Nader Tehrani is the Dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union in New York. Tehrani is also Principal of NADAAA, a practice dedicated to the advancement of design innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and an intensive dialogue with the construction industry. He was previously a professor of architecture at MIT, where he served as Head of the Department from 2010-2014. Tehrani’s work has been recognized with notable awards, including the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in Architecture (2007), the United States Artists Fellowship in Architecture and Design, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture. He has also received the Harleston Parker Award for the Northeastern University Multi-faith Spiritual Center and the Hobson Award for the Georgia Institute of Technology Hinman Research Building. Throughout his career, Tehrani has received eighteen Progressive Architecture Awards as well as numerous AIA, BSA and ID awards. Over the past six years, NADAAA has consistently ranked as a top design firm in Architect Magazine's Top 50 U.S. Firms List. He served as the Frank O. Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design at the University of Toronto and the inaugural Paul Helmle Fellow at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He also recently served as the William A. Bernoudy Architect in Residence at the American Academy in Rome.

Arthur Chang is a Principal at NADAA. In Arthur Chang’s 15 years of professional practice he has acted as Designer and Project Manager of a variety of institutional, commercial, public and residential projects. Arthur has served as design lead on numerous award-winning projects. Arthur recently completed the Melbourne School of Design, a $98M project and winner of over a dozen international awards. Arthur is currently designing a new subway head-house for the MBTA in Boston’s Seaport District. He is also leading construction administration for a residence hall for the Rhode Island School of Design.

Practice Sessions is part of the University of Michigan’s Third Century Initiative which funds experimental pedagogies in a bid to change how teaching and learning happen within the bounds of the institution. Over a five-year period, ten architectural practices will be invited to Taubman College to run a practice session.