Vartan Hovanesian was born in Tabriz where upon finishing his primary and secondary education, he started working. Later he came to Tehran to teach in Armenian schools in the capital.
In (1297) Vartan left for Paris to study art. Four years later he graduated in architecture. He then began teaching urban design and following architectural practice in Paris.
In his professional life, having fulfilled the design and construction of tens of buildings with different functions, from royal palaces to residential villas, he was known to be an active figure in cultural and social fields. He was one of the founding members of the “Society of Iranian Residents in France” in Paris, and the “Society of Iranian Graduate Architects” in Iran.
Along with his professional practice, Vartan through writing architecture and urbanism articles and starting the publication of the first specialized architecture and urbanism periodical in Iran. “Architect Magazine” in (1325), made enormous contributions to the architectural and scientific circles in Iran.