David Benjamin

David Benjamin is an Associate Professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP), where he directs the GSAPP Incubator. As Founding Principal of The Living, he merges research and practice to pioneer frameworks for harnessing living organisms in architecture, including bio-processing, bio-sensing, and bio-manufacturing.

• Key affiliations: Columbia GSAPP, The Living
• Recent projects: Princeton Architecture Laboratory, Pier 35 EcoPark, Hy-Fi (biodegradable brick tower)

His research focuses on the intersection of biology, computation, and design, emphasizing sustainable materials and adaptive environmental systems. Current initiatives explore scaling bio-materials, AI integration in architecture, and decarbonization strategies.

Benjamin has received major awards including the Holcim Sustainability Award, AIA New York's New Practices Award, and MoMA's Young Architects Program Award. He teaches courses like Advanced Studio V, Architecture Studio VI, and the technical elective "Footprint: Carbon and Design" at Columbia.

Notable lectures (2016–2025) address climate change mitigation at the building scale, AI and creativity, and circular bio-economy models. His edited publication Embodied Energy and Design (2020) explores sustainable design metrics.