Kyle MertensMeyer is a three-time founder who builds at the intersection of AI and the physical world. A conviction drives the work: we must design for humans so that synthetic actors and machines become the tools we use, not the other way around.

UX AND TECHNOLOGY

  • A distorted and pixelated blue and white abstract background.

    algoma AI - cofounder + chief product officer

    (2023-2026) A computational feasibility engine translating regulatory, spatial, and financial complexity into decision-making frameworks for real estate.

  • Black and white photo of a mechanical robotic leg with multiple joints and wires.

    new assemblies - research + policy

    (2025-2026) Symbiogenesis, an irreversible merger producing new assemblies. Spatial actors are emerging as a new synthetic ecology in our built environment.

  • A circular digital infographic titled 'Atlas for Urban Intelligence', showing interconnected nodes and layers in different colors on a black background.

    atlas for urban intel - engineering + design

    (2025-2026) A world model tracing the hidden dependencies between physical reality, digital intelligence, and human decision-making.

  • Inside a modern factory with yellow industrial robotic arms assembling wooden panels.

    building of gardens - research + filmmaking

    (2022-2023) Documentary film tracing mass timber from forest management through robotic fabrication to construction and replanting.

  • A light blue car, the Nissan Ariya, on display in a showroom with a white interior. There are two large horizontal screens showing car interior images above the car. A blurred walking person is passing by.

    EV futures - research + design

    (2020-2021) Quant and Qual insights reveal user preferences for the future of EV retail, integrating digital configurators and augmented reality.

  • fortune 100 RTO - research + consulting

    (2022-2023) Research collaboration with Harvard Business School and a Boston-based Fortune 100 company explores the future of work and hybrid modalities.

  • A professional green screen studio with circular green floor, multiple bright studio lights, and LED screens on supporting trusses for video production.

    mixed realities film studio - research + design

    (2019-2021) First volucap studio. Research mapped spatial relationships between tech infrastructure, human ops, and production workflow.

  • A wine cellar with multiple wooden wine racks filled with wine bottles arranged in clear boxes. In the foreground, a white oval table with several wine glasses and bottles, and a modern black metal base design.

    my first robot - engineering + design

    (2015-2016) Primitive robots combine the Internet of Things with steel frames and motors, providing a unique take on the wine cellar typology.

  • A black and white illustration of a man with two women, all with angel and demon wings, holding hands and walking together during a cloudy sky scene.

    divergent - AI in conflict - engineering + design

    (2025-2026) Designed as a dual-voice AI platform, perspectives reason from incompatible foundations, while challenging each other in open dialogue.

  • Man wearing glasses talking on a large telephone headset at a busy event.

    MACA trading system - engineering + design

    (2025-2026) A Multi-Agent consensus trading architecture. Four AI models generate and challenge investment theses through structured disagreement.

  • living image - engineering + design

    (2025-2026) Render as application. This R&D tests whether static imagery can become interactive applications through real-time AI experiences.

  • A person holding a smartphone displaying a colorful, abstract background of various overlapping bubbles in shades of purple and blue with some pink highlights.

    N.A.D.A lab - research + pedagogy

    (2018-2019) Narratives for Augmented Design in Architecture is a phygital exploration of authorship, graphic arts, and digital overlays.

  • Children and adults in a colorful indoor play area with books, greenery, and large windows showing trees outside.

    FAB lab futures - research + design

    (2018-2019) FabO Shanghai seeks to create a knowledge playground for grade schoolers to explore robotic fabrication and biology.

  • augmented spaces gallery - research + design

    (2017-2018) Subterranean spaces linking Hongqiao Airport and Railway provided a canvas for digital overlays to augment space.

  • Child standing in front of a display with a model of a renewable energy facility, including wind turbines and solar panels, and a TV screen showing a sleek white car with digital graphics.

    climate technics - research + design

    (2020-2021) An interactive showcase exploring clean energy products and education for Envision Group.

  • Black and white architectural model of a modern, multi-level building with spiral ramps, glass walls, and open spaces.

    adaptive transit - planning + design

    (2017-2018) One million square feet of unused maglev rail station finds new life as a destination for the Yangtze region.

  • A futuristic space station orbiting Earth, with a structure extending outward and clouds visible beneath.

    stratoscraper - research + design

    (2019-2021) Exploration of stratospheric launch capabilities for global and interstellar logistics and travel.

