Join the AIANY Emerging New York Architects Committee for a conversation with Neil Katz, FAIA, Associate Principal at SOM, and Joe Brennan, AIA, Associate Principal at KPF, about their passion for computational design, digital practice and design technology, the career path of becoming a design tech specialist, and finding a balance between practice and pedagogy.
Speakers:
Neil Katz, FAIA, Associate Principal, Computational Design, SOM; Adjunct Professor, Pratt School of Architecture; Adjunct Professor, Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, City College of New York
Joe Brennan, AIA, NCARB, Associate Principal, Computation and Fabrication, KPF; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
Moderator:
Hao-Yeh Lu, Assoc. AIA, Co-chair, AIANY Emerging New York Architects Committee
About the Speakers:
Neil Katz is an architect with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill who has pioneered the adoption of computational design in contemporary practice and has served as an ambassador for its application in architecture through the built environment, interdisciplinary collaborations, and teaching. Katz also teaches computational design at the City College of New York. He has used computational design as a methodology in developing architectural forms (simple and complex geometry) and as a way of analyzing and designing in response to many project goals, including environmental and sustainability goals. Katz approaches computational design, aspects of which include algorithmic and parametric design as well as building information modeling (BIM), as both a way of thinking about design and of using and developing tools for design.
Joe Brennan is an architect, educator, and computational design leader based in New York City. He serves as Senior Computational Designer and Associate Principal at KPF, where he leads the firm’s Computation and Digital Fabrication efforts in New York. His work focuses on integrating advanced digital workflows—including parametric modeling, BIM, and fabrication technologies—into the design and delivery of complex architectural and urban projects. Brennan is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia GSAPP, where he teaches Rethinking BIM and collaborates with MIT’s Center for Real Estate on workshops exploring the intersection of urban design, sustainability, and financial performance. He has presented at Autodesk University, NVIDIA GTC, ULI, Advancing Computational Building Design, and other industry forums. With a background spanning design technology, research, mentorship, and practice, Brennan is committed to helping emerging professionals build fluency in computational tools and understand how they transform contemporary architectural practice.
AIANY Emerging New York Architects Committee
