In Profile:
Ramy Boutros Architects

Name: Ramy boutros
Company Name: RAMY BOUTROS ARCHITECTS
Position Within Company: FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Website: WWW.RAMYBOUTROS.COM

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)

I grew up with a natural and instinctive draw towards Beauty, and I eventually formalized that passion by studying interior architecture at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts (ALBA), where I earned my masters. After graduating, I immersed myself in the world of art, design, and craft, moving between Paris and Lebanon. That early education gave me a strong foundation in proportion, composition, and the emotional power of space, and it set the direction for my career. Since then I have built a multidisciplinary practice that blends architecture, interior design, landscape interventions, collectible furniture, and even jewelry design. Our projects span across four continents, always seeking to create environments that feel personal, timeless, and rich in meaning.

How would you describe your personal design style?

There is a sense of belonging in every project. Our design style is defined by timelessness and uniqueness. We focus on proportion and flow, carefully balancing and refining light to enhance the creative vision. We always use materials that age gracefully and create bespoke details that reflect the identity of each space and client. It is the thoughtful and playful combination of all these elements that makes the Ramy Boutros signature so distinctive.

Where does your design inspiration come from?

Inspiration always begins with the client, whose soul and personality is always injected into every project. The location is equally influential, whether in Europe, by the sea, in the mountains, or in the desert, etc… We believe the place itself tells us what it needs. The terrain, both exterior and interior, always speaks, and our role as architects is to listen and translate.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?

As artificial intelligence continues to shape the world, I see design moving toward what I like to call Intelligent Design. As spaces become smaller and proportions tighter in order to maximize property value, functionality is forced to evolve creatively. It becomes sculptural, serving both necessity and beauty. Intelligent design is functional, sculptural design, where aesthetics is built directly into use, daily rituals, and human desires.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in the future.

Intelligent Functionality
Design must merge beauty and use. As spaces become tighter, functionality should evolve into sculptural solutions that serve daily rituals while remaining visually meaningful.

Timelessness Over Trends
Rather than chasing fashion, future design should aim for longevity, creating spaces and objects that age gracefully and remain relevant emotionally and materially over time.

Human-Centered, “storytelling” Experiences
Design begins with people. By understanding how users feel, move, pause, and connect within a space, we can shape environments that are intuitive, comforting, and inspiring. The goal is to go beyond function and create places infused with soul, spaces that quietly narrate each inhabitant’s most intimate story and transform everyday movement into meaningful experience.

Dialogue with Place
Every project must respond to its context. The location, light, terrain, culture, and surroundings should guide the design so that spaces feel rooted and authentic rather than imposed.

Craft, Technology, and Collaboration
The future of design lies in the harmony between creativity, digital tools, and technical expertise. As AI continues to be integrated into our field, advanced new technological software will allow ideas to be tested, refined, and brought to life with precision and emotion.

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to designing, what would it be?

Being an architect is about three-dimensional awareness, sensibility, and creativity. Listen to your intuition, listen to the walls as they are storytellers. Listen to the views, the site, and the environment, and aim to design something that feels eternal, not trendy. Every element, from stone to light to materials, should come together to express your vision in a way that resonates for decades to come.

How important are The International Hotel & Property Awards?

They are incredibly important. Awards like The International Hotel & Property Awards elevate design conversations globally, celebrate thoughtful creativity, and give architects a platform for international recognition. Being shortlisted is not just an acknowledgment, but a validation of the rigor, cultural sensitivity, and craftsmanship behind our work.

Your most treasured possession?

varies and evolves with time, mainly between art pieces I’ve acquired as I’m an avid collector. For now, it’s a Triptych by Nabil Nahas, from his Fractals series. It’s a vibrant textured pattern inspired by marine life, showing both order and chaos, like a mesmerizing psychedelic geometry frozen in 3d.
The Triptych was part of Les Racines du Ciel, Nahas’ 2023 exhibition at the château La Coste in Provence.
Your favourite holiday destination? : Anywhere where architecture, history, food and street life flirt with each other. That said, Italy never ceases to surprise and bewitch me.

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?

For my favorite hotel, I am torn between the Four Seasons in Florence for its timeless traditional architecture and the Cheval Blanc in Paris for its contemporary design. Both offer spectacular, immersive experiences that truly honor the cities they are located in.

My favorite bar is the Martini Bar at The Connaught in London. Every drink there feels like a refined, tailored, and intimate experience.

My favorite restaurant has to be Cipriani for the way it merges classic Italian dining with effortless glamour.

Your favourite book, film & song?

I’m constantly flipping through monographs on artists and collectible furniture designers. Lately, alongside the visual world, I keep returning to Osho’s The Book of Secrets. It’s a quiet, grounding read about inner healing and meditation that reminds me that good design, like a good life, springs from awareness.

The most interesting film I’ve recently been struck by has to be Parasite, a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon Ho. The role Architecture plays in the storytelling was simply brilliant. He used stairs, concrete slabs, light, and window joints to visually show the separation / festering tension between the protagonists’ social classes.

I often find myself playing Albinoni’s Adagio. It feels like a candlelit vigil, as if the music was both mourning and celebrating something it loves but lost.

Your favourite food and drink?

Mediterranean cuisine. It is honest, nostalgic, and flavorful. Fresh seafood, olive oil, and minimal carbs. I am a living oxymoron of a health nut with a raging sweet tooth. A Greek tragedy what can I say.
The only beverage I overdose on has to be fresh ginger tea. It keeps me Zen and zesty.

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?

Getting lost in the streets, discovering architectural gems, concept stores, quiet coffee shops, galleries, and public gardens. There is something vulnerable about being lost. It pulls you into the present moment, and in that vulnerability, you absorb the world with a childlike curiosity for new experiences.

If you weren’t in this sector, what would your alternative profession be?

If I were not in this sector, I would be an art advisor, curator, or collector, working between artists, spaces, and stories. I have always been fascinated by how objects and people communicate emotionally.
On a deeper level, I believe art is the physical manifestation of the creative force within humanity, and the closer I am to it, the more luminous I feel.