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

  • Interior of a building with a high, gabled roof made of wooden slats and trusses. The lower part features brick walls, windows with wooden shutters, and a bed of tall green grass in a brick planter. There are cement beams supporting the roof, and a person walking outside is partially visible through an opening.

    passive healing - research + design

    (2019-2022) Off-grid, net-zero medical campus in Haiti. CFD-modeled passive cooling, earth-block, solar array. Designed for hurricane and seismic resilience.

  • Close-up of a portrait of an older man with glasses, with his hand resting on his cheek.

    UIC hospital solar frit - research + engineering

    (2018) Computational analysis of solar radiation on glass envelopes. Research modeled optimal frit scale and pattern to mitigate solar gains on lobby facade.

  • Illuminated abstract sculpture resembling a twisting, futuristic structure at night.

    living lung - research + design

    (2016-2017) CFD-modeled experiment testing passive air filtration in the built environment, 1:1 scale model of bamboo and CNC steel joints.

  • Modern indoor space with a large green vertical garden wall on the left, curved white ceiling with black lines, and floor-to-ceiling windows on the right. There is a long wooden table with several matching wooden chairs.

    blue sky coming - engineering + design

    (2017-2019) NIO Houses incorporate air filters and living walls, tackling IAQ through active and passive measures, tracked on a digital interface.

  • People working in a lush farm with a unique architectural building in the background, under a blue sky with clouds.

    regenerative nutrition - research + design

    (2022) Fighting malnutrition in Senegal. Pavilions create thermal stack ventilation while capturing 274,000 gallons of rainwater annually into deep cisterns.

  • Modern office buildings with glass facades and a landscaped plaza with walkways, trees, and a few people walking.

    first In LEED - design + designated LEED AP

    (2011-2012) The KIC Campus, designed at Gensler for ShuiOn Land. Designed to be Shanghai's first LEED Platinum project.

  • Night view of a Shell gas station with illuminated signs displaying gas prices, a car wash sign, and parked cars reflecting on the wet pavement.

    transient emissions - research + policy

    (2021) Research documenting benzene exposure in communities adjacent to petroleum infrastructure. Health, policy, and spatial justice.

  • Low-angle view of a tall modern skyscraper with glass windows and vertical beige concrete accents against a blue sky.

    solar gains - research + design/const. admin

    (2012-2015) WPP HQ, designed at Gensler, used digital simulation to validate vertical louver patterning for solar shading and natural ventilation.

  • View of Shanghai skyline with tall buildings, including the distinctive Shanghai Tower in the foreground and the Oriental Pearl Tower in the background, shrouded in haze.

    AQI tied economies - research + publication

    (2013-2016) Research documenting the economic relationship between GDP trends, CO2 emissions, and the policy frameworks governing atmospheric quality.

  • Two people standing on an observation deck of a tall building, overlooking a city skyline with numerous skyscrapers. The photo is in black and white.

    particulate verticals - research + publication

    (2015) Research mapping altitude-dependent behavior of anthropogenic particulate matter and its interaction with the built environment.

  • Modern glass building with wooden accents and greenery, situated at a busy urban intersection with traffic, pedestrians, and a bridge in the background.

    huangpu gathering - planning + design

    (2015-2016) Winning tower competition design integrating sustainable passive strategies with complex site constraints along Shanghai’s Huangpu River.

  • Modern dining room with a round wooden table, six yellow and black chairs, large glass window showing greenery outside, pendant light hanging from the ceiling, built-in wooden cabinets, and a small wooden stool.

    narratives of duality - research + design

    (2019-2021) A residence exploring the interplay between nature and physical space through the juxtaposition of solid and void, and the interplay of light.

  • Modern office building with large glass windows, a red Nike logo on the exterior, and a metal art installation on the lawn in front.

    LEED campus - planning + design

    (2011-2012) A 2.12 million-square-foot, LEED Gold office campus in Shanghai designed at Gensler for Tishman Speyer. Leased to Nike, Henkel and Douyin.

  • A modern courtyard with tall trees, lush plants, and small fountains, surrounded by a building with wooden slats and large glass windows.

    kingdom innovation campus - research + design

    (2025-2026) Subterranean cool air, vegetation, and water features create engineered microclimates in courtyards. Passive cooling at campus scale.

