Alexander Htet Kyaw
Currently, he is a graduate student at MIT in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the Department of Architecture. At MIT, Alexander works with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the Center for Bits and Atoms. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University, where he received a minor in Computer Information Science. At Cornell University, Alexander held research positions in the Robotic Construction Lab and the Sabin Lab. His professional experience includes work with Google Research, Microsoft Research, Autodesk Research, Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), BRIC Architecture, and Proximity Design.
Alexander's design and research have garnered recognition from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Museum of Craft and Design, the Land Art Generator Initiative, Google, Amazon Robotics, and the United Nations. Before pursuing his Bachelor's degree in the United States, Alexander was raised in Yangon, Myanmar. He is currently a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow, Morningside Academy of Design Fellow and a co-founder of BendShelters, a social enterprise building easily deployable modular bamboo shelters for refugees in Myanmar. A. H. Kyaw, R. Gupta, D. Shah, A. Sinha, K. Mathewson, S. Pender, S. Chitta, Y. Koga, F. Ahmed, L. Sass, and R. Davis, “Text to Robotic Assembly of Multi Component Objects using 3D Generative AI and Vision Language Models,” Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2025), Creative AI Session, December 2025 (forthcomming), San Jose, CA, doi: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2511.02162
A. H. Kyaw and L. R. Sivalingam, “Node-Based Editing for Multimodal Generation of Text, Audio, Image, and Video,” Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2025), Workshop on Generative Protective AI for Content Creation, December 2025, San Jose, CA, doi: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2511.03227
A. H. Kyaw, S. H. Jeon, M. Smith, and N. Gershenfeld, “Speech to Reality: On-Demand Production using Natural Language, 3D Generative AI, and Discrete Robotic Assembly,” Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Computational Fabrication (SCF 2025), Cambridge, MA, November 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3745778.3766670
M. Smith, P. A. Richard, A. H. Kyaw, and N. Gershenfeld, “Hierarchical Discrete Lattice Assembly: An Approach for the Digital Fabrication of Scalable Macroscale Structures,” Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Computational Fabrication (SCF 2025), Cambridge, MA, November 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/3745778.3766665
S. Mutis, A. H. Kyaw, R. Gallardo, D. Mykhaylychenko, and E. Demaine, “Self-Folding Modular Chain Robot for Shape-Changing Objects,” Adjunct Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Computational Fabrication (SCF 2025), Cambridge, MA, November 2025, (forthcoming) doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30344.28165
A. H. Kyaw, H. Ma, S. Zivkovic, and J. Sabin, “Augmented Assembly: Object Recognition and Hand Tracking for Adaptive Assembly Instructions in Augmented Reality,” ACM Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI 2025), Submited October 2025 (under review), doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29688.92165
A. H. Kyaw, S. H. Jeon, M. Smith, and N. Gershenfeld, “Making Physical Objects with Generative AI and Robotic Assembly: Considering Fabrication Constraints, Sustainability, Time, Functionality, and Accessibility,” ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025), Workshop on Generative AI and HCI, Yokohama, Japan, April 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2504.19131
A. H. Kyaw, L. Spencer, and L. Lok, “Human–Machine Collaboration using Gesture Recognition in Mixed Reality and Robotic Fabrication,” Architectural Intelligence, vol. 3, article 11, March 2024 (Best Paper Award), doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s44223-024-00053-4
L. Spencer, A. H. Kyaw, S. Zivkovic, and L. Lok, “Extended Reality (XR) Workflows for Multi-Material Assemblies,” Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Conference of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA 2023), October 2023 (Best Paper Award), https://papers.cumincad.org/data/works/att/acadia23_v2_318.pdf
A. H. Kyaw, J. Otto, and L. Lok, “Active Bending in Physics-Based Mixed Reality: The Design and Fabrication of a Reconfigurable Modular Bamboo System,” Proceedings of the 41st Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2023), Graz, Austria, September 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2023.1.169
A. H. Kyaw, L. Spencer, S. Zivkovic, and L. Lok, “Gestural Recognition for Feedback-Based Mixed Reality and Robotic Fabrication: A Case Study of the UnLog Tower,” Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication (CDRF 2023), Shanghai, China, June 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8405-3_28
A. H. Kyaw, A. Xu, G. Jahn, N. van den Berg, C. Newnham, and S. Zivkovic, “Augmented Reality for High Precision Fabrication of Glued Laminated Timber Beams,” Automation in Construction, vol. 152, article 104912, May 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2023.104912
Awards and Honors
Winning grant proposal in the Computer-Aided Creativity track for robotic assembly with vision-language models and human-in-the-loop feedback.
