Rima Architect - Lebanon Rima Namek was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1962 and lived through the first twelve years of the Lebanese Civil War. In 1986, she received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the American University of Beirut. After working briefly in Paris and in Beirut, she was awarded a fellowship to complete her Masters of Architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Following Cornell, she moved to Baltimore where she joined Cho, Wilks and Benn Architects and is an associate with them today under their new name, Cho, Benn Holback and Associates. The company sponsored her stay in the United States and she is now a US citizen.