Dennis Shelden is a building professional, academic, entrepreneur, and author whose experience spans architecture, engineering, and computer science applications to the built environment and professional practice.

He is the Director of the CASE Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology in New York City, and an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research focuses on computation applications to the design, construction and operation of integrated physical / digital building systems. He co-directs the technical program for BuildingSmart International, the building industries’ open information standards body, where he leads efforts to develop technology platforms for open data Web and cloud based building design, construction and operations systems.

He joined Gehry Partners while still in MIT’s Ph.D. program, as Director of Research and Development and subsequently Director of Computing. In 2002 he co-founded the spinoff company Gehry Technologies, serving as Chief Technology Officer on the development of several software products and Project Executive on numerous ground breaking building projects until the firm’s acquisition by Trimble in 2014. Prior to joining Gehry Partners he held diverse positions including performing structural and environmental engineering for Arup, building energy systems optimization for Consultants’ Computation Bureau, and development of the first cloud of points laser scanner at Cyra Systems, since acquired by Leica.

His writing has been published in journals including TAD: Technology and Architectural Design, and the Journal of Construction Automation, and he has been interviewed and profiled in publications including The Economist Magazine, New York Times, Architect’s Newspaper, Engineering News Record, and Design Intelligence. He edited the recently published AD journal edition The Disruptors: Tech-Driven Architect Entrepreneurs and serves as editor for the forthcoming Wiley book series Practical Revolutions: Professional Applications of Disruptive Technologies to Building.

He received a B.S. in Architectural Design, an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Design and Computation from MIT, and is a licensed architect in the State of California.