School News

In this issue of e-SPAN, we dive into a niche area of AI in architectural practice: Building Information Modeling (BIM). We talk to a PhD student, Yael Nester (PhD-AECM ’27), who feels confident that AI cannot replace the human architect's judgment. We then speak with alumnus Jared Friedman (B.Arch ’10) who describes some of the innovative ways he uses BIM and AI in his work as a Computational Product Manager at Walter P Moore. We also get to see work from Tannaz Afshar's (PhD-AECM ’26) in-progress dissertation about deconstruction and material reuse on a university campus. Finally, we recap some exciting recent celebrations, including NOMA Pittsburgh's 10th anniversary gala, where faculty, students and alumni won awards, and the PJ Dick Innovation Fund Faculty Grants Program round one showcase.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is proud to announce the 2025 awardees of the PJ Dick Innovation Fund Faculty Grants Program. Funding has been awarded to 12 project and teaching grant proposals (eight and four respectively) during this second round of the program. Established in 2023 by PJ Dick Trumbull Lindy Group, the Faculty Grants Program will award a total of $400,000 over four years beginning in 2024.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Spring 2025 Awards. Applications are due on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. Up to $52,000 of funding is available to support undergraduate students and graduate students (Master’s and PhD). Awards recognize work in design and representation, public interest design and sustainability, as well as professional promise.

In this issue of e-SPAN, we talk to the student organizers of the 2024 AIAS Northeast Quad Conference, "DES[AI]GN: Artificial Intelligence in Architecture,” which took place from October 31 to November 2 at CMU. We preview some upcoming course offerings related to artificial intelligence and share news about the 2024 Fall Awards cycle, which saw exciting proposals from students and faculty for their research and travel activities. And we catch up with the Master of Urban Design students to learn about their field trip to the Sweet Water Foundation in Chicago, where the group was hosted by Emmanuel Pratt, the inaugural Watson Chair in Architecture at Carnegie Mellon Architecture.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is proud to announce the student and faculty recipients of the Fall 2024 Architecture Awards. This fall, over $72,000 in funding has been awarded to support travel, projects, internships and research for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty. Awards also recognize student work in sustainable design.

In this issue of e-SPAN, we delve into a philosophical and practical conversation about AI with Paul Pangaro, Visiting Scholar in Computational Design. We take a look at recent student work from Vector Visions, a fall mini course that introduced students to the use of AI tools in design, taught by Jimmy Wei-Chun Cheng. Finally, we cover recent happenings at the school, including the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair and UDream x AIA Pittsburgh mixer, and look ahead to the upcoming AIAS Northeast Quad Conference: DES[AI]GN: Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, hosted by Carnegie Mellon Architecture students.

In this issue of e-SPAN, we introduce the theme of Artificial (and Othered) Intelligences, which informs this year's Public Programs series. We will explore this theme and the topic of AI in e-SPAN throughout this academic year. We begin with an introduction to the College of Fine Arts AI Working Group led by Associate Teaching Professor Daragh Byrne. We also introduce this fall's public programs series and share footage from this year's EX-CHANGE publication, exhibition and celebratory event.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Fall 2024 Awards. Applications are due on Friday, November 1, 2024 at 11:59pm ET. Over $80,000 in funding is available to support travel, projects, internships and research for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty. Awards also recognize student work in sustainable design.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is thrilled to welcome new faculty hires this fall, and to announce promotions, appointments and renewals of current faculty.

Carnegie Mellon Architecture is pleased to announce the launch of its annual showcase of student work, EX-CHANGE. The book and exhibition titled 2024–1905 was designed and edited by Phillip Denny. Join us for the launch event on Friday, September 13, 2024. The welcome back celebration will feature remarks by the design team and a chance to pick up a copy of the book.