DESIGN IS A BALANCE BETWEEN PERSONAL ASPIRATION AND RATIONAL LOGIC.
Through our work, we translate our clients’ ambitions into architecture that is both expressive and grounded—responding to context, culture, and place with clarity and precision. Each project is approached as a dialogue between vision and constraint, where creative intent is shaped by real-world conditions.
We engage at every scale, from overarching concepts to the finest construction details, ensuring consistency and integrity throughout the design process.
Our approach is rigorous yet flexible, allowing for solutions that are contemporary, relevant, and buildable.
From the outset, we operate as an integrated team—bringing together architecture, engineering, and cost considerations at the earliest stages. This collaborative framework ensures efficiency, control, and the highest standards in both design quality and technical performance.
WHO
WE ARE
Tarek Barhoum graduated from the American University of Beirut with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2003, where he was awarded the Azar Architectural Award, including a full-year scholarship for outstanding achievement in design. He began his professional career working with leading architectural practices in Jeddah and Beirut, building a strong foundation across a diverse range of projects.
In 2008, following the international competition win for the design of the Carlton Tower in Beirut, Tarek took over DCA—originally established in 1994—and repositioned it into a contemporary architectural practice with a clear design vision and expanded scope.
His work is defined by a continuous drive for development and a rigorous approach to design, leading to multiple competition wins across Lebanon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tarek is a member of the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects since 2003 and the Saudi Council of Engineers since 2015.
TAREK BARHOUM
Principal Architect / Co-Founder
KAMAL BARHOUM
Director / Co-Founder
Kamal Barhoum is the founder of DCA, established in 1994 (originally Design Class), and the driving force behind its early development and positioning. He built his expertise in Europe before focusing his professional practice in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he spent nearly two decades delivering a wide range of projects to a high standard of execution.
Under his leadership, the practice gained international recognition, receiving accolades including Best International Interior Design (2009) and Best International Architecture – Single Unit (2010) at the Residential Property Awards.
Kamal’s work is characterized by a strong commitment to design integrity and precise implementation, with a consistent focus on translating concepts into built reality at the highest level of quality. He served as Vice President of the Syndicate of Interior Designers in Lebanon from 2005 to 2009.
Rasheed graduated from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2001. Early in his career, he took on a project management role overseeing operations and maintenance for the university campus, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale facility management.
In 2003, he founded Baneya, which has grown into a leading general contracting company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through Baneya, Rasheed has delivered a wide range of projects, establishing a strong reputation for execution, reliability, and quality.
DCA and Baneya have been collaborating since 2008 on numerous successful developments, bridging design and construction. In 2015, Rasheed joined DCA as a partner, strengthening the practice’s presence across the Saudi and UAE markets and reinforcing its integrated approach to project delivery.
He has been an active member of the Saudi Council of Engineers since 2001.
RASHEED ALSULAMI
Partner