  • Close-up of various lush green tropical leaves with different shapes and textures.

    ecological scrubber - research + publication

    (2016) A controlled five-month experiment tracking PM2.5 and CO2 concentrations to measure the atmospheric efficacy of interior planting systems.

MATERIALITY AND CARBON

  • A wine cellar with a curved wall made of shelves filled with bottles of wine, creating a tunnel-like structure with a small glass table in the center.

    the blue phoenix - fabrication + design

    (2019-2021) Art and sustainability inform next-use strategies for this wine cellar, uniquely glazed terracotta tiles, and design for disassembly.

  • A framed view of exposed rocks and rubble through a black metal protective grate, with a dark floor in the foreground.

    reclaimed - planning + design

    (2013-2014) Excavated stones from the site combine with recycled rebar to create a new covering for this museum cavern.

  • Upward view of a large installation of bamboo poles arranged in a circular pattern, with the sky visible through the center.

    cloud forest - engineering + design

    (2016) Originating as a studio project at Tongji Design School, the pavilion emerges as a physical parametric bamboo cloud installation.

  • Ceiling made of wooden geometric tiles arranged in a pattern.

    bottoms up - fabrication + design

    (2015) This hand-modeled installation mirrors the flow of wine as it hovers, made completely of recycled wine crates.

  • Modern house interior with wooden walls and flooring, a bar-height table with four bar stools, and a view of a garden with colorful trees and rocks through large sliding glass doors.

    the shelter - engineering + design

    (2021-2022) A challenging divided site combines timber and earth materials to create an indoor and outdoor living.

  • A multi-story modern building with a brick facade, large glass windows, and balconies, situated on a city street with trees and cars passing by.

    terracotta framing - design + development

    (2018-2019) The Sheridan Residence in Chicago, IL, implements a low-carbon material strategy utilizing timber and terracotta.

  • Modern multi-story building with an external artistic staircase and vertical wooden slats, illuminated windows, and greenery on balconies, with cars parked underneath and trees nearby, during dusk.

    mass timber lofts - design + development

    (2023-2026) CLT with glulam beams and columns. A twelve-unit mass timber residence reducing embodied carbon. An Algoma project in permitting.

  • Multi-story modern building with a unique architectural design featuring large support beams and wooden slatted exterior panels. People are walking on the sidewalk near the building, and cars are driving by. Green plants and trees are present around the building.

    image avenue towers - planning + design

    (2023-2024) An Algoma project, a 300k SF mixed-use tall-timber project, is planned for type VI-A and VI-B hybrid construction in the heart of Atlanta.

  • Interior view of a modern, stylish wine bar with a curved bar counter, bar stools, and a wall with wine bottles displayed on wooden racks. Natural light streaming in with windows showing trees outside.

    terroirs and tables - planning + design

    (2018-2019) Red Rock Wines links the wine's terroir to the design of the building through the use of a gabion stone facade.

  • Interior of a modern restaurant or lounge with a bar area at the center, surrounded by wooden tables and black stools. The back wall features shelves with glassware, and decorative elements hang from the ceiling. Warm lighting creates a cozy atmosphere.

    flask tea house - research + design

    (2019) Tea-infused cocktails by Flask Group inform an environment embodying the culture of the tea house using reclaimed and recycled materials.

  • Wine bottles displayed on wooden shelves in a wine cellar with a vaulted ceiling and chandeliers.

    from bullets to bottles - planning + design

    (2013-2016) Recycled wine cases bring new life to a pre-World War II military bunker outside of Shanghai, which now serves as a wine museum.

  • A wildfire burning through trees on a hillside, with orange flames and thick black smoke rising into the sky.

    fugitive carbon - research

    (2022) Examining how forest management practices influence fugitive carbon emissions and the case for sustainable harvesting as climate mitigation.

  • Empty room with wooden ceiling and large glass windows showing a cityscape with colorful buildings and hills.

    timber economies - research + publication

    (2022-2023) Research examining the financial case for mass timber as a carbon-negative construction material. Economic modeling of mass timber.

FABRICATION AND ARTIFACT

  • A small bird perched on the edge of a modern concrete building with a geometric design, against a clear sky.

    tripartite - fabrication + design

    (2018) Composed entirely of multiples of three, the pavilion was designed and built for the World Entrepreneurs Expo in Shanghai, China.

