Illya Azaroff

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and internationally recognized leader in disaster response, climate adaptation, resilient design, and regenerative planning strategies with over 30 years of experience.

He is the founder of +LAB architect whose mission is to build resilient capacity while giving underserved communities greater voice and visibility. He is a professor at the New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He works with cities, governing bodies, and design teams around the world to build resilient capacity. Illya often receives foreign delegations on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

He has served AIA in several key roles, including as the 2021 AIA New York state president, on the Strategic Council (2016-2018), and as the founder of the DFRR Design for Risk and Reconstruction committee at AIANY (2011-2021). He previously worked in Germany, Italy, and Holland. Illya has a Master of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute and bachelor's degrees in geography and architecture from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.