The FIU School of Architecture is leading a new $900,000 project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that brings architectural design, robotics, and digital fabrication to the challenge of protecting Biscayne Bay. ReefShield: Data-Driven Living Infrastructure for Climate-Resilient Biscayne Bay will be led by Distinguished University Professor Shahin Vassigh and Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor Bhavleen Kaur, DDes, as Senior Personnel, along with an accomplished interdisciplinary group of faculty from across the university.
Beginning in January 2027, the team will develop living infrastructure to restore habitat and strengthen climate resilience across South Florida. Building on the work of FIU’s Robotics + Digital Fabrication (RDF) Lab, the project brings together expertise in materials science, coastal conservation, and ecological restoration to explore how emerging technologies and living systems can work together to safeguard vulnerable coastal environments.
Co-PIs include Dr. Jason Liu, Endowed Computer Science Professor and Director of the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences; Dr. Linfei Li and Dr. Navid Tahvildari of Civil & Environmental Engineering; and Dr. Alain Duran of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Environment. Senior Personnel also include Robert Tomasetti and Brad Schonhoff of the Institute of Environment.
“We are thrilled that ReefShield has been selected for funding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Vassigh. “We look forward to contributing to the resilience of one of South Florida’s most treasured ecosystems.”
