Rachely Rotem, LEED AP, FAAR, will join the Knowlton School architecture faculty as associate professor of practice beginning autumn 2023.

Rotem, Founding Director and studio futurist, has led MODU since its founding in 2012. The interdisciplinary studio designing architecture, urban spaces, and interiors is at the intersection of design, environmental research, and urban data. She has directed numerous projects, notably Habits and Habitats nature observatory and the Second Life initiative.

Along with Phu Hoang, she was awarded the 2017 Founders Rome Prize in Architecture, an annual prize since 1897 that recognizes those “who represent the highest standards of excellence in the arts and humanities.” Recently, they have also been awarded the Emerging Voices award from The Architectural League of New York (2019) and the US-Japan Creative Artists fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (2018). Rotem is co-author (with Phu Hoang) of the book Field Guide to Indoor Urbanism, published by Hatje Cantz (2023).

Rotem holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree (Cum Laude) from Technion in Haifa and a Master in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University, where she was awarded both the Lowenfish Memorial Prize and the William Kinne Fellows Traveling Prize. Rotem is a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, a licensed architect in Israel, and a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction.