DI Dr.techn., Zeynep Aksöz Balzar, MArch (AA)
Möllwaldplatz 4/29–30, 1040 Vienna
Zeynep Aksöz Balzar is an AI specialist, creative technologist, and trained architect working at the intersection of computation, embodied interaction, and spatial storytelling. Her practice explores how AI and digital systems shape new forms of interaction, communication, and togetherness across physical and virtual environments.
Born and raised in Izmir, Turkey, her work draws from diverse cultural, artistic, and technological contexts to create immersive environments and hybrid ecologies. She approaches teaching, coding, and building with curiosity, humor, and a strong belief in playful exchange as a driver of learning and innovation.
Zeynep holds a doctorate from the University of Applied Arts Vienna and master’s degrees from the Architectural Association London and the Technical University of Vienna. A former Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow and recipient of the Research Prize for Architecture from the Austrian Chamber of Architects, she leads and collaborates on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, design, and the arts.
| Type | Title | Details | Link | |
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| Artistic Research | FUTUROMAT | EU S+T+ARTS Funding with OpenFields | Link | |
| Teaching | Summerschool IZMIR | Co-Direction with Mark Balzar | Link | |
| Architecture | Diamond Country Club Atzenbrugg | a Project by OpenFields in collaboration witn Format Engineers | Link | |
| Publication | Resonant Blech: Emergent Soundscapes Through Human-AI Interaction | Conference Companion Proceedings of CAAD Futures 2025: Catalytic Interfaces Alexander Urban, Moritz Koegel, Lukas Fink Pielsticker, Alexander Karaivanov, Nicolaj Kirisits and Zeynep Aksöz Balzar | Link | |
| Teaching | Learning the Matrix: Rules, Play, and Interpretation in Machine Learning | IaaC MRAC | ||
| Teaching | Artificial Intelligence in Architectural Design and Material Computation | Teaching Team: Claudia Larcher, Emmanuel Sallinger, Margarete Jahrmann, Mark Balzar, Stefan Woltran, Alexander Karaivanov Assistants: Moritz Koegel | ||
| Publication | Adaptive Origami: Fabrication of Pneumatic-actuated Adaptive Folding System | Conference Companion Proceedings of CAAD Futures 2025: Catalytic Interfaces Karagozaiym Turganbek, Sebastian Wimmer, Martin Hutter, Alexander Karaivanov, Nicolaj Kirisits and Zeynep Aksöz-Balzar | Link | |
| Artistic Research | Terrapolis Reimagined | AI in Arts Grant from BMKOE Austria for Terrapolis Reimagined | ||
| Publication | Imag(in)e nature: imaging energetic footprint of urban environments through multispectral data acquisition in Architectural Intelligence | Mark Balzar, Zeynep Aksöz Balzar, Galo Moncayo Asan | Link | |
| Publication | OTTO: A portable Urban Sensing Station to Survey Energetic Footprint of Urban Microclimates, | The 5th Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication (CDRF 2023) | Link | |
| Lecture | AI Beyond Digital at Artificial Architectures Conference at ETSAM Madrid | |||
| Exhibition | Curator of the Exhibition Becoming Human in Times of Posthumanism | Kuandu Museum of Arts Taipei |
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| Teaching | Design with AI Based Processes Glitch | University of Applied Arts Vienna | ||
| Lecture | Emerging Synergies through Adaptation New Kinds of Interaction, Communication and Conversation through AI Systems at Becoming Human in Times of Post-Humanism | Symposium in Kuandu Museum of Arts at Taipeh | ||
| Exhibition | Exhibition Vibrant Fields at Zentrum Fokus Forschung Vienna |
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| Architecture | IZTECH Canopy | |||
| Lecture | Panelist at AI in Architecture Symposium at TU Wien | In panel with Emanuel Sallinger, Hvorje Bugonovic, Cornelis van Berkel | ||
| Exhibition | Resonant Blech Spatial Installation Noise Sound Art, AI, Dance Performance at die Angewandte Festival Vienna | Together with Nicolaj Kirisits (sound and composition), Alexander Urban (assistant), Lea Karnutsch | ||
| Exhibition | Sonic Fossils Museum of Arts Taipei |
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| Publication | Narrating Urban Data, UXUC Urban Creativity Journal | Mark Balzar, Zeynep Aksöz Balzar | Link | |
| Lecture | Artificial Realities in the Age of AI lecture at Future of Living with AI | Conference at IMAL + Bozar Brussels | ||
| Lecture | Artificial Narratives Lecture at Creativity in the Age of AI Conference at EKA Talinn | |||
| Lecture | Artificial Narratives Lecture at Madame Architects in Roundtable with Wolf D. Prix | |||
| Exhibition | Change Exhibition Angewandte | |||
| Lecture | Conversational Machines Lecture at Generations Symposium at MAK Vienna | Roundtable with Hani Rashid, Jenny Sabin, Clemens Preisinger | ||
| Lecture | Data Narratives Hearing for Professorship for Data-driven Design FH Münster MSA | |||
| Teaching | Design Studio Morphology of Sound | |||
| Exhibition | Exhibition Morphology of Sound at Zentrum Fokus Forschung Vienna | in Collaboration with Nicolaj Kirisits, Klaus Filip, Alexander Karaivanov, Hans Schartner, Mark Balzar, Galo Moncayo Asan |
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| Lecture | Hearing for Professorship in Robotic onsite Construction Uni Stuttgart Bau2 Institute | |||
| Architecture | MQ Sommerbühne | |||
| Teaching | Design Studio Design for Assembly Disassembly TU Wien | |||
