Faculty

Scott Aker is a registered architect, writer, educator, and co-founder of the New York–based nonprofit Institute for Architectural Research. His work connects architectural practice with research and teaching, spanning civic memorials, educational environments, infrastructure, and interiors. 

In his teaching, Aker emphasizes drawing as a form of architectural knowledge: a way to investigate how buildings are assembled, how their systems interact, and how technical decisions shape spatial experience. He connects the study of materials, construction, and environmental systems with questions of accessibility, environmental responsibility, and human well-being. 

He is the author of Memory in Form: Geometry and Architecture of Postwar Memorials since 1945 (Birkhäuser, 2027). Through original analytical drawings and digital reconstructions, the book examines how geometry shapes public remembrance across twenty-five memorial projects. This research extends his interest in drawing as a method of architectural inquiry, bringing the study of form into dialogue with history, memory, and bodily experience. 

His research on memorial architecture includes Design Action for Victims of Trauma, which led to Philadelphia’s June 5th Memorial Park (2018). The project received the 2021 AIA Tri-State (NY/NJ/PA) Merit Award for Regional and Urban Design. His work and interdisciplinary collaboration were featured in  "Object of Memorialization," published in Building Stone (Fall 2020, pp. 24–39).

Master of Science, History and Theory of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania

Master of Architecture, Catholic University, School of Architecture and Planning

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Architecture, Catholic University, School of Architecture and Planning, magna cum laude

• Memory in Form: Geometry and Architecture of Postwar Memorials since 1945. Aker, Scott Mathematics and the Built Environment, vol. 11. Cham: Birkhäuser, 2027. (Forthcoming March 2027).
• Memorials to Victims of Demolition, Aker, Scott (2026) ACSA International Conference: Inflections, ISBN 978-1-944214-49-4
• Spiral Contours of Memory, Aker, Scott (2024) ICGG 2024 - Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Geometry and Graphics, vol 217. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-71008-7_27
• Architectural Beginnings. Aker, Scott (2024) ACSA/EAAE Teachers Conference: Educating the Cosmopolitan Architect. Published by ACSA Press.
• A Minimalist Approach to Baroque Optics, Aker, Scott (2023) Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics, Conference Paper, Publisher: Springer Link/Birkhäuser, 21 April 2023. doi.org/10.1007/s00004-023-00663-x