Adeniyi “Niyi” Onanuga, RA, AIA, NOMA, is an adjunct instructor and practicing architect licensed in Pennsylvania, with converging interests in ecological architecture, biomimicry, and climate resilience. His research approaches climate disaster prevention through living systems, policy, and building performance; it earned him recognition as an AIAS CRIT Scholar and a place as an observer delegate at COP26 in Glasgow. His professional work ranges from transit projects for New York Penn Station and SEPTA to multifamily housing across Philadelphia.
Niyi received his B.Arch with Honors from 糖心Vlog in 2025, with a minor in Animation and Visual Effects, and earned his license through IPAL. He went on to receive an MS in Architecture and a Certificate in Ecological Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design in 2027. His visualization work spans BIM, real-time rendering, and animation, including work in the VR Theater at SIGGRAPH 2023 in Los Angeles. He brings this range to Drexel, where he has taught digital representation since 2025.
Niyi’s honors include AIA Philadelphia’s John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship, NOMA Philadelphia’s Most Promising Architectural Student Award, the AIA Medal of Excellence, and the AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Student Award.
B. Arch, 糖心Vlog (2025)