  • A man and a woman in a classroom, the woman is sitting on a uniquely shaped bench with her hand on her lap, and the man is kneeling next to her, wearing a leather jacket and looking down.

    the bean prototype - fabrication + design

    (2015) Fabrication research exploring CNC machining using cardboard and fiberboard prototyping for carbon fiber furniture design.

  • Top view of a concrete block with a shadow cast underneath, part of a wall with other concrete blocks and a wooden panel.

    earth blocks - research + design

    (2017) Earth blocks are fabricated into an interior finished wall and natural acoustical motif to reduce the project’s carbon footprint

  • A modern meeting space with three white tulip chairs around a white round table, hanging above is a silver, ribbed, glass pendant light, with a concrete wall in the background.

    hivemind pendant - fabrication + design

    (2019-2020) The Hive Mind Pendant's design combines a glass hive with an inspirational idea at its core to illuminate a space.

  • A grid covers a display of various dried spices and herbs including red chili peppers, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and other seasonings.

    spiced gabion - fabrication + design

    (2019) A material prototype for the Flask Tea House. The Gabion brings the dried spices used within the menu directly into the entry wall finish.

  • Modern wine cellar with a large wooden wine rack structure in the center, surrounded by shelves filled with wine bottles, illuminated with soft lighting.

    the chalice - fabrication + design

    (2014) An installation moment at the core of this cellar enables visitors to climb to a second-floor lookout through a secret stair.

  • A wooden side table with three circular tiers in a modern living room, with a beige armchair and colorful ottomans visible.

    the axel totem - fabrication + design

    (2018) A series of totem tables designed for NIO Houses and inspired by the axel of the NIO ES8.

  • Stack of three white books with black spines, titled 'yuan tang' and 'brand guidelines', on a gray background.

    visioning wellness - branding + design

    (2018) Quant and Qual research shaped a brand vision for a youthful female seeking community and a wellness lifestyle in Shanghai, China.

  • Interior view of a modern restaurant or cafe with red lighting, round tables, and upholstered chairs, seen through a glass window.

    flavors - planning + design

    (2017-2019) A sensory dining experience is programmed to combine the colors and flavors of dishes with vibrant interiors.

  • Close-up of a wooden structure, possibly a light fixture or decorative element, with multiple vertical wooden slats arranged in a symmetrical pattern.

    beijing secret - fabrication + design

    (2017) Layers of secrecy conceal a special collection of wine hidden within a private cellar behind a hidden door.

  • Miniature indoor shopping mall play area with children and adults, featuring colorful furniture, a toy car, and a vertical garden wall.

    showcase mobility - fabrication + design

    (2018) A modular mobile flagship. Pieces roll and snap together from a shipping container for national deployment.

  • A narrow, dimly lit corridor with a stone wall on the left and a row of wooden cabinets with decorative lattice fronts on the right, allowing light to filter through.

    aging gracefully - fabrication + design

    (2013-2014) The industrial design strategy for the wine locker brings luxury products to scale through manufacturing.

  • Rows of wine bottles stored on wooden wine racks.

    the shape of wine - fabrication + design

    (2016-2020) Prototyping for mass-production wine cellars explores reducing material waste through fabrication design and the use of bamboo.

  • A close-up view of a wooden wine rack with multiple compartments for storing wine bottles.

    cru - fabrication + design

    (2019) A new wine-racking system explores a curved form to hold various sizes of bottles for the artistic, avid collector

  • A mirrored and transparent display case with multiple LED light bulbs arranged symmetrically inside, creating a visually intriguing pattern.

    the naked cellar - fabrication + design

    (2018) Experimentation with acrylic fabrication and craft. Using materials as structure and shaping for continuous lighting without breaks.

  • A watercolor aerial view of a cityscape featuring several modern buildings with green roofs, surrounded by streets, sidewalks, and trees.

    urban futures - research + design

    (2010-2011) This research traces urban morphology through ecological layers and time, while creating new frameworks for education and programming

  • Inside view of a circular wine cellar with multiple tiers of wine bottles stored on wooden racks in concentric circles around a central open space.

    tasting spaces

    (2011-2012) Past and present collide at the Godolphin Bunker, where wine tasters experience a multisensory wine lifestyle.