Archnet was conceptualized in 1998 during a series of discussions between Aga Khan IV; the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Charles Vest; and the Dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, William J. Mitchell.
Archnet was born out of discussions initiated by Aga Khan IV, in collaboration with Charles Vest, President of MIT, and William J. Mitchell, Dean of MIT's School of Architecture and Planning, in 1998.