Dr. Iasef Md Rian is an architect, educator, and design researcher specializing in computational design, parametric structures and optimization, performance-based design, and fractal-aided design. He is currently an Associate Professor and the Research Officer of the Department of Architecture and Design at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), China, where he has been serving since 2019. Before joining XJTLU, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Sharjah, UAE. Dr. Rian holds a PhD in Architecture and Design from Politecnico di Torino, Italy. His current research explores 3D concrete printing, augmented reality (AR) in architecture, artificial intelligence (AI) in architectural design, parametric modeling, and structural simulations. He is an active member of several professional organizations across disciplines, including the Council of Architecture (India), the International Society of Geometry and Graphics (ISGG), the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), as well as CAADRIA and CAAD Futures. Dr. Rian has led numerous design workshops, particularly focusing on structural pavilions, with his students' works exhibited at major international events such as Made Expo 2012 and 2013 in Milan, and Dubai Design Week 2018. He also serves as a regular reviewer for high-impact international journals, including Automation in Construction, Computer-Aided Design, Nexus Network Journal, and Frontiers of Architectural Research. He is the founder of Rian Architects Designers, a studio based in Malda, West Bengal, India, which has completed several small- to mid-scale residential, religious, and commercial projects. Earlier in his career, he worked as an architect and senior architect at C.P. Kukreja Associates and S. Ghosh Associates in New Delhi, where he contributed to significant projects such as IREO Uptown (Gurgaon), Gautam Buddha University campus (NOIDA), corporate headquarters, and shopping malls. An enthusiastic participant in international design competitions, Dr. Rian won the First Prize in the ASCENSION: Zagreb Observation Tower competition in June 2019.

Computational Design in Architecture

Parametric Structures and Optimization

Performance-Based Design 

Fractal-Aided Design in Architecture

3D Concrete Printing

Smart Facades: Parametric & Adaptive Design 

AI in Architectural Design & Innovation

2024 - present: Research Officer, Dept. Architecture, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

2019 - present: Associate Professor, Dept. Architecture, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China

2015 - present: Principal Architect Founder, Rian Architects & Designers, Malda, India

2016 - 2019: Assistant Professor, University of Sharjah, U.A.E.

2012 - 2014: Teaching Assistant, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

2012 - 2014: Research Assistant, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

2010 - 2011: Lecturer, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

2008 - 2009: Senior Architect, S. Ghosh Associates, New Delhi, India

2007 - 2008: Architect, C. P. Kukreja Associates, New Delhi, India

2006 - 2007: Teaching Assistant, INHA University, South Korea

2006 - 2007: Research Assistant, INHA University, South Korea

DES405 - Facade Design Studio (Master of Design) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC404 - Design Studio 2 (M.Arch.) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC207 - Building Typology in Integrated Architectural Design (B.Eng. Architectural Engineering) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC202 - Structural Design (B.Eng. Architecture) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC301 - Architectural Technology (B.Eng. Architecture) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC104 - Structures and Materials (B.Eng. Architecture) [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC112 - Architectural Technology and Innovation (B.Eng. Architecture)  [Module Leader & Tutor]

Module Leader & Tutor, ARC111 - Integrated Design of Small Buildings (B.Eng. Architectural Engineering)  [Module Leader & Tutor]

ARC305 - Small and Medium Scale Buildings (B.Eng. Architecture) [Tutor]

ARC205 - Design and Building Typology (B.Eng. Architecture) [Tutor]

ARC001 - Explore Architecture Visual Culture (B.Eng. Architecture) [Tutor]

2019: Winner | International Design Competition ‘ASCENSION: Zagreb Observation Tower’ | Croatia

2018: Selected Exhibited | Design Installation Call for Dubai Design Week 2018, Dubai Design District | U.A.E.

2015: Distinction in Ph.D. | Politecnico di Torino | Italy

2012: Borsa di Dottorato | Politecnico di Torino | Italy

2013: International Mobility Scholarship | Politecnico di Torino | Italy

2012: Milan Scholarship | Parametric Camp | Italy

2005: Jungseok International Scholarship | Inha University | South Korea

2006: Korean Research Fellowship | Korean Research Foundation | South Korea

2006: Teaching Assistantship | Inha University | South Korea

2007: Finalist | International Bamboo Design Competition | Hawaii, USA

2006: Honourable Mention | International Competition of Kitchen Design | Spain

2006: Fourth Prize | 17th Inha International Design Workshop | South Korea