CORAL GABLES, Fla. (May 20, 2014) – A distinguished leader in contemporary architecture and urbanism has been named the new Dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture. Rodolphe el-Khoury, who currently serves as Director of Urban Design at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty and is a partner in the design firm Khoury Levit Fong, will join the University of Miami beginning July 1.

An academic with more than 26 years of experience in the field, el-Khoury joined the faculty at John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design in 2005.  Born in Beirut, Lebanon, el-Khoury found his passion early in life. During his stellar career, he has taught at Harvard University, M.I.T., University of Hong Kong, Princeton University and Columbia University among others.

“I am thrilled to join the University of Miami School of Architecture,” said el-Khoury. “The UM School of Architecture has changed the world as the breeding ground for the New Urbanism. It has an amazing history and continues to have an important role in the field.”  

As a partner in Khoury Levit Fong (KLF) his award-winning projects include Beirut Martyr’s Square (AIA San Francisco), Stratford Market Square (Boston Society of Architecture) and the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art (AIA Cleveland). Recently KLF won international competitions for a planning exhibition hall in Changzhi, China and for the revitalization of Copley Square in Boston.

“We identified Rodolphe el-Khoury as the new dean of the School of Architecture after an international search,” said UM Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas LeBlanc. “His extensive academic background and experience in the field, as well as his innovative work in imagining how architecture can partner with cutting-edge technology to enhance people’s lives make him the perfect match for the school.”

As co-director of the Responsive Architecture at Daniels laboratory (RAD LAB), el-Khoury, researches architectural applications for information technology aiming for enhanced responsiveness and sustainability in buildings and cities. He spoke at TEDxToronto in September of 2013 about his designs for the “Internet of Things.”  He aims to put every brick online and believes that “embedded technology empowers networked environments to better address the environmental and social challenges we face today.”

"Rodolphe el-Khoury is a visionary and a top-notch academic," said UM President Donna E. Shalala. "We expect him to take our School of Architecture to new heights in the 21st century."

El-Khoury received a doctorate degree in Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Architectural History from Princeton University, as well as a Master of Science in Architecture Studies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design.

Last fall, el-Khoury participated in the fifth annual TEDxToronto conference and spoke on “Designing for the Internet of Things,” viewable online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcUvg9jcfG8



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Barbara Gutierrez
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