| Teaching | Design with AI Based Processes Haptic Maps | |||
| Teaching | Design with AI Based Processes Urban Mapping and Sattelite Analysis die Angewandte | |||
| Lecture | Keynote speaker at 22. Österreichischer Klimatag | |||
| Artistic Research | Morphology of Sound | INTRA in collaboration with Nicolaj Kirisits | ||
| Exhibition | Robots and Drinks Plateau Vienna | |||
| Teaching | Scientific Course Experimental Structural Design Computation Robotic Assembly TU Wien | |||
| Exhibition | Understanding Art & Research, UM Gallery UMPRUM, Prag, Czech Republic | |||
| Publication | Denk- Landschaften im offenen Diskurs des Künstlichen und Natürlichen (Landscape of Thought), Manege 02 | Editor Hannes Mayer | ||
| Teaching | Design Studio Shelter for Experimental Art Lindabrunn TU Wien | |||
| Teaching | Design Studio: Design ICONS ReLoaded at TU Wien | |||
| Teaching | Design Studio: Urban Oasis Biophilic Urban Design | |||
| Teaching | Design with AI-Based Processes University of Applied Arts Vienna | |||
| Teaching | Scientific Course Design with AI Based Processes at die Angewandte | Topic: Europan 15 Developing Adaptive Urban Design Tools with AI | ||
| Teaching | Scientific Course Logic of Structures TU Wien | |||
| Teaching | Theory of AI at IAAC MACAD Master Programme | |||
| Exhibition | Vibrant 01 : Versatility at Vienna Design Week, Vienna , Austria |
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| Exhibition | Vibrant 02 : Outside In at Bratislava Design Week, Bratislava, Slovakia | |||
| Teaching | Workshop Parametric Urban Design Through AI Processes at Architectural Association London | Emergent Technologies and Design Masters Programme | ||
| Teaching | Workshop “Learning to be a Space Frame” at IAAC MRAC Masters Programme | |||
| Teaching | Design Studio Dynamic Foldables at TU Wien | |||
| Lecture | Master Class Lecture at Architectural Association London | |||
| Lecture | Master Class Lecture at IAAC Barcelona MRAC Program | |||
| Publication | Optimisation of Robotic Printing Paths for Structural Stiffness Using Machine Learning | Fabricate 2020:Making Resilient Architecture | Link | |
| Teaching | Scientific Course Design with AI Based Processes at die Angewandte | |||
| Teaching | Scientific Module Experimental Structural Design Computation TU Wien | |||
| Artistic Research | Vibrant Fields | PEEK FWF | ||
| Publication | Information Rich Design Exploration in Early Design Phase | Design Transactions: Rethinking Information Modelling for a New Material Age | Link | |
| Publication | An Interactive Structural Optimization of Space Frame Structures Using Machine Learning | Impact: Design with All Senses | Link | |
| Lecture | Ambigiuty in the Age of AI, UWE Bristol | |||
| Lecture | Deep Design Space Exploration in Early Design Phase in Living Architecture Systems Group Symposium, Toronto | |||
| Lecture | Paper Presentation: An Interactive Structural Optimization of Space Frame Structures Using Machine Learning | Zeynep Aksöz, Dr. Clemens Preisinger in Design Modelling Symposium Berlin | ||
| Exhibition | Understanding Arts Based Research Exhibition, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA | |||
| Publication | Approximating Climatic Performance with ANNs | ACADIA Conference Proceedings Recalibration on Imprecision and Infidelity | Link | |
| Exhibition | Innochain Practice Features Exhibition, KADK, Copenhagen, Denmark | |||
| Publication | Interactive Multiple Criteria Search for Performance Aware Early Design, Understanding Art & Research, Projects Art & Research | Zeynep Aksöz | ||
| Lecture | Paper Presentation Interactive Design Exploration in Early Design Phase | Zeynep Aksöz, in Innochain Conference, BLOXHUB, Copenhagen | ||
| Exhibition | Smart Geometry 2018 Exhibition, Daniels School of Architecture, Toronto, Canada | |||
| Exhibition | Understanding Arts Based Research Exhibition, New Zealand | |||
| Publication | Interactive Multiple Criteria Search for Performance Aware Early Design Innochain Network Journal 3 | Zeynep Aksöz | ||
| Publication | Multiple Criteria Optimization in Early Design Phase | Zeynep Aksöz | ||
| Teaching | Optimization Workshop for Robotic Clay Printing IaaC Barcelona OTF Programme | |||
| Publication | Cantilevering and Collapsing Through Machine Learning Algorithms, Innochain Journal 1 | Zeynep Aksöz, Giulio Brugnaro, Paul Poinet | ||
| Publication | Façade Panelization Through Geometry Packing, Innochain Journal 1 | |||
| Publication | Modelling Architectural Problems for Artificial Intelligence to Support Human Machine Interaction in Early Design Phase, Innochain Journal 1 | |||
| Publication | Multiple Criteria Optimization in Early Design Phase, Innochain Network Journal | Zeynep Aksöz | ||
| Publication | The Future of Design Thinking, Innochain Journal 1 | Zeynep Aksöz, Dimitrie Stefanescu | ||
| Exhibition | USM Rethinking the Modular Exhibition in Collaboration with Buro Happold and AA Emergent Technologies Students in Salone di Mobile | |||
| Teaching | Course Tutor AA Visiting School Athens | |||
| Teaching | Course Tutor AADLAB | |||
| Exhibition | Fingers Crossed AA Emergent Technologies Pavilion in Birmingham Timber Expo | |||
| Exhibition | Fingers Crossed AA Emergent Technologies Pavilion, London Design Festival AA Projects Review Exhibition | |||
| Exhibition | Add-on 20 Höhenmeter Exhibition, Biennale di Venezia | |||
| Exhibition | Add-On 20 Höhenmeter Wallensteinplatz, Wien |