Architectural Intelligence Journal Best Paper Award - 2025
Received Best Paper Award for research on gesture recognition for feedback-based mixed reality and robotic fabrication.
MIT Generative AI Hackathon Winner - 2024
First-place award for a project using computer vision and vision-language models for context-aware product recommendation in augmented reality.
Steve Jobs Archive Fellow - 2024
Selected as a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow to work at the intersection of liberal arts and technology.
MIT Morningside Academy of Design Fellowship - 2024
Awarded funding for a design research project through the MIT MAD Fellowship.
Amazon Prize for Social Good Winner, MIT Social Innovation Challenge - 2024
Received prize for social impact work at the intersection of technology and robotics.
Google × MIT Product Hackathon Winner - 2024
First-place award for using LiDAR scanning and augmented reality to automate renovation pricing.
Architecture MasterPrize Student Winner - 2024
Recognized as a Student Winner for the Sustainable Design
Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) Best Paper Award - 2023
Received ACADIA Best Paper Award for “Extended Reality Workflows for Multi-Material Assemblies.”
Autodesk × ACADIA BIPOC Scholar - 2023
Selected as an Autodesk × ACADIA BIPOC Scholar by ACADIA.
MIT Architecture Department Fellow - 2023
Awarded fellowship by the MIT Department of Architecture.
Hunter R. Rawling Research Scholar Nominee, Cornell Undergraduate Research Board - 2022
Nominated for the Hunter R. Rawling Research Scholars Program by the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board.
Allwork Scholarship, American Institute of Architects & Center for Architecture - 2022
Received a merit-based scholarship for outstanding design portfolio.
William Downing Prize, Cornell University - 2022
Awarded the William Downing Prize for design work in materials, simulation, and fabrication.
Robert L. Wesley Award, SOM Foundation - 2022
Received the Robert L. Wesley Award from the SOM Foundation.
Edwin A. Seipp Prize, Cornell University - 2020
Awarded for excellence in undergraduate design work at Cornell University.
Let’s Face It Design Competition, Museum of Craft and Design - 2020
Recognized by the Museum of Craft and Design for a customizable auxetic face mask design.
LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch Shortlist, Land Art Generator Initiative - 2020
Shortlisted for the LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch competition.
Baird Prize Cabin in the Woods, Cornell University - 2020
Awarded the Baird Prize for the “Cabin in the Woods” design project.
NOMAS Student Design Competition 1st Runner-Up, Cornell University - 2019
Placed 1st Runner-Up in the NOMAS Student Design Competition.
United Nations Big Idea for Climate Action, UN Global Pulse - 2018
Recognized by UN Global Pulse in the Big Idea for Climate Action challenge for a mobile app solution to reduce methane emissions.
