GDI 2026
Driving innovation through digital twin.
The main conference runs online over two days. The detailed session schedule will be published here once papers are allocated to sessions. The Industry Chapter Day programme is recorded below.
Industry Chapter Day
Friday 11 September 2026 · WG Wave Room, Sir Paul Reeves Building, AUT, 2 Governor FitzRoy Place, Auckland CentralRefreshments and networking
Welcome to GDI 2026
Prof. Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Prof. Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Prof. Suzanne Wilkinson, Dr Mahesh Babu (AUT)
Karakia. Welcome and introduction by the GDI 2026 Chairs. Official opening and address by the Dean of the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies. GDI and DigiBUILT update.
The economic horse: natural capital, mātauranga Māori and intergenerational development
Dr Haydn Read, AUT
Questions to all plenary speakers
Refreshments and networking
Innovation in the architecture and construction industry through the lens of digital technology and AI
Chair: Mahdiar Ghaffarian (AUT). Karl Fitzpatrick (Auckland Airport), Farzam Farzadi (Beca), Jack O'Neill (Strata Architects), Matthew Le Grice (Warren and Mahoney), Assoc. Prof. Dermott McMeel (AUT)
Lunch and networking
Intergenerational perspectives on women in GDI: passing the baton or building together?
Chair: Dr Funmi Rotimi (AUT). Dr Olga Lozova (Fisher & Paykel), Dr Nimesha Vilasini (Quanton), Dr Eziaku Rasheed (Massey University), Sue Ira (Koru Environmental Consultants), Assoc. Prof. Mahsa Mohaghegh (AUT), Ami McLean (Kāinga Ora), Neha John (Beca)
Workshop 01. The hard part of AI: turning intelligence into action
Assoc. Prof. Mani Poshdar (AUT), Dr Bruce Balaei (Auckland Council)
Workshop 02. FOSS thinking for AI in AEC: offline AI for design practice
Closing by the GDI 2026 Chairs
Prof. Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Prof. Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini
Refreshments, then transition to the Aga Khan event
Future Environments: Global Architecture, Local Futures. Aga Khan Award for Architecture exhibition and public conversation
Held at AUT with separate registration.
Main Conference
7 and 8 December 2026 · OnlineSession schedule to be published
Keynotes, parallel paper sessions for GDI 2026 and DigiBUILT 2026, the GDI Awards announcement and the GDI 2027 handover.