Najim Azadzoi

Afghan architect

Azadzoi runs Azad Architects in Newton and is helping rebuild Boston's suburbs as well as Afghanistan. Since 2002 he has returned to Afghanistan six times with the Army Corps of Engineers. His current projects include a volunteer effort, designing a library in Afghanistan in partnership with Rajia Jan, president of the Duxbury Rotary Club. Jan said the government has given them the land, and she's confident she can raise the money for the building. Her Duxbury club brought in nearly $50,000 at a fund-raiser in September. Azadzoi said in the future he'd like to be involved with an independent project like building a small school ''where 2-3 dozen children can learn, have teachers and books. I'd also like to return to Afghanistan and teach for a few semesters." Azadzoi and Najla will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in 2006. They have a son, Yousuf, an architecture student at Northeastern University, and two daughters, Yasamin, in high school, and Semira, in middle school.