The Architect Negotiating Tomorrow’s Built World

Crafting the Future of Architecture – Where Design and Engineering Drive Innovation, Sustainability, and Human Well-being Across Cultures and Communities

 

When Maryam Khobreh negotiates, there are always two winners: the people who live and work in the spaces she designs as an architect, and nature itself.

I first met her on my course „Mastering Difficult Negotiations” which I teach for the Executive MBA Programs at the TU Wien, Academy of Continuing Education, and I was pleasantly surprised by her positive outlook on life and the way she interacts with others: considerately and profoundly, with a natural instinct for balance.

With academic and professional roots in Iran, Canada and Austria, Maryam brings a rare multicultural depth to negotiations, enriching perspectives and helping to find good solutions for everyone involved in the process. She exercises this talent also as an architect who fuses design with emerging technology, driving sustainable innovation across borders, systems, and disciplines. With a strong background in project leadership, she provides scalable, eco-friendly solutions that balance performance, people and cost. Her buildings don’t just solve problems, they harmonize them, becoming eloquent dialogues between human experience and environmental advocacy.

I’m glad that Maryam agreed to share with us the way she tackles the multiple challenges in the world of architecture and construction, which I’m sure will inspire many professionals.

Here is our interview

In a field where budget constraints and value engineering often dictate project outcomes, what sustains your commitment to delivering quality and meaningful design?

Quality design and construction are not optional; they shape how people live and how buildings perform. Even within tight budgets, I focus on prioritising what truly matters for both people and nature.

For me, design is never just a line on paper or handover of a new building, it is more than this: it’s the space where people live, heal, and thrive in their lifetimes. Budgets are real, but they don’t erase the responsibility to create dignity and well-being in the built environment, nor the long-term impact of what I deliver. What sustains me is the conviction that good design and harmonious and holistic construction are not luxuries but necessities. I focus on clarity, creativity, and efficiency, finding smart ways to use resources, integrate technology, and prioritise what truly matters for people and nature.

In your role as an architect, what specific hats do you wear when engaged in negotiations?

Negotiation requires me to wear different hats:

• the architect, to ground decisions in technical and design knowledge;
• the project manager, to balance deadlines, risks, and budgets;
• the mediator, to build trust and bridge conflicting views;
• the strategist, to keep the bigger vision alive while securing small, necessary steps; and
• the advocate, to stand for human wellbeing, sustainability, and long-term value.

Overall, I act with responsibility for people and the environment.

What are the toughest challenges you encounter during negotiations?

The toughest challenge is when people come with fixed positions instead of shared goals.

Balancing cost vs. quality, or short-term vs. long-term priorities, is often tense. The challenge is keeping the dialogue constructive and ensuring everyone remains engaged in solving problems rather than defending silos. As an architect and project manager, I’ve always worked with diverse stakeholders whose goals I respect. The difficult part is that regardless of my role in each project, I’m responsible for the building’s lifecycle, from subdivision to transforming the land into habitable space, while managing resources responsibly. While mostly I’m hired by investors, I’m accountable to end-users and municipalities. In every project, I had to balance lifecycle value against tight investor budgets. That meant being resilient, analysing the parties, and adapting to the subject at hand in order to find a fair, reliable, and lasting solution that creates value and trust.

You experience what it’s like when the technical mindset clashes with the economic mindset; how do you navigate these tensions during negotiations to align differing priorities?

I see my role as a translator between different mindsets. Engineers and architects think in terms of performance, sustainability, and innovation; developers and financiers focus on costs, risks, and ROI. I bridge the two by reframing the discussion around lifecycle value: how good design reduces operational costs, extends lifespan, improves health, or boosts productivity. In my experience, many conflicts arise because people don’t take the time to understand each other fully. When stakeholders feel heard and reassured, trust builds and tensions ease. Numbers matter, but so do long-term outcomes, sustainability, resilience, and human well-being.

My approach is often to advocate for lifecycle value, helping both technical experts and financiers see that what benefits people and nature ultimately benefits the business too.

Having lived in culturally diverse countries, you’ve cultivated a deep understanding of differing worldviews and approaches. How has this cultural agility shaped your negotiation style, and in what ways has it helped you navigate complex or cross-cultural professional interactions?

Experience across multiple countries and cultures taught me to adapt my communication, sometimes direct, sometimes patient, always respectful.

