Algerian born, Paris based Meriem Chabani is the founder and principal of NEW SOUTH, an award-winning architecture, urban planning and anthropology practice prioritising spaces for vulnerable bodies in contested territories. Her work on complex sites includes the Taungdwingyi cultural center in Myanmar, the Globe Aroma refugee art center in Brussels, and the upcoming Mosque Zero in Paris.

She currently teaches at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris Malaquais (FR) and the Royal College of Arts (UK). Her work has been showcased at a number of international architecture Biennials, including Venice, Istanbul, Tirana, Oslo and Lagos.

In 2020, Chabani won the Europe 40 under 40 award from the European Centre for Architecture and the Chicago Athenaeum. She is a recipient of the Graham Foundation Grant, and was named one of the leading young female architects in France by AMC in 2023.