Professor Rezai Honoured with 2026 Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award
We are pleased to announce that Professor Rezai has been awarded the 2026 Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award by The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU).
A leading advocate for integrated design and innovative structural systems, Professor Rezai has championed a holistic approach to the built environment—one that brings together architecture, structure, technology, and environmental performance from the earliest stages of design. His work has advanced the role of engineering beyond technical problem-solving, positioning it as a creative discipline capable of enabling more sustainable, resilient, and adaptable cities. His recently published book, On Regenerative Design, on Systems, and on Complexity: The Polimi Lectures, explores new ideas and perspectives on key design considerations for the built environment, both today and into the future.
As the originator of the concept of fusion engineering, Professor Rezai has pioneered an approach that unites multiple disciplines to create more responsive and regenerative design solutions. His contributions to professional discourse have been recognised through prestigious appointments, including service on the Master Jury of the 13th cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and as jury member, vice chair, and chair of the Singapore President’s Design Award. He was also the first—and remains the only—engineer to receive the prestigious title of Designer of the Year from the President of Singapore. He has engineered numerous high-profile and tall buildings across Asia and beyond, including Troika in Kuala Lumpur, Lincoln Modern and Mediacorp headquarters in Singapore, and BRAC University in Dhaka.
Professor Rezai currently serves as Global Design Director at Ramboll Buildings, a global engineering, architecture, and consultancy company with more than 18,000 experts creating sustainable solutions for governments and companies worldwide.
“The journey towards excellence is an intriguing pursuit. With every step forward, the horizon seems to move a little further away. Slowly, the realisation sets in that excellence does not lie in reaching a destination, but in the journey itself and in the constant desire to learn, to understand, to discover, and to become better.
In the end, the pursuit of excellence becomes the excellence of the pursuit … and perhaps that is the most transformative thing of all.”
Professor Rezai
About the Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award
The Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award honours an individual whose career has advanced the science and practice of structural engineering for tall buildings and the built environment. The award recognises lasting technical achievement, innovative thinking, and contributions that have expanded the possibilities of high-rise design whilst inspiring future generations of engineers.
About the Council on Vertical Urbanism
The Council on Vertical Urbanism (originally founded in 1969 as The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) is a global authority on tall buildings and vertical urban development with over 50 years of experience shaping the international conversation on cities and skyscrapers.