The American University in Dubai (AUD) marked World Green Building Week 2025 with a dynamic session on “Digitalization in Green Buildings”, held in partnership with the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) and the World Green Building Council. The event gathered students, faculty, and industry leaders to explore how digital innovation is reshaping sustainable design and construction.

The session opened with Dr. Anna Cornaro, Chair of AUD’s Department of Architecture, who underlined how digitalization is transforming both architectural education and practice. She emphasized AUD’s mission to prepare future architects for smarter, greener cities, highlighting the Department’s strong partnership with EmiratesGBC and active participation in World Green Building Week.

This was followed by a keynote from Abdullatif AlBitawi, CEO of EmiratesGBC, who stressed that “bold action is no longer optional — it is essential.” His call echoed this year’s global theme, #BeBoldOnBuildings, calling for accelerated innovation to meet sustainability and climate targets.

In turn, Prof. Nicolas Turchi, Assistant Professor of Architecture at AUD, provided insights into how digital workflows and data-driven design are transforming the way projects are conceived and delivered.

An engaging panel discussion brought the industry perspective, featuring Jidesh Kambil (IES), Sahen Ahuja (SustainInsight), Mazen Nasr (Enova), and Shaheen Hussain (Climatize Engineering Consultants). They showcased how technologies such as AI-driven simulations, real-time analytics, and integrated digital platforms are already reshaping sustainable construction and operations.

By hosting this event, AUD reinforced its role in advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and innovation, bridging academia and industry, and inspiring the next generation of architects and urban designers to lead the transition toward a greener future.