2025-Innovators in Commercial Real Estate-Reza Rahimpour of SGA

Impact Highlight: Describe a recent program, initiative, or process implemented by you and the impact on your firm, organization, or community. As a co-founder of the BIM team at S9/Perkins Eastman, I led the adoption of AI-enabled BIM processes that optimized design, documentation, and coordination, saving significant time, improving accuracy, and enabling faster, higher-quality delivery on large-scale urban projects. By integrating AI early in the design process, we freed the team to focus on creative problem-solving while balancing efficiency, aesthetics, and sustainability.

Beyond Buildings: How do you see innovation in commercial real estate creating a broader impact on communities and the people who live and work in them? Innovation in commercial real estate requires a blend of technology and responsive design to balance contextual realities with livability. By streamlining code compliance and coordination with AI and BIM, the design process can focus on what will be additive to the community and aligned with its needs. Efficient, feasible projects can be both value-driven and deliver lasting environmental and economic value. 

Corporate Culture: How does your organization foster a culture of innovation among employees and leadership? As lead of SGA’s New York Architectural Dept., I encourage curiosity and lifelong learning, experimentation, and collaboration. I prioritize open communication and actively listen to all ideas, even unconventional ones. By supporting creative exploration alongside strategic thinking, I take pride in empowering our team to push boundaries, develop new solutions, and consistently deliver meaningful results for clients and communities.