Mona Ghandi

Fabric tubes hanging vertically, illuminated by blue to pink lighting gradient.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
Abstract art installation with curved black panels lit by red and purple lights; a person stands silhouetted on the right.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
A person wearing a black mask examines a geometric structure with curved, translucent sections.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
A person with a face mask stands in a room with red lighting and hanging white fabrics.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
Person in a blue-lit room with suspended cylinders and a smartphone displaying an interface.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
A person partially visible through a narrow gap between red panels, with red lighting.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi
Two individuals wearing masks look up at illuminated hanging fabrics in shades of blue and purple.
Photo Credit: Morphogenesis Lab and Mona Ghandi

Role of AI and Machine Learning in Advancing Adaptive Equitable and Inclusive Spaces

In this talk, Professor Ghandi shares with students her research which focuses on smart compassionate adaptive spaces. Cyber-physical environments that use emerging technologies to blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological realms to create a more user-oriented, human-centered, and sustainable design. It expands on an interdisciplinary approach in architecture that links architecture with computer science, neuroscience, material science, and psychology to explore the role of architecture as an active contributor to improving mental, physical, and environmental well-being.

In this lecture she explains how by leveraging AI, machine learning, affective computing, wearable technologies, robotics, and sensory environments she creates adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable architectural solutions which are known as “Emotive and Performative Intelligent Architecture”. While subjective well-being, equitable design, positive psychology, and societal health are the focus of emotive intelligent architecture, the performative intelligent architecture aspect of this research involves environmental concerns such as sustainability, building performance, ecology, and decarbonization. This lecture explains how the creative implementation of emerging technologies such as AI and ML in design towards intersecting technology and well-being in our spaces can enhance environmental, social, and personal well-being.

A person with long dark hair tied back, wearing a dark sweater, against a white background.

Mona Ghandi

Mona Ghandi is an architect, researcher, and educator who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. As an Associate professor of architecture and the director of the Morphogenesis Lab, she specializes in Emotive and Performative Intelligent Architecture, intertwining architecture with fields like computer science, neuroscience, psychology, and material science. Her work focuses on using AI, machine learning, affective computing, and robotics to create adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable architectural solutions.

Her interdisciplinary research contributes to creating cyber-physical environments that use technologies to blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological realms and aims to revolutionize how we perceive and interact with our surroundings, addressing crucial topics like well-being, social justice, and environmental sustainability in design by integrating AI and emerging technologies. Her research has significant implications in the medical field, aircraft and car industry, education and cognitive studies, energy, and psychology and has been funded by NIH, NSF, NEA, Autodesk, and IAAC to name a few.

She has over fifteen years of teaching experience at UC Berkeley, San Jose State University, Ohio University, University of Washington, and Washington State University teaching in different disciplines. She has more than twelve years of professional experience working with, Emerging Objects, VAV Studio, NADAAA, and MEM Architecture.

Her work has been recognized with several national and international prestigious awards such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America Award, Design Educates Awards, World Architecture Award, Architizer A+Awrad, LAKA competition, and the prestigious Vilcek Award for Creative Promise in Architecture; this prestigious award is given annually to encourage and support emerging to mid-career immigrant artists and scientists who have demonstrated exceptional achievements early in their careers, which can have lasting contributions to American society.

Her work was exhibited in different national and international exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Seattle Design Festival, Bellevue Arts Museum, Design Art Technology Massachusetts (DATMA), Melbourne Design, Latrobe Regional Gallery Hub, AIA Spokane Award Gala, Design Educates Awards, and Lewis-Clark State College Center for Arts & History. Her work has been published in numerous global publications and books such as Interactive Design: Towards a Responsive Environment book, The World's Best Architecture book, Design Educates book, International Journal of Architectural Computing, Cogent Education Journal, Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, and has also been presented and published in major design national and international conferences. The outcome of her work was featured in many news such as the New York Times, 1889 Washington Magazine, Architectural Record, Architizer, Archinect, Bustler, Designboom, and ACSA, to name a few.