FR (School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg).
Today, Razane El Housseini serves as BIM Manager at CCHE, a leading architecture firm with offices across Switzerland and in Porto.
Alongside a colleague, she has recently been appointed to establish the firm’s Artificial Intelligence unit, a new responsibility that reflects her curiosity and interest in innovation.
Her professional journey has evolved from designing physical spaces to exploring how technology, data, and artificial intelligence can shape the future of architecture and construction.
Passing It On
For Razane, professional growth also comes with the responsibility to share knowledge.
She currently mentors a student enrolled in the BIM CAS program at HEPIA (Geneva School of Landscape, Engineering and Architecture), accompanying him through to his final project.
She is also actively involved in Geneva’s BIM community, contributing to the exchange of knowledge and professional expertise.
Despite the years spent building her career abroad, her connection to Lebanon remains strong. She still hopes to contribute to an architectural project in her home country one day.
As a woman working in construction, Razane recognizes that women sometimes have to make additional efforts to have their skills acknowledged. Rather than allowing this reality to discourage her, she has turned it into a driving force.
Razane El Housseini is equally determined to represent Arab women and bring greater visibility to their professional journeys, which she believes remain too rarely told, particularly in Europe.
Her advice to a young Lebanese woman graduating in architecture today is rooted in her own experience:
“Believe in it; every effort you give will come back to you one day. Stay true to your values. Pride is worth more than money.”
Razane El Housseini: Building Beyond Labels
Razane’s Senate was never built, but the project helped define what she wanted to build throughout her life: a career in which recognition comes from skills, dedication, and merit rather than the category into which someone is born.
From the classrooms of Batroun to the architectural studios of Switzerland, her journey has remained connected to that original belief.
She continues to believe in Lebanon, in its talented youth, its strong and brilliant women, and its unique way of living together despite the challenges it has endured.
For Razane, Lebanon has always found a way to rise again.
She hopes that the drawings she presented in 2017 will one day represent the first stone of something greater.
Her vision remains unchanged: a Senate that is no longer a student’s dream, but a place where diversity can gather under a single dome, and where everyone can take their seat for what they can contribute.
Editor’s Note | Executive-Women Global
Some careers are defined by the positions people reach. Others are defined by the principles they refuse to leave behind.
Razane El Housseini’s journey reminds us that merit is not simply about qualifications or professional achievements. It is also about integrity, the courage to make difficult choices, and the determination to create opportunities without compromising one’s values.
From a graduation project imagining a more inclusive Lebanon to a career embracing architectural innovation and artificial intelligence in Switzerland, Razane has remained faithful to the same conviction: talent deserves recognition beyond gender, religion, or background.
At Executive-Women Global, we believe that stories like hers deserve to be told, not only because they highlight the achievements of Arab women internationally, but because they challenge us to reconsider how we define opportunity, leadership, and success.
Perhaps the most meaningful part of Razane’s story is that her vision for Lebanon has never disappeared. It has simply grown alongside her.
Because sometimes, the most important thing an architect builds is not a structure, but a path for others to follow.
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