AI Symposium 2026
Join Texas A&M for the inaugural College of Architecture AI Symposium this Oct 5–6. Explore how AI is reshaping design, planning, and construction. Built to close the gap between academic research and industry practice.
AI Across the AEC Industry: Data to Design
The College of Architecture’s first college-wide AI symposium brings together its three departments (Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, and Construction Science) with leading firms from across the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping research, design, and practice.
AI Across the AEC Industry: Data to Design moves beyond traditional, one-directional lectures. Built to close the gap between academic research and industry practice, the two days pair scholars and practitioners in shared sessions and moderated panels.
Dates: October 5 and 6, 2026
Location: Annenberg Presidential Conference Center in College Station, Texas
Annenberg Presidential Conference Center
AI Across the AEC Industry: Data to Design explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we research, design, and build. Across architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning, and construction science, AI matured from a peripheral tool to a central force in practice. The symposium brings scholars and practitioners from across the AEC industry together to examine that shift and ask where it leads.
View on Aggie MapsKeynote Speakers
Additional Speakers
Daniel Bolojan
Researcher and Founder of Versur, Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University and Director of the Creative AI Lab
Andrew Crooks
Professor within the Department of Geography at the University at Buffalo (UB)
Vickie Harris
Director of Digital Practice and Vice President, HKS
Suhag Kansara
Founder and CEO of ViewPro
Daniel Koehler
Assistant Professor at UT Austin and Director of Lab-eds
Vahid Koliyaee
Research and Development Engineer at Zahner
Denis Leff
Director, Suffolk Construction
Xiaofan Liang
Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Brandon Mikeal
VDC Senior Manager with Turner Construction in Dallas
Karla Saldaña Ochoa
Assistant Professor at the University of Florida
Robert K. Otani
Chief Technology Officer and Managing Principal at Thornton-Tomasetti, Inc.
Austin Pulford
Co-Founder & Principal Architect, Kestrel Labs
Marian Pulford
CEO of Kestrel Labs
Adam Shriver
Principal Landscape Architect at TBG Partners
Colin Stanley
Principal, Director of Design Technology at TBG Partners
Russell Thomman
Founder and Principal of Second Spatial
Aaron Vorwerk
AEC Practice Leader, Architects + Owners, Egnyte
Todd Wynne
Chief Innovation Officer, Rogers-O’Brien Construction
Driving the Conversation
How is AI reshaping design thinking and everyday workflows across the AEC disciplines?
As the industry moves through 2026, artificial intelligence has shifted from localized pilot tools to a structural foundation across the AEC disciplines. The symposium looks ahead, asking where this is headed in 5, 10, or 15 years.
What does meaningful collaboration between human expertise and AI look like in research and in practice?
In 2026, AI is no longer a separate tool but a daily collaborator across the AEC field. The symposium asks what real partnership between human expertise and these systems looks like, and what kind of work it makes possible.
How are leading researchers and firms putting AI to work today, and what comes next?
AI is at work across the AEC field, from generative design and digital twins to predictive simulation and automated coordination. The symposium brings researchers and firms together to share what they are building today, and where it leads next.
Where are the most promising opportunities for new collaboration between academia and industry?
Academic research and industry practice often advance on the same questions from opposite ends of the field. The symposium is built to surface where the most promising opportunities for collaboration lie, and how to turn them into ongoing exchange.
How can the AEC field address the challenges of data access, AI in education, and social impact?
The progress is real, but so are the open challenges: data is not always shared between research and industry, and across disciplines; education is still catching up; and the broader social impact of AI is far from settled.
Attend
The symposium is interdisciplinary by design and open to anyone with an interest in how AI is reshaping the AEC field, from faculty and researchers to students and industry professionals. By bringing all three departments of the College together with the wider industry, the program is built for exchange across disciplines, not just within them.
Parking
Faculty and staff attending the upcoming College of Architecture symposium may use their university parking passes to park at Fan Field. Outside guests will receive an email prior to the event with detailed parking and arrival instructions.
Outside visitors may also purchase a daily parking permit. Create a non-affiliate account by selecting an identity provider on the Cirrus Identity portal.
For Students
- Frequency: During peak class times in the Fall semester, Route 05 typically runs every 15 to 28 minutes and has a stop for pickups at the MSC.
- Tracking: Because bus schedules and route identifiers can subtly change across semesters, it is highly recommended to check live times via the TAMU Transportation Bus Routes App or the official AggieSpirit Transit site right before your trip.
For All Other Attendees
If you are an industry partner or just interested in learning more about artificial intelligence, you are welcome to attend the event.
- Parking: We will have parking spots allocated for you at Annenberg Presidential Conference Center during the event.
Registration
Sign up to attend the AI Symposium and get access to the event. Connect with the Registration Site.
A graphic that displays the Route 5 pickup and drop-off location near the MSC.
Schedule
The symposium’s driving agenda is to close the gap between academic research and industry practice, tracing the arc of AI from data to design across the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field. All five sessions share this agenda rather than splitting into subthemes. Within each session, speakers are deliberately paired across academia and practice to bring those worlds into direct dialogue.
Student Poster Session
The AI Symposium features a poster session showcasing graduate research from across the College of Architecture. All graduate students in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, and Construction Science are invited to submit a poster on work related to artificial intelligence in research, design, or practice. Submissions are due Sept. 20 through the link below, using the provided poster template. All selected posters will be printed at no cost to the student, and the best poster will be recognized at the symposium.
Poster template: Template Weblink · Submit your poster: Form Weblink
Student Workshops
Hands-on workshops give students from all three departments direct experience with AI tools and methods, working alongside leading scholars and practitioners. Sessions are interdisciplinary by design and explore both the opportunities and the challenges of these tools. Details to be announced soon.
The AI Symposium opens Monday, October 5, with a half-day of hands-on workshops from 8 a.m. to noon, giving students from all three departments direct experience with AI tools and methods. The workshops feature separate tracks for undergraduate and graduate students, and are interdisciplinary by design, exploring both the opportunities and the challenges of these tools.
The program includes lectures by experts and faculty demonstrating how AI is being applied across Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, and Construction Science. Highlights include a lecture on AI ethics by Kevin Glowacki, a workshop on Gemini Notebook led by the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), a session on agentic AI across the AEC industry, and a session on AI for building code integration and BIM. The main symposium program kicks off after lunch.
Continuing Education Information
Educational sessions at this event are designed to meet professional development requirements. Continuing education credits have been submitted for approval to the following organizations:
-
AIA CES (American Institute of Architects)
-
APA (American Planning Association)
-
LA CES (Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System)
Note: For questions regarding Construction Science (COSC) credits or certificates of attendance, please contact the event organizers.
Primary Contacts
Benjamin Ennemoser
Assistant Professor | Harold L. Adams ’61 Interdisciplinary Studies Professor
Ashrant Aryal
Assistant Professor
Xinyu Fu
Assistant ProfessorIndustry Contacts
Jennifer Landers – Architecture
Director of Industry Engagement
Hernan Guerra – Construction Science
Industry Relations Coordinator