Tarek Rakha: "From Studio to Startup: Retrofitting at the Speed of AI"

Architecture Fall 2025 Lecture Series - September 9, 2025 at Slocum Hall. Tarek Rakha, Ph.D. CEO and Co-Founder, Lamarr.AI Regent’s Innovator and Assoc. Prof. of Architecture, Georgia Tech Retrofitting is rapidly becoming the most critical frontier in architecture, where building envelope design brings sustainability and resilience together to address climate and energy challenges. Advances in AI are accelerating this work, enabling designers and engineers to diagnose, model, and reimagine envelopes faster than ever before. This lecture explores how architectural research, design processes, and studio culture can translate into AI-driven retrofitting solutions. Dr. Rakha will draw on award-winning design studios and courses to show how hands-on innovation informs scalable strategies for transforming existing buildings. Today, these ideas are advancing through entrepreneurship and his leadership of Lamarr.AI. Together, they reveal how design and AI can converge to retrofit not only buildings, but the future of our built environment.