Dr. Mohamad T. Araji, PhD, OEA, LEED AP
Associate Professor, Director of Architectural Engineering, Associate Director, Research
Email: mohamad.araji@uwaterloo.ca
Location: ARC 3016 Cambridge Campus, and CPH 3611D À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Campus
Phone: 519-888-4567 x27664
Biography
Dr. Mohamad T. Araji is an Associate Professor and Director of Architectural Engineering at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, where he also serves as the Associate Director of Research. He leads the Symbiosis Lab, an interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing net-zero solutions and engineering workflows to transform building infrastructure and energy systems. The lab is recognized as an incubator for innovation, driving the development of novel technologies and integrated building performance. Dr. Araji’s work spans modeling and simulation procedures, monitoring and experimental validation, and the creation of specialized engineering tools.
Dr. Araji has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2024 Engineering Research Excellence Award, the 2020 Teaching Scholar Award and the 2017 Carl R. Nelson Teaching Excellence Award, highlighting his significant contributions to the field. Among his distinguished achievements around the world, Dr. Araji was honored with the 2014 TÃœV Süd Stiftung Visiting Professorship as the outstanding scientist of the year by the Technical University of Munich. During this time, he also held a concurrent appointment as Guest Scientist at the Oskar von Miller Forum in Munich. Prior to his appointment at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Dr. Araji was a tenured Associate Professor of Environmental Design at the University of Manitoba. He held other academic appointments at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and Abu Dhabi University. A portion of his earlier research was carried out at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center and the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research program has received support from several funding agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), Mitacs, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Dr. Araji’s renowned collaborations with industry leaders have contributed to several landmark international projects, including the Chicago De-Carbonization Plan, the tallest building in the world — Jeddah Tower, and the world’s first large-scale positive energy building — Masdar Headquarters. Many of these projects, as well as several award-winning competition entries in his professional portfolio, incorporate cutting-edge technologies to create high-performance strategies with minimal ecological impact.
As a keynote speaker, Dr. Araji has conducted extensive lectures across Canada, the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. His work has been widely published and cited in highly acclaimed scientific journals, contributing to areas such as enclosure systems, materials behavior, thermal and energy modeling, aerial audits, hyperspectral data interpretation, and machine learning applications. Dr. Araji is a founding member and co-chair of the Built Environment Education in Washington, D.C. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional and an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and holds licenses and professional registrations from numerous architectural and engineering organizations worldwide.
Dr. Araji has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2024 Engineering Research Excellence Award, the 2020 Teaching Scholar Award and the 2017 Carl R. Nelson Teaching Excellence Award, highlighting his significant contributions to the field. Among his distinguished achievements around the world, Dr. Araji was honored with the 2014 TÃœV Süd Stiftung Visiting Professorship as the outstanding scientist of the year by the Technical University of Munich. During this time, he also held a concurrent appointment as Guest Scientist at the Oskar von Miller Forum in Munich. Prior to his appointment at À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Dr. Araji was a tenured Associate Professor of Environmental Design at the University of Manitoba. He held other academic appointments at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and Abu Dhabi University. A portion of his earlier research was carried out at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center and the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research program has received support from several funding agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), Mitacs, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Dr. Araji’s renowned collaborations with industry leaders have contributed to several landmark international projects, including the Chicago De-Carbonization Plan, the tallest building in the world — Jeddah Tower, and the world’s first large-scale positive energy building — Masdar Headquarters. Many of these projects, as well as several award-winning competition entries in his professional portfolio, incorporate cutting-edge technologies to create high-performance strategies with minimal ecological impact.
As a keynote speaker, Dr. Araji has conducted extensive lectures across Canada, the USA, Europe, and the Middle East. His work has been widely published and cited in highly acclaimed scientific journals, contributing to areas such as enclosure systems, materials behavior, thermal and energy modeling, aerial audits, hyperspectral data interpretation, and machine learning applications. Dr. Araji is a founding member and co-chair of the Built Environment Education in Washington, D.C. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional and an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and holds licenses and professional registrations from numerous architectural and engineering organizations worldwide.
Research Interests
- Building Science & Technology
- Enclosure Systems
- Materials Behavior
- Decarbonization & Net-zero Solutions
- Energy Systems Engineering
- Thermal & Energy Modeling
- UAV Infrastructure Audits
- Non-Destructive Testing
- Image Processing & Hyperspectral Data Interpretation
Teaching*
- AE 325 - Project 1 Studio
- Taught in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- ARCH 473 - Technical Report
- Taught in 2021
- ARCH 493 - Design Studio/Comprehensive Building Design
- Taught in 2021, 2024
- ARCH 691 - Design Studio - Comprehensive Building Design
- Taught in 2022, 2023, 2024
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.
In The News
Graduate studies
- Currently considering applications from graduate students. A completed online application is required for admission; start the application process now.
- Has Sole-Supervisory Privilege Status (SSPS) status