Farzin Lotfi-Jam

Farzin Lotfi-Jam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP). He is the director of the Realtime Urbanism Lab and leads the interdisciplinary design studio Farzin Farzin, focusing on the intersection of architecture, urbanism, computation, and media. His work critically investigates how algorithms, real-time data, and simulation technologies govern urban life.

His research areas include urban simulation, digital media, smart cities, and the political implications of technology in architecture. He employs spatial media and computational tools to model and critique the control mechanisms embedded in urban systems. His work has been exhibited globally at venues such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, The Shed, and Storefront for Art and Architecture.

The most recent publications and projects reflect a deep engagement with digital twins, surveillance, and the militarization of urban environments. His work often involves collaborative research, particularly with Mark Wasiuta and Caitlin Blanchfield, and spans academic writing, exhibition design, and built interventions. Themes across his articles include the historical continuity between military simulation (SIMNET) and contemporary urban digital twins, the cultural logics of social media, and the historical value of architectural management techniques.

• 2022 Architecture League of New York League Prize
• Epic MegaGrant recipient (2019)
• Inaugural Open Call Artist, The Shed (2018)
• Graham Foundation Grant recipient (2021)
• Onassis Foundation Grant (2019)
• M+/Design Trust Research Fellowship (2019)
• National Center For Preservation Technology and Training Award (2023, Co-PI)

Lotfi-Jam has received significant research support from institutions such as the Graham Foundation, Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, M+/Design Trust, and The Shed. He advises research through the Realtime Urbanism Lab and contributes to academic discourse as a member of the editorial board of TAD Journal. His interdisciplinary design practice, Farzin Farzin, operates across architecture, urbanism, and media, producing research-based, multimediatic projects.

He leads the Realtime Urbanism Lab at Cornell, which develops new spatial media to visualize and simulate algorithmic governance in cities. His collaborative projects, such as 'The Machine at the Heart of Man' and 'Media Habitat c. 1975', have been curated into major exhibitions, demonstrating the lab’s impact beyond academia into public and artistic spheres.