Additional Involvement
TedXCornell, Speaker, 2025
New York Institute of Technology, Guest lecturer for a course, 2025
Architectural Intelligence Journal, Peer Reviewer, 2025
IEEE Global Tech Forum on AI, Keynote Speaker, 2024
Cornell University, Guest lecturer for a course, 2024
International Journal for Architectural Computing, Peer Reviewer, 2024
MIT Applicant Mentor Program, Mentor, 2024
Digital Futures - Augmented Reality, Keynote Speaker, 2023
Cornell University, Invited Lecturer, 2023
AAPOC (Architects, Artists, and Planners of Color), Member, 2022
Cornell University Sustainable Design, Member, 2021
News and Features
https://design.mit.edu/news/mit-researchers-speak-objects-into-existence-using-ai-and-robotics
MIT News / MIT EECS “Merging design and computer science in creative ways,” April 29, 2025.
https://www.eecs.mit.edu/merging-design-and-computer-science-in-creative-ways/
https://news.mit.edu/2025/alexander-htet-kyaw-merging-design-computer-science-in-creative-ways-0428
The Cornell Daily Sun, “TEDx Cornell highlights the Uncharted at 2025 annual conference,” April 13, 2025.
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/04/tedx-cornell-highlights-the-uncharted-at-2025-annual-conference
FingerLakes1, “TEDxCornell 2025 brings Uncharted ideas to Ithaca on April 12,” April 10, 2025.
https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2025/04/10/tedxcornell-2025-brings-uncharted-ideas-to-ithaca-on-april-12/
Springer Nature, “Best Paper Award 2024 of Architectural Intelligence” April 09, 2025.
https://communities.springernature.com/posts/best-paper-award-2024-of-architectural-intelligence
MIT Morningside Academy for Design, “Merging design and computer science in creative ways,” April 9, 2025.
https://mad.mit.edu/news/merging-design-and-computer-science-in-creative-ways
MIT School of Architecture and Planning “SA+P’s talented creators win prestigious Steve Jobs Archive Fellowship,” December 11, 2024
https://sap.mit.edu/news/saps-talented-creators-win-prestigious-steve-jobs-archive-fellowship
Interesting Engineering, “AI-powered robot turns spoken words into furniture with reusable blocks,” Nov 30, 2024.
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/mit-robot-turns-spoken-words-into-furniture
Forbes, “AI Curation In Tomorrow’s World Will Be Different,” November 13, 2024.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwerner/2024/11/13/ai-curation-in-tomorrows-world-will-be-different/
New Scientist, “This robot can build anything you ask for out of blocks,” Nov 12, 2024.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2455713-this-robot-can-build-anything-you-ask-for-out-of-blocks/
Steve Jobs Archive, “2024 Steve Jobs Archive Fellows,” October 22. 2024.
https://stevejobsarchive.com/stories/Introducing-the-2024-SJA-Fellows
PKG Center for Social Innovation, “BendShelters Awarded $25K Grant by FIRE at MITdesignX,” May 26, 2024.
https://pkgcenter.mit.edu/2024/05/26/ideas-alum-bendshelters-awarded-25k-grant-by-fire-at-mitdesignx/
MyScience, “2024 MAD Design Fellows announced” May 21, 2024.
https://www.myscience.org/news/wire/2024_mad_design_fellows_announced-2024-mit
MIT News, “2024 MAD Design Fellows announced,” May 21, 2024.
https://news.mit.edu/2024/mad-design-fellows-announced-0521
Architecture MasterPrize, “The Makerspace: A Net Zero Community Fabrication Center,” 2024
https://architectureprize.com/winners/winner.php?id=7089
SOM Foundation, “SOM Foundation announces winners of the 2021 Robert L. Wesley Award,” January 17, 2022.
https://somfoundation.com/news/som-foundation-announces-winners-of-2021-robert-l-wesley-award/
Cornell Chronicle, “Cornell group takes second place in student design competition,” October 31, 2019.
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/10/cornell-group-takes-second-place-student-design-competition
The Jakarta Post, “Sustainable eating and climate change” November 21, 2017.
https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/11/21/sustainable-eating-and-climate-change.html
UN Global Pulse, “Announcing 2017 Big Ideas Competition Winner’s Circle,” October 31, 2017.
https://medium.com/un-global-pulse-ap/announcing-2017-big-ideas-competition-winners-circle-6808ae398c02
Contact Info