Illya Azaroff
Principal/CEO
+lab Architect
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY), a minority-serving institution. He is the founding principal of +lab Architect, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, dedicated to uplifting underserved communities globally.
An expert in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Azaroff is a co-founder of the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration on the Island of Dominica. Honored as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design work in the Pacific and Caribbean, he advises on climate adaptation worldwide, including recent efforts in the Republic of Moldova and Republic of Türkiye.
Azaroff has contributed to New York’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, the New York State Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s “Designing for Natural Hazards.” He has advised NGOs, governing bodies, and think tanks, including the White House. Past engagements include Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ disaster recovery framework.
A leader in the AIA, Azaroff has served as a chair to COP-28 and COP-29 and is honored to be the 2025 AIA President-Elect, 2026 president.
With over 30 years of experience in the U.S. and Europe, Azaroff continues to shape global strategies for resilience and sustainability, leveraging design excellence to foster equitable and regenerative communities worldwide.
An expert in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Azaroff is a co-founder of the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration on the Island of Dominica. Honored as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design work in the Pacific and Caribbean, he advises on climate adaptation worldwide, including recent efforts in the Republic of Moldova and Republic of Türkiye.
Azaroff has contributed to New York’s 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan, the New York State Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s “Designing for Natural Hazards.” He has advised NGOs, governing bodies, and think tanks, including the White House. Past engagements include Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ disaster recovery framework.
A leader in the AIA, Azaroff has served as a chair to COP-28 and COP-29 and is honored to be the 2025 AIA President-Elect, 2026 president.
With over 30 years of experience in the U.S. and Europe, Azaroff continues to shape global strategies for resilience and sustainability, leveraging design excellence to foster equitable and regenerative communities worldwide.