Guillermo Aranda-Mena

Associate Professor. Current Projects:

Founding Director | Building AI Vision Group |  Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Construction and Built Environment (2025- )

Guest Editor: Buildings: Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Construction Risk Management. Buildings AI

Regional Editor for Facilities, Emerald Publishing Group (2010- )  

Creative Director and Curator at The 2026 World Sustainable Built Environment (WSBE26), Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne Australia (June 2026). 

Visiting Professor at Politecnico di Milano and UNESCO Chair in Mantova (2012- )

Guest Lecturer at the Master in Landscape Architecture, SLU Malmo, Sweeden (2020- )

Forthcomming Solo Art Exhbition at Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia (June 2026).

Forthcomming Solo Art Exhibition at Grist Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia  (2026).

Recent:

Solo exhibition at Highlight Art: NeoEden60: Garden Cities. Singapre (9th July to 9th August, 2025).   HIGHLIGHT

Solo exhibition at the UNESCO Architecture HQ Tratti Sfumati: Cities in Transformation. Mantova, Italy. (October 2024).  Tratti Sfumati

Solo Exhibition at Gasworks Arts Park: La Citta Ideasle 2033. Albert Pak, Melbourne, Australia (May 2024). Angela Roberts-Bird Gallery  

Conference Publication: AUBEA, Canberra. November 2025

Guillermo is an Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University 

Since 2010 he has served as Visiting Professor to Politecnico di Milano and the UNESCO Architecture Chair in Mantova (2013-2025). 

The biger picture:

I LOVE Architecture, Cities and Urban Life. I have lived and worked across 4 continents and have bee consulting and teaching in Melbourne and Singapore (RMIT-SIM) for over 20 years. Italy for over 15 years (UNESCO), The Netherlands (TU Twente and TU Delft) and Hong Kong (RMIT-IVE) for over 10 years and have published over 100 academic papers and technical reports in areas of architecture, building information modelling, construction management and digital visualisation of future cities. I am currently looking into Artificial Intelligence Vision in Architecture, Construction and Asset Managment (Building Sight, funded project).

In my work and research I looked at future cities, building innovation and adaptive-reuse/heritage and asset managment for over 30 years (my first project through ICOMOS 1995). My design practice informs research and research informs practice. My teaching is informed by both, industry and academia. I have been external advisor on small, medium and large-scale design and construction firms in Australia, Europe and Asia. Other roles over my professional life:

• Sconded Academic to FHNW and ETH in Zurich in Switzerland where I was teaching and advising to one of the first graduate programs in Building Information Modelling (2011-2012).
• Junior Architecture in Design and Build projects in the Americas (Trafalgar House Constrcution).
• I was the first Scholar to complete the Standford Certificate in Virtual Design for Construction (VDC) under the supervision of Prof. Martin Fischer (2009-2010).
• Project Manager, Researcher and Co-Author of the Australian National Guideline for Building Information Modelling (2008).

PhD in Construction Management, The University of Reading, United Kingdom (1996–2003).

Masters of Science in European Construction Engineering, Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico (1992-1995)

Graduate Diploma in Arts and Architecture. Master of Heritage in Seville, Spain at Escuela Superior de Arquitectura (1995–1996).

Internationally, Guillermo has continued an active design and research agenda with the UNESCO, Stanford University, TU Delft, TU Twente, The National University of Singapore, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, ETH and the Politecnico di Milano.

Specialties:

Visual Arts

Creative Direction 

Artufificial Intellignece Vision

Design for Circularity

Sustainable Architecture

Precinct and City Planning

Construction Innovation

Heritage and Adaptive Reuse

GenAI-BIM. 

Format:
- Design Studios

- Briefing Workshops 
- Value Management
- Participatory Design

- Stakeholder Managment 

Techniques:
- Mind-mapping

- Hand drawing

- Architecture: BIM (Building Information Modelling)
- Design/Construction Process: VDC (Virtual Design and Construction)
- Planning: GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Accomplishments:

• I have taught over 10,000 students over professional life.

 
- 2013 Awarded Senior Research Fellowship at the Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.
- 2012–2013 Awarded Visiting Professorship at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
- 2012 Awarded Australian Citizenship. Scored 100% at the official test.
- 2010 Awarded Australian Permanent Residency under the Distinguished Talent category (29 April 2010).
- 2010 Awarded Golden Key Honorary Membership by Professor Margaret Gardner, Vice-Chancellor of RMIT.
- 2008 Awarded Scholarship to Stanford University (awarded by the ‘Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation’) to undertake the Certificate Program in “Virtual Design and Construction” under the supervision of Professor Martin Fischer (2008–2010).
- 2007 Awarded RMIT Emerging Researcher Grant by RMIT University.
- 2006 Appointed Conjoint Academicto the School of Architecture, University of Newcastle, Australia.
- 2006 Awarded ‘Sigma Lambda Chi Society’Honorary Membership. Awarded by SLCS Melbourne Chapter.
- 1997 Awarded ‘PhD Endowment Trust Fund’from The University of Reading, United Kingdom.

Undergraduate:
- BUIL1154 Advanced Construction – Strategic Planning, Design and Management
- BUIL1215 Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio
- BUIL1256 Construction Planning and Design – Building Information Modelling Studio Post Graduate
- BUIL1005 Building Systems – Sustainable Architecture & Building Studio
- PHIL1008 Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio Singapore
- BUIL1213: Advanced Construction – Strategic Planning, Design and Management
- BUIL1222: Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio

2003–2009 Applied Research Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation including: Development of the Australian National Guidelines for Digital Modelling.

I LOVE Architecture, Cities and Urban Life. I have lived and worked across 4 continents and have bee consulting and teaching in Melbourne and Singapore (RMIT-SIM) for over 20 years. Italy for over 15 years (UNESCO), The Netherlands (TU Twente and TU Delft) and Hong Kong (RMIT-IVE) for over 10 years and have published over 100 academic papers and technical reports in areas of architecture, building information modelling, construction management and digital visualisation of future cities. I am currently looking into Artificial Intelligence Vision in Architecture, Construction and Asset Managment (Building Sight, funded project).

In my work and research I looked at future cities, building innovation and adaptive-reuse/heritage and asset managment for over 30 years (my first project through ICOMOS 1995). My design practice informs research and research informs practice. My teaching is informed by both, industry and academia. I have been external advisor on small, medium and large-scale design and construction firms in Australia, Europe and Asia. Other roles over my professional life:

• Visiting Academic at FHNW and ETH in Zurich in Switzerland where I was teaching and advising to one of the first graduate programs in Building Information Modelling (2011-2012).
• Junior Architecture in Design and Build projects in the Americas (Trafalgar House Constrcution).
• I was the first Scholar to complete the Standford Certificate in Virtual Design for Construction (VDC) under the supervision of Prof. Martin Fischer (2009-2010).
• Project Manager, Researcher and Co-Author of the Australian National Guideline for Building Information Modelling (2008).

PhD in Construction Management, The University of Reading, United Kingdom (1996–2003).

Masters of Science in European Construction Engineering, Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico (1992-1995)

Graduate Diploma in Arts and Architecture. Master of Heritage in Seville, Spain at Escuela Superior de Arquitectura (1995–1996).

Internationally, Guillermo has continued an active design and research agenda with the UNESCO, Stanford University, TU Delft, TU Twente, The National University of Singapore, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, ETH and the Politecnico di Milano.