About

Bahram AzabDaftari, Founder / CEO

Bahram is an Iranian-born architectural and planning professional and visual artist who has lived in the United States for more than four decades and is based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He brings over 33 years of professional experience in architectural design and construction, spanning all phases of project delivery, with particular expertise in technical coordination, building detailing, and quality assurance for mid-rise commercial and residential projects.

Trained in architecture with advanced study in structural engineering, Bahram approaches the built environment through a systems-based lens, examining how housing, infrastructure, governance, and cultural context intersect to shape opportunity, resilience, and quality of life. His professional work reflects a deep belief that stable housing and well-designed neighborhoods are foundational to education, health, and long-term social mobility.

Bahram founded The Imagination Tree Foundation to address the root causes of poverty through community-based solutions. For more than a decade, the Foundation partnered with Title I schools across Virginia, supporting students and families in under-resourced communities. Through this work, Bahram recognized that educational success is inseparable from housing stability and neighborhood conditions. Under his leadership, the Foundation has expanded its mission to focus on affordable housing development, neighborhood revitalization, and place-based initiatives that strengthen underserved communities across Pennsylvania.

In addition to his architectural and nonprofit work, Bahram’s writing and artistic practice explore the intersections of architectural history, environmental pressures, and institutional development, with a global perspective shaped by both professional practice and lived experience.