Marianna prior to her academic career, she led and collaborated in architecture and urban developments. She part of the Architecture team, GHM Design Ltd, in Abu Dhabi, for a $4.4 billion and 12 million square meters of mixed use development by Aldar, the local Abu Dhabi developer. Al Falah (image) is located close to the Abu Dhabi airport and provides social housing to local Emiratis. It was design according to Estidama (the local equivalent of BREEAM / LEED).

She worked on the masterplan, planning applications, design proposals for the retail areas, prayer rooms, and co-ordination of engineering and architectural drawings.

The urban development contains

5 villages / 5000 villas / 5 retail centres / amenities

and is now complete and used by local Emiratis.