Dara Towhidi is a partner with international experience at all stages of the design process across a broad spectrum of building types.

He gained First Class Honours BSc in Architecture in 1997 from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, completing his post graduate studies in 2000. His student work was nominated for the RIBA Bronze Medal and later featured in the Bartlett Book of Ideas, which showcased ten years of student work at the school.

He joined Foster + Partners following his graduation, initially working on the Tower Place office building in London. In 2001, he joined the team developing an arts complex in Japan incorporating a private house, museum and offices. He was initially engaged in the design and latterly moved to Japan to oversee construction, returning to London in September 2004.

Between 2005 and 2011 Dara was based in the UAE, where he oversaw construction of the Index tower in Dubai, an 80-storey 360,000sqm mixed-use project, awarded the CTBUH Best Tall Building in the Middle East & Africa in 2011. He later worked on the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, leading the architecture and engineering teams based in Abu Dhabi. The museum will be the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District and will showcase the history, culture and social and economic transformation of the Emirates.

Dara returned to London in 2011 as the partner in charge of the 420,000sqm Bund Finance Centre, Shanghai, designed jointly with Heatherwick Studio. Occupying a prominent site on the Bund, the buildings define the 'end point' to Shanghai's most famous street. More recently, he has been involved in a number of projects in Dubai, including a winning design competition for a Creative Community and the masterplan of the Dubai Design District Residential Quarter.

Dara relocated to Dubai in August 2015 to establish Foster + Partners’ local office. He was made an associate partner in 2007 and partner in 2009.