Ted Ngai

Ted Ngai is the Executive Director of Advanced Technology at Pratt Institute’s Technology Division and a Visiting Associate Professor at the School of Architecture. He has held teaching positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, and Politecnico di Torino and served as Principal Research Faculty at the Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology (a joint initiative between RPI and SOM).

In his role at Pratt’s Technology Division, Ted leads the design, development, and integration of data and AI systems to enhance decision-making processes and support academic research and education. His work bridges advanced technology and academia, creating innovative solutions to benefit the Pratt community.

Prior to his administrative work, Ted focused on research in active building systems to mitigate climate risks. As the lead system designer of the award-winning Phytoremediation Wall System (AMPS) at NYPD’s PSAC II building, he developed a system that actively generates fresh air inside the building. This groundbreaking design earned the Good Green Design Award and the R&D Award. His current research explores the integration of deep learning, digital twins, and robotic automation.

Ted’s expertise has led him to present his work on BIM and built ecologies at conferences hosted by Harvard and Yale. His earlier research includes the remediation of distressed ecologies through nanomaterials’ self-assembly and studying the interplay between energy and material systems—the “physiology of form.” His building science work resulted in a patented innovation.

As an architect, Ted’s achievements include winning 2nd place in the international architectural competition for the Butakovka Housing Development in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He co-founded UNI, a Cambridge-based design-build firm recognized for its award-winning projects by the Boston Society of Architects and the New York Architectural League.

Ted’s career reflects his commitment to advancing technology, architecture, and sustainable design through research, education, and practice.

B. Arch, SCI-Arc; M. Arch, Harvard University Graduate School of Design