Get to know 2026 AIA President Illya Azaroff, FAIA

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, recently assumed his role as AIA’s president for 2026. He is the founder of +LAB architect and teaches at Citytech CUNY. He works with cities, governing bodies, and design teams to build resilient capacity, meaning communities’ ability to prepare for, respond during, and thrive after disasters.

We talked to him about the challenges he’ll take on as AIA’s president as well as the lessons he has learned from geography, disaster response, and growing up with an immigrant parent.

What challenges are you most excited about facing as president?

I think I’m more excited about the people I’m going to be working with. … A lot of people think that having a calm, smooth road is what [board members] look forward to. But that’s not the case. That’s not realistic.

The good thing about coming into this year is that I think we have an extraordinary board to work with. … We also have a new CEO/EVP [Carole Wedge, FAIA]. As she steps into the role and really becomes acclimated to what AIA is doing and where we need to go, that’s going to set a foundation for real progress.  

There’s also a governance task force. [With it], we’re gaining an understanding of how we [can] serve the members better through making sure that components are first and foremost the strength of what AIA is. … Those are all challenges, but they’re internal. They’re things that we’re going to work on.

But I’m also excited about [taking on] the external shocks and stresses. That’s important because our members … look to leadership that really strives to make your agency, your voice, and your visibility much stronger. [That will involve] highlighting our members, giving them the tools they need to be the best they can be, and really engaging in the public process and advocacy efforts.

How does your background in geography influence the way you approach problems?

I'll take that in two ways. One is that we start everything with geography in my practice—understanding culture and place, followed by history as well as scientific examination. That leads to … understanding who people are as we embark on our work. And that becomes the foundation for our design.

On the other side of it, [I have an immigrant parent]. Culture and people and place were integrated in our household discussions. It was a natural interest. [Editor’s note: During World War II, German forces displaced his father’s family from Ukraine, and a group of the survivors eventually came to the U.S.]

And so, when I travel and work with people around the world, I think [geography] has given me a greater sensitivity and an understanding of … diversity in people and diversity in places, along with their ecosystems and traditions. That has really given me a strong basis to be a world citizen and a better leader.

What’s a regenerative design project that you want more people to know about?

To put regenerative design in context for all of us as architects: It’s essential we do this. Regenerative design is healing in a holistic way versus curing or responding to symptoms. And at its core, regenerative design repairs the earth with every action you take.

[One firm] that is doing great work out of Australia/Singapore is WOHA. They do incredible regenerative work. [Someone else] who has been doing this work a long time is Ken Yeang out of Malaysia. He has written so many books and traveled the world, espousing what regenerative design is all about.

[Stateside], there are places like HMTX World Headquarters in Norwalk, Conn. That place is net positive energy, and it’s positive in terms of its water capture and green roof systems. It has pollinator gardens.  

Back overseas, you're going to see a lot of this work, too, like One Central Park in Sydney, Australia. That is an incredible building most architects already know about. But if you really dive down, it leverages the regenerative design process in an urban environment at a larger scale. … Another one I’ll mention is BaleBio, which is in Bali, Indonesia. It’s a bamboo community pavilion that turned a car park into a carbon-storing social space.  

What’s something you have learned while responding to disasters?

Disasters don't discriminate at all. … It doesn’t matter what [your economic status is] or who you are. The effects are profound, and it strips you to your base and brings everybody to the level of human being.  

[When responding to a disaster], you see people who’ve lost everything, and your drive to do better comes forward. You really understand that the leadership that architects can provide in this realm is extraordinary, and that’s part of the reason why I ran for [2026 AIA president]. I really think that we can have a positive impact throughout our communities, making sure that they can withstand disruptions today and tomorrow.

On the practical side, I’ve learned from all over the world, such as from Nepal. [Nepal goes] through severe earthquakes. They already have things in their building code that require flexible piping for water delivery, because they know that after a disaster, water is essential. Clean water is essential for life safety. …

In Japan, I’ve seen the enormous amount of money that they spend for adaptation and mitigation. … When you ask them about how they can afford to invest so much to make cities safer or more resilient, everybody says the same thing. They answer the question with a question: “What is the value of one human life?”

Is there anything else that you would like members to know about yourself as you take this role?

I call myself a reluctant leader. I grew up in a household with a parent who was a war refugee, and I’ve responded to disasters. I often use this tagline: “Leadership can’t wait.” Because it applies to me as well.

[Though I’m a] quiet person who likes my time away from everybody else, I was always taught that if you see something going wrong, you have to stand up. It doesn’t matter how insurmountable it may seem. You have to fight that dragon. [That applies] whether it’s disasters and displacement, whether it’s the shocks and stresses we’re experiencing from the political side, whatever it may be.  

Other than that, I like going fishing. I like going to the beach. Water is everything to me. … When you’re out there in the water, you get time by yourself, and that’s healing.

Danielle Steger is AIA’s senior manager, editorial and publications.