Paola Capo is the Director of Resilience & Disaster Response for AIA. She strives to provide architects and communities with the resources they need to create healthier, more sustainable, resilient, and equitable built environments. In her current role, she divides her time between managing the Disaster Assistance Program (assisting architects and AIA chapters before and after disaster events occur) and supporting Communities by Design, a program of the Architects Foundation that matches communities with interdisciplinary expertise to achieve community aspirations. In her time at AIA, Paola has supported several other portfolios related to sustainability and climate action including the 2030 Commitment program, the Materials Pledge, and the Committee on the Environment with a focus on capacity-building for architects, firms, and chapters.
Paola recently completed a Masters in Emergency Management from Tulane University. In 2020, she completed IAP2’s Foundations in Public Participation Program, and in 2019 she participated in UC Berkeley’s [IN]City program to expand on her knowledge in urban design. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2017 with a degree in Science, Technology, and International Affairs, concentrating in Energy and the Environment.
Courses
Introduction to Design Assistance Teams
When the design assistance team program was created in the 1960s, it pioneered participatory approaches to city building. Over five decades later, the program has established a track record of urban innovation and change that has influenced cities all over the world. Learn how the DAT program has employed one of the most powerful methodologies for urban innovation in the field today – and how its component parts have been adapted and deployed globally for urban transformations.
This session was recorded live on April 26, 2023.
Leveraging AI for Resilient Design
As climate risks intensify and project challenges become more complex, architects are increasingly required to design for resilience in ways that are both actionable and measurable. Emerging AI-powered tools, such as Digital Twins and Large Language Models (LLMs), are transforming how practitioners assess risk, test scenarios, and incorporate resilience strategies into their daily workflows.
This webinar will explore how architects can effectively use AI-powered Digital Twins and LLMs to inform resilient design decisions from initial concept through development. Participants will gain an understanding of the limitations and reliability of these technologies and identify opportunities to implement resilience strategies across various projects. The session will focus on usability and applications, helping architects translate emerging technologies into concrete design outcomes.
This session was recorded live on September 3, 2026.
Part 1 of the Architect's Role in Disaster Risk Reduction Series.