Miami Beach served as the host city for the 2025 World Architecture Festival (WAF), the world’s premier gathering of architects, designers and innovators. The selection reflected Miami’s rising status as a global hub for contemporary architecture, home to landmark projects by Zaha Hadid Architects, Gehry Partners, Herzog & de Meuron, BIG, OMA and other leading firms.
Among the distinguished speakers was FIU Professor Neil Leach, who was invited to present on the rapidly evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and architectural practice. His participation highlighted not only his individual scholarship but also the broader leadership of FIU’s School of Architecture in shaping international conversations around AI-driven design.
In recent years, FIU has emerged as one of the world’s most prolific academic centers for research and publishing on AI and architecture. The school now claims authorship of 10 books—across original works and translations—focused on AI’s impact on design, with an additional six titles forthcoming.
These publications include the first mainstream English-language introduction to the topic, Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction to AI for Architects, authored by Leach, as well as AI-Driven Architecture: A New Paradigm for Design, the first modern-era book on AI and architecture published in Chinese by FIU Doctor of Design graduate Wanyu He. They are joined by Professor Thomas Spiegelhalter’s recent volume, Analog to AI Futures: Pioneering SynBio Nexus Design, which examines the intersection of synthetic biology, climate resilience and computational design.
Henry Rueda, chair of the School of Architecture, reflected on the university’s presence at the festival: “attending the World Architecture Festival offered a remarkable overview of current global conversations in architecture, design, and urban innovation. I was honored to be invited by Circular Steel for a full day of presentations that brought together engineers, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners reshaping the future of steel and sustainable design in the UK and the US. Beyond the workshops, the festival also provided valuable moments to reconnect with colleagues from around the world, an experience that enriches our global perspective at the FIU Department of Architecture.”
Together, these contributions further solidify FIU’s position as a global leader in advancing AI-forward architectural education and research. As the international design community gathered in Miami Beach for WAF 2025, FIU scholars played a prominent role—helping shape the future of innovation in architecture worldwide.
To watch a recap of the event, click here.
