Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture

The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture (ACADIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization active in the area of computer-aided architectural design (CAAD).

Mission statement Begun in 1981, the organization's objectives are recorded in its bylaws:

"ACADIA was formed for the purpose of facilitating communication and information exchange regarding the use of computers in architecture, planning and building science. A particular focus is education and the software, hardware and pedagogy involved in education."

"The organization is also committed to the research and development of computer aides that enhance design creativity, rather than simply production, and that aim at contributing to the construction of humane physical environments."

Membership Membership is open to anyone who subscribes to the objectives of the organization, including architects, educators, and software developers, whether resident in North America or not. An online membership registration form and directory is available via the organization.

The organization is primarily governed by the elected Board of Directors. The organization is led by the elected President, who presides over Board of Directors meetings, but does not vote except in the case of a tie.

Presidents (elected) YearsPresidentNumber of years serving1981Charles M. Eastman11982-1983John Wade21984Chris Yessios11985Yehuda Kalay11986Elizabeth Bollinger11987Patricia McIntosh11988Robert E. Johnson11989Pamela J. Bancroft11990John McIntosh11991J. Peter Jordan11992Larry O. Degelman11993Skip Van Wyk11994M. Stephen Zdepski11995Karen M. Kensek11996Glenn Goldman11997Branko Kolarevic11998Douglas E. Noble11999Brian Johnson12000Mark Clayton12001-2002Ganapathy Mahalingam22003-2004Kevin Klinger22005-2006Wassim Jabi22007-2008Mahesh Senagala22009Nancy Cheng12010-2012Aron Temkin32013-2015Michael Fox32016-2017Jason Kelly Johnson22018-2020Kathy Velikov32021-2022Jenny E. Sabin22023-2024Shelby Doyle22025-2026Marc Swackhamer22027 President-electBiayna Bogosian

Activities

Annual conference ACADIA sponsors an annual national conference, held in the autumn of each year at a different site in North America. Papers for the conferences undergo extensive blind review before being accepted for presentation (and publication). Membership is not a prerequisite for submission of a paper. YearCity, state/provinceCountryHost universityConference themeFounding1981Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaUSACarnegie-Mellon UniversityN/A1st1982Blacksburg, VirginiaUSAVirginia TechN/A2nd1983Columbus, OhioUSAOhio State UniversityN/A3rd1984Troy, New YorkUSARensselaer Polytechnic InstituteN/A4th1985Tempe, ArizonaUSAArizona State UniversityACADIA Workshop '855th1986Houston, TexasUSAUniversity of HoustonArchitectural Education, Research and Practice in the Next Decade6th1987Raleigh, North CarolinaUSANorth Carolina State UniversityIntegrating Computers into the Architectural Curriculum7th1988Ann Arbor, MichiganUSAUniversity of MichiganComputing in Design Education8th1989Gainesville, FloridaUSAUniversity of FloridaNew Ideas and Directions for the 1990s9th1990Big Sky, MontanaUSAMontana State UniversityFrom Research to Practice10th1991Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSAUniversity of California at Los AngelesReality and Virtual Reality11th1992Charleston, South CarolinaUSAClemson UniversityMission - Method - Madness12th1993TexasUSATexas A&M UniversityEducation and Practice: The Critical Interface13th1994Saint Louis, MissouriUSAWashington University in St. LouisReconnecting14th1995Seattle, WashingtonUSAUniversity of WashingtonComputing in Design - Enabling, Capturing and Sharing Ideas15th1996Tucson, ArizonaUSAUniversity of ArizonaDesign Computation: Collaboration, Reasoning, Pedagogy16th1997Cincinnati, OhioUSAUniversity of CincinnatiDesign and Representation17th1998Québec City, QuébecCanadaUniversité LavalDigital Design Studios: Do Computers Make a Difference?18th1999Salt Lake City, UtahUSAUniversity of UtahMedia and Design Process19th2000Washington D.CUSAThe Catholic University of AmericaEternity, Infinity and Virtuality in Architecture20th2001Buffalo, New YorkUSAThe State University of New York at BuffaloReinventing the Discourse - How Digital Tools Help Bridge and Transform Research, Education and Practice in Architecture 21st2002Pomona, CaliforniaUSACalifornia Polytechnic State UniversityThresholds - Design, Research, Education and Practice, in the Space Between the Physical and the Virtual22nd2003Indianapolis, IndianaUSABall State UniversityConnecting >> Crossroads of Digital Discourse23rd2004Cambridge, OntarioCanadaUniversity of Toronto & University of WaterlooFabrication: Examining the Digital Practice of Architecture24th2005Savannah, GeorgiaUSASavannah School of Architecture and DesignSmart Architecture: Integration of Digital and Building Technologies25th2006Louisville, KentuckyUSAUniversity of Kentucky, LexingtonSynthetic Landscapes26th2007Halifax, Nova ScotiaCanadaDalhousie University & Nova Scotia College of Art and Design & Canadian Design Research NetworkExpanding Bodies27th2008Minneapolis, MinnesotaUSAUniversity of MinnesotaSilicon + Skin: Biological Processes and Computation28th2009Chicago, IllinoisUSASchool of the Art Institute of ChicagoreForm(): Building a Better Tomorrow29th2010New York, New YorkUSAThe Cooper Union & Pratt InstituteLife in:Formation30th2011Calgary(workshops) and Banff(conference), AlbertaCanadaUniversity of CalgaryIntegration Through Computation31st2012San Francisco, CaliforniaUSACalifornia College of the Arts & UCSFSynthetic Digital Ecologies32nd2013Cambridge, OntarioCanadaUniversity of WaterlooAdaptive Architecture33rd2014Los Angeles, CaliforniaUSAUniversity of Southern CaliforniaDesign Agency34th2015Cincinnati, OhioUSAUniversity of CincinnatiComputational Ecologies: Design in the Anthropocene35th2016Ann Arbor, MichiganUSAUniversity of MichiganPosthuman Frontiers: Data, Designers And Cognitive Machines36th2017Cambridge, MassachusettsUSAMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyDisciplines & Disruptions37th2018Mexico City, MexicoMexicoUniversidad IberoamericanaRe/Calibration: On Imprecision and Infidelity38th2019Austin, TexasUSAUniversity of Texas at AustinUbiquity and Autonomy39th2020Online, GlobalGlobalACADIADistributed Proximities40th2021Online, GlobalGlobalACADIARealignments: Toward Critical Computation41th2022Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaUSAUniversity of PennsylvaniaHybrids & Haecceities42nd2023Denver, ColoradoUSAUniversity of Colorado DenverHabits of the Anthropocene43rd2024Calgary(workshops) and Banff(conference), AlbertaCanadaUniversity of CalgaryDesigning Change44th2025Miami, FloridaUSAFlorida International University + University of MiamiComputing for Resiliance45th2026Detroit, MichiganUSALawrence Technological UniversityHumanism Recoded

