Illya Azaroff, FAIA

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and professor at the New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He is the founding principal of +lab architect, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, a practice dedicated to uplifting underserved communities globally.

An internationally recognized expert in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Azaroff is a co-founder of the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration in Dominica. He was honored as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design leadership in the Pacific and Caribbean and continues to advise on climate adaptation and recovery efforts worldwide, including recent work in Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Türkiye.

Azaroff has contributed to New York City’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, New York State’s Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s Designing for Natural Hazards. His advisory roles span NGOs, governmental bodies, and think tanks. Previous engagements include the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF).

A leader within the American Institute of Architects, Azaroff served as President of AIA New York State in 2021 and as an AIA delegate to COP-27 through COP-30. He currently serves as the AIA National President for 2026.

With more than 30 years of professional experience across the United States, the Pacific region, the Caribbean, and Europe, Azaroff continues to shape global strategies for resilience and sustainability—leveraging design excellence to foster equitable, regenerative communities worldwide.