
Zeiad Amin is a graduate student in the M.S. Design Technology program at Cornell AAP, with a background in architecture, computer science, and experience in architecture, design, and structural engineering from his work with leading firms. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Illinois Tech, where he also completed a minor in computer science. Zeiad’s research focuses on developing computational design frameworks that merge structural performance with cultural and aesthetic considerations through machine learning. Currently, he is a teaching assistant for a Coding for Design class and leads the HelioSkin project at the Jenny Sabin Lab, where he collaborates with engineers, plant biologists, physicists, and industry partners to create a bio-inspired, solar-tracking building skin. He previously served as a research associate at the Robotic Construction Lab in Cornell AAP and on the Cornell AAP dean's advisory board. Zeiad is also contributing illustrations and structural simulations to Paul Endres' forthcoming book, A Visual Understanding of Structures. Recently, he co-created an interactive exhibition, supported by a CCA grant, that explores how media—especially images—encode cultural signals through historic textiles.