Negotiation is not only about facts but also about how they’re conveyed. In some cultures, directness builds trust; in others, subtlety and patience win respect. My international journey taught me to read the room, adapt my tone, and respect what others value most. This openness allows me to navigate cross-cultural projects, preventing misunderstandings and building bridges where worldviews collide.

In your opinion, what makes a negotiation particularly difficult? 

When trust is missing, or when parties refuse to see beyond their own perspective.

A negotiation becomes difficult when it shifts from collaboration to confrontation. Without trust or openness, the process stalls. Another challenge is when one side focuses only on “winning” instead of creating value together.

How do you identify when a negotiation partner might be difficult, and what signals or behaviors help you recognize that early?

I notice it when someone avoids genuine engagement, interrupts others, dismisses input, or sticks to rigid talking points. Body language also reveals a lot. These signals help me anticipate challenges and adjust my approach. With difficult negotiators, it’s sometimes possible to disarm them and steer the discussion toward a smoother conversation, although this isn’t always achievable.

How do you cope with losing in negotiations?

I see it less as losing and more as learning. I don’t call it winning or losing, but either creating value or failing to find a solution.

Sometimes you don’t get the deal, but you gain insights about the process, the dynamics, or the people involved. I reflect on what could be improved and carry those lessons forward. For me, negotiation is a long game. I also remind myself that it may simply not have been the right timing. Patience, combined with the lessons learned, strengthens me for the next opportunity.

How did our course help you improve your negotiation skills?

Before the course, I relied on experience and intuition; it added structured frameworks, disciplined preparation, and sharper strategy. I also saw that there’s rarely a single solution – open-minded listening reveals options, and small shifts in communication can unlock new, creative paths. I now tackle complex discussions with greater structure and confidence, turning challenges into constructive outcomes.

How would you approach/solve a difficult situation now?

Untying a knot requires both sides to release the rope; if each keeps pulling toward themselves, the knot will never loosen.

So, I start by listening, slowing down, and acting strategically, because often the real difficulty lies beneath the surface of words. Once I understand underlying interests, I reframe the issue as a shared problem to be solved together. This shift creates space for creativity, trust, and collaboration.

What do you do differently/better after the course as far as your negotiation style is concerned?

Now I consciously look beyond stated demands to identify real motivations. That lets me propose solutions that meet deeper needs, not just surface positions. I also use creative brainstorming before we discuss concessions – often unlocking outcomes both sides can support. In short, I explore value-creating options first; only then do we consider trade-offs. That’s how both sides benefit.

Which are your 3 key-learnings?

 

What did you appreciate the most about our negotiation course?

Its practical relevance, I could apply lessons directly to my work and life.

I appreciated that the course wasn’t abstract theory. The role-play sessions, where we took on different stakeholder perspectives, the case studies that encouraged creativity, and learning from colleagues with diverse expertise, were all invaluable. Seeing how each team approached the same case differently, and comparing strategies and outcomes, was a big lesson in leadership and negotiation. All of it connected directly to situations I face in everyday life and work. It felt immediately useful.

Can you ever say “Now I’m a good negotiator and there’s nothing more I can learn?”

Never. Negotiation evolves with every person, every project, every culture.

Negotiation is dynamic. Cultures, industries, and technologies evolve, and with them, negotiation practices change. To me, the learning never stops, the moment you think you’ve mastered it is the moment you stop growing.

Whom would you recommend my negotiation course and why?

To anyone in leadership, especially in international or multidisciplinary settings.

More precisely, I’d recommend it to architects, engineers, managers, and anyone whose role requires aligning different perspectives toward a shared goal. Negotiation is about creating value and trust, and that applies far beyond business deals—it’s vital in design, innovation, and leadership.

 

Maryam Khobreh – Architect | Executive MBA

I am a lifelong learner – open-minded, caring, and responsible by nature – committed to turning opportunities into meaningful growth. Working internationally has given me a deep respect for cultural diversity, human needs, and environmental responsibility. As an architect, project manager, and EMBA candidate, I blend creativity with systems thinking, integrating design, technology, and sustainability. I mediate between technical and financial priorities, and I advocate for people, nature, and long-term value. In every negotiation and collaboration, I’m focused on creating lasting outcomes that serve both performance and purpose. I will either find a way or, where no way exists, I will design and build one.

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