Kudos and an ACADIA award to Rajaa Issa!

At the recent 2022 ACADIA Conference Hybrids & Haecceities at the University of Pennsylvania, one of our software developers, Rajaa Issa, received its Teaching Award of Excellence.

This award recognizes innovative teaching in digital design in architecture, mainly teaching approaches that other educators can adopt.

Rajaa noted that she was repeatedly pulled aside by women thanking her for paving a path for other women to follow. 

Rajaa Issa is a multi-talented developer, researcher, and educator in computational design in architecture. As a software developer at Robert McNeel & Associates, she builds solid modeling and surface editing tools to support the architectural design and fabrication processes. Rajaa is the developer of PanelingTools, one of the earliest tools for concept paneling and complex surface rationalization. She is an Adjunct Professor at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, where she established a new program in computational design methodologies. Her teaching method builds a solid foundational knowledge in mathematics, algorithms, and fabrication to bridge the gap between intuitive and algorithmic thinking among creative designers. She has authored a series of publications on parametric and computational design essentials, which are popular among both students and professionals. As a firm believer in inclusion and the accessibility of knowledge, she has made all of her work accessible.

You can read more about the ACADIA awards on their awards page.

ACADIA, or the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture, is an international network of digital design researchers and professionals. They facilitate critical investigations into the role of computation in architecture, planning, and building science, encouraging innovation in design creativity, sustainability, and education.