Beginning with the understanding of design as a complex, multi-disciplinary process, the works of various successful Egyptian and regional architects of the past decades is analyzed. The objective of this analysis is to ascertain the commonalities and differences in vocabulary and approach amongst these works with the ultimate goal of discovering appropriate design criteria and form generation principles to aid in the design of contemporary architecture appropriate to today's Egypt. This analysis looks beyond the typical stylistic approaches of classifying architecture, and explore the "why" and "how" of architectural manifestations and organizations, rather than the "what", In other words the analysis is more process and philosophy driven than product oriented driven.