Mina Hasman, Sustainability Director at SOM, the global architecture, engineering, and urban planning practice, has been named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in His Majesty The King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List for services to architecture and sustainable design.
The recognition follows more than a decade of work across architectural practice, industry standards, and education. Over the past decade, Hasman has worked on climate literacy, net-zero design, and sustainable urban development initiatives across the built environment, helping shape how sustainability is addressed across the profession.
Based in SOM’s London studio since 2012, Hasman leads the firm’s Sustainable Engineering Studio and chairs its Climate Action Group, where she oversees climate-related initiatives across the practice’s global operations and projects.
Shaping sustainability standards beyond practice
Beyond her role at SOM, Hasman has contributed to many industry frameworks and professional initiatives focused on sustainability.
She contributed to the development of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard and has held leadership roles with organisations including the UK Construction Industry Council, UNEP/Global ABC, the Commonwealth Association of Architects, and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
At RIBA, her work focused on strengthening climate literacy within the profession. She helped establish Mandatory Competence Requirements for Climate Literacy and co-authored the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, a framework intended to support reductions in both operational and embodied carbon.
Within SOM, her leadership coincided with the firm becoming one of the largest architecture-led design practices to achieve validation from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The practice also reached carbon neutrality in 2022, ahead of its stated 2030 target.
Building climate literacy
Alongside her professional work, Hasman has remained active in architectural education, teaching at the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL, the Architectural Association, and the Manchester School of Architecture. She has also supported knowledge sharing on sustainability through professional guidance and industry initiatives.
In 2023, she authored the RIBA Climate Guide, providing practical guidance for architects and practices working towards the objectives of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge.
Hasman said sustainability remains one of the defining challenges and opportunities of the present era, adding that architecture and design have a responsibility to help deliver a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.
The honour was announced as part of the King’s Birthday Honours List. A formal investiture ceremony will take place at a later date.
