Ali Rahim is (Full) Professor at the University of Pennsylvania where he directs the ultimate year of the Master of Architecture Program including Research Studios and the ultimate semester of the Post Professional Program. He is also an architect, and is Director of Contemporary Architecture Practice in SoHo, New York City. Mr. Rahim has served as the Studio Zaha Hadid Visiting Professor at the University of Applied Arts (die Angewandte) in Vienna, the Louis I Kahn Visiting Professor at YaleUniversity and as a Visiting Architecture Professor at HarvardUniversity.

Mr. Rahim's books include Catalytic Formations: Architecture and Digital Design (2012) published by the China Building Press, Beijing, and Catalytic Formations: Architecture and Digital Design (2006) published by Routledge, London, Turbulence 2011, published by Norten and Company, New York and three edited issues of architectural design, Elegance (2007) co-edited with Hina Jamelle, Contemporary Techniques in Architecture (2002) and Contemporary Processes in Architecture (2000). He has a new book on design research titled "Intensity", which is to be published in 2014.

Mr. Rahim has delivered public lectures on his work about his design research globally- including at Harvard University, Yale University, Cornell University, UPenn, SCI Arc in the US, University of Toronto, Calgary and British Columbia in Canada. In addition he has lectured at the Architectural Association and Bartlett in London, TU Delft, Netherlands, Universitat Catalunya, Barcelona, Innsbruck, Austria, University of Thessaloniki, Greece in Europe, American University Sharjah, UAE, Tokyo University, Hong Kong University and Tsinghua University, Beijing in Asia to name a few.

Contemporary Architecture Practice was founded in 1999 and since then has established an award winning profile in futuristic work using digital techniques for the design and manufacturing of architecture. Their portfolio includes a wide range and scale of work from furniture to master plans. Their research projects have been commissioned by Dupont, ARUP, Z-Corporation, ABT Manufacturing, and the WhartonBusinessSchool to name a few. Most unique about their practice is that they are able to apply their research collaborations directly in their practice making their research useful and innovative for the discipline. This can be seen in their project designs that they have been commissioned by significant global brands including Tarkan, Reebok, the Viceroy Hotel, Samsung, Lutron and the Museum of Modern Art (New York). The resulting projects have been exhibited extensively including at the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Artists Space (New York) the London, Beijing and Shanghai Biennales, Serpentine Gallery (London) and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art to name a few.

In addition Rahim's projects have been published extensively including in the New York Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, London Standard, he National Newspaper of Abu Dhabi, the Nikkei Newspaper (Tokyo) and the Mainichi Shimbun. Journals include Yale Constructs, Architectural Record, Domus (Milan), Arkitektin, Denmark, A+U (Tokyo), Space (Korea) to name a few. He was awarded the Architecture Record Product of the month (2007) for their fixture titled "Opale" for Ivalo, the Outstanding Award for FEIDAD 2006 (Far Easter Digital Architecture Design). His work was also selected for Phaidon Presses 10x10x2 by "10 internationally prominent critics, architects and curators" (2005), and won the prestigious Architectural Design Vanguard Award (2004) as one of eleven practices worldwide "building the future of architecture."