Proceedings Each year the conference papers are gathered into a proceedings publication which is distributed to members, and available to the public via the open access database CumInCAD.

Awards

Started in 1998, ACADIA Awards of Excellence are "the highest award that can be achieved in the field of architectural computing". The awards are given in areas of practice, teaching, research and service, with at most one award in each category per year. Past awards have recognized various significant contributors to the field of architectural computing.

The current awards given annually or biannually are the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Digital Practice Award of Excellence, the Innovative Academic Program Award of Excellence, the Innovative Research Award of Excellence, the Society Award for Leadership, and the Teaching Award of Excellence.

Lifetime Achievement Award YearRecipientAffiliation2021Wolf dPrixCoop Himmelb(l)au2016Elizabeth DillerDiller, Scofidio and Renfro / Princeton University2014Zaha HadidZaha Hadid Architects

Innovative Research Award of Excellence YearRecipientAffiliation2023Joseph ChomaFlorida Atlantic University School of Architecture2022Felecia Ann DavisPennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University2021Caitlin MuellerMassachusetts Institute of Technology2020Sean AhlquistTaubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning2019Jose SanchezPlethora Project2018Madeline GannonNVIDIA Robotics2017Wesley McGeeMatter Design2016Andrew PayneAutodesk2015Skylar TibbitsMassachusetts Institute of Technology2014Martin BechtoldHarvard University Graduate School of Design2013Elena ManferdiniAtelier Manferdini and SCI-Arc2012David RuttenRobert McNeel and Associates2011Ellen DoGeorgia Institute of Technology2010Kostas TerzidisHarvard University Graduate School of Design2009Paul CoatesUniversity of East London2008Robert WoodburySimon Fraser University2007Branko KolarevicUniversity of Calgary2006Mark BurryThe Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Digital Practice Award of Excellence YearRecipient (person or firm)Affiliation2023Nader TehraniNADAAA2022Award category omitted2021Alvin HuangSynthesis Design + Architecture and University of Southern California2020Jessica Rosenkrantz co-founder of Nervous System and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg co-founder of Nervous SystemNervous system2019Roland SnooksStudio Roland Snooks and The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology2018Jenny Wu and Dwayne OylerOyler Wu Collaborative2017Lisa Iwamoto and Craig ScottIwamotoScott Architecture and University of California, Berkeley and California College of the Arts2016Ron Rael and Virginia San FratelloEmerging Objects and University of California, Berkeley and San Jose State University2015Kieran TimberlakeKieranTimberlake2014Jenny SabinJenny Sabin Studio2013Cecil BalmondBalmond Studio2012Gehry Technologies – accepted by Dennis SheldenFrank Gehry Technologies2011Phillip BeesleyPhillip Beesley Architects and University of Waterloo2010Award category omitted2009Fabio Gramazio and Matthias KohlerGramazio Kohler Architects2008Fabian ScheurerDesign to Production2007Achim MengesArchitectural Association School of Architecture2006Evan DouglisEvan Douglis Studio

Society Award for Leadership YearRecipient (Academic Program)University2023Kathy VelikovTaubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning2022Jason Kelly JohnsonCalifornia College of the Arts and FUTUREFORMS2021Brian SlocumUniversidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and tresRobots2020Mike ChristensonUniversity of Minnesota2019Chris YessiosOhio State University and AutoDesSys, Inc.2018Sigrid Brell-Cokcan and Johannes BraumannAssociation for Robots in Architecture2017Bob MartensTechnical University of Vienna2016Chuck EastmanGeorgia Institute of Technology2015Branko KolarevicUniversity of Calgary2014Nancy ChengUniversity of Oregon2013Mahesh DaasBall State University2013Award category omitted2012Award category omitted2011Award category omitted2010Brian JohnsonUniversity of Washington2009Tom SeebohmUniversity of Waterloo2008Tom MaverMackintosh School of Architecture2007Award category omitted2006Robert AishBentley Microsystems

Innovative Academic Program Award of Excellence