Azadeh O. Sawyer
Azadeh Omidfar Sawyer is a researcher and educator working at the intersection of design, technology, and environmental performance. She is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture, where she serves as Track Chair for the MS and PhD programs in Building Performance & Diagnostics.
Educated at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (MDes), the University of Michigan (M.S. and Ph.D. in Architecture Building Technology), and the California College of the Arts (BArch), Sawyer bridges architectural practice with advanced methods in simulation, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to study how energy, light, and human perception shape buildings and urban environments.
She is the author of "50 Bird-Friendly Glass Patterns for Sustainable Building Design" (American Bird Conservancy, 2023) and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. Her contributions have been recognized with honors including the Jonathan Speirs Medal for architectural lighting research, the Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, and the Dow Doctoral Fellowship.
Active in both academia and the profession, Sawyer has served as a design juror for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as a reviewer for leading scholarly journals, and as an invited lecturer and panelist at international conferences and symposia.
At Carnegie Mellon, her teaching combines design and performance with emerging technologies, preparing students to address architecture’s evolving challenges around climate, energy and human well-being.
Education
Ph.D., University of Michigan, Architecture Building Technology, 2019; Awarded Distinguished Dissertation in Architecture
M.S., University of Michigan, Architecture, 2017
MDes, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, 2011; Awarded Daniel L. Schodek for Technology and Sustainability
BArch, California College of the Arts, Architecture, 2008; Graduated with Distinction
Affiliation
