albi is the product of four lebanese architects who were brought together by their shared belief of sustainable living. their backgrounds in digital prototyping, production, strategy and design led to the creation of albi products.
michael najjar
michael is a designer and co-founder at albi.
he believes that design is a way to support and enhance human behavior in everyday life. he extols an approach that is essential and authentic, one that respects nature and is inspired by it, one that embodies context and celebrates culture.
besides design, michael enjoys mixing music, training in martial arts, engaging in outdoor sports, photography, and has a weakness for ice cream.
he holds a diploma in architecture from the lebanese academy of fine arts (alba).
karl karam
karl is a designer and co-founder at albi.
he shares the “less is more” approach of ludwig mies van der rohe, that goes beyond architecture and looks at design as a way of thought and life. to him, design is the search for the essential, and the ability to successfully communicate it through an idea, object, tool or companion. his design process is driven by the exchange between nature and behavior.
in his spare time, karl explores cosmology, behavioral science and social activism.
he has a masters in architecture II from yale university, and a diploma in architecture (RIBA 1&2) from architectural association school of architecture (aa).
tracey eid
tracey is a designer and co-founder at albi.
she believes that design is the bridge between desire and necessity, as is architecture: “i need a house, i want it to be beautiful”. with a design approach, the feeling of need turns into desire, which is then supported by reason; a combination of the sculptural and the functional.
when she is not designing, tracey spends her time cooking and hosting, as well as getting her hands dirty with anything manual.
she holds a diploma in architecture from the american university of beirut (aub).
marianne safi
marianne is a designer and co-founder at albi.
in her designs, she applies charles eames’ belief that “recognizing the need is the primary condition for design”. her approach is to design for an ever-evolving need, by creating more dynamic interactions between users and their daily products, understanding the needs of the users and observing the static nature of products. with this method, she achieves the facilitator role by creating a more personalized experience for the user.
outside of the design realm, marianne reads, practices yoga, and enjoys the worlds of fashion and poetry.
she holds a diploma in architecture from the american university of beirut (aub).