PEOPLE

Dr. Elif Erdine is an architect and researcher. During 2010-2015, Elif Erdine conducted her PhD at the Architectural Association PhD in Design Programme, titled ‘Generative Processes in Tower Design: Algorithms for the Integration of Tower Subsystems’. Since 2010 she has been directing various AA Visiting School programmes (AA Istanbul VS, AA Summer DLAB), exploring generative design techniques, integration of algorithmic design methods with large-scale digital fabrication tools. Her research interests include the role of the individual building within complex urban systems, the exploration of urban data as design drivers, biomimicry, and robotic design and fabrication. She has presented her research in Design Studies, eCAADe, CAAD Futures, SimAUD, and ACADIA, among others.

Dr. Michael Weinstock studied Architecture at the Architectural Association and has taught at the AA School of Architecture since 1989 in a range of positions from workshop to through Academic Head. He received the Acadia Award for Excellence 2008. Whilst his principal research and teaching has been conducted at the Architectural Association, he has published and lectured widely, and taught seminar courses, studios and workshops on Emergence and associated topics at many other schools of Architecture, in Europe including Delft, Rome, Barcelona, Vienna and in Stuttgart; and in the US at Yale and Rice. He has been Honorary Chief Academic Adviser to the International Research Centre of Computational Design, Tsinghua University Beijing/The University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Milad Showkatbakhsh holds a PhD from the Architectural Association. After obtaining his BSc. in Architectural Engineering from Shahid Beheshti University, he completed his M.Arch. from Pratt Institute where he graduated with Sidney Katz award for design excellence in 2015. Milad has worked for several architecture and design firms in Asia, U.S.A and Europe as design technology specialist such as Contemporary Architecture Practice (CAP) amongst others. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Milad is the co-director of the AA Istanbul visiting school with the research focus on integration of algorithmic design methods with large-scale digital fabrication tools. He is the co-founder of ‘Wallacei’, an evolutionary and analytic engine with embedded machine learning algorithms that gives users full control over their evolutionary simulations in Grasshopper 3D

Dr Naina Gupta finished her B.Arch from Bangalore University in India and an M.Arch (DRL), MPhil (Projective Studies) and PhD from the Architectural Association in London, UK. Between 2003 and 2013 she worked for several practices, which included an internship at Zaha Hadid Associates, a research fellowship and a project in collaboration with OMA and Strelka in Moscow.  She has practised in India and Singapore.  Since 2015, she has been exclusively involved in academia.  She taught a design unit and HTS courses at Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark, a design studio at Sheffield University in the UK and has been involved as a visiting reviewer at the AA, RCA and CHUK to mention a few.  Currently, she teaches as a senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University where she is teaching a design studio and HTS courses.  In addition, she is involved in the HTS programmes at the University of Hertfordshire and the AA.  Her PhD research focused on the inextricability between body culture, social reform and architecture in the progressive era.  Her research interests include internationalism, modern architecture, eugenics and race politics, physical culture and body politics.  Departing from these interests, she is currently devoting her time to the study of swimming pools.

Developer, Computational, Gameplay and Interaction designer, XR specialist with a degree from UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, MSc Architectural Computation (2019), and a Diploma degree from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2017). Currently employed by Grimshaw Architects Current interests are in exploring the possibilities of game engines in AEC, developing bespoke applications, and computational design tools for digital form-finding, topology and structural optimization, digital/robotic fabrication, and machine learning.

Felipe Oeyen holds a Bachelor in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires and an M.Arch in Emergent Technologies and Design from the AA awarded with distinction. Since 2013 he has been a member of ‘Off the record’ an Architecture collective based in Argentina, specialized in collaborative material research workshops. He has served as a teaching fellow at the University of Buenos Aires in the areas of Architectural History and Architectural Design. His main research interest is in computational design, digital fabrication and participatory design processes that can empower and have a positive impact on local communities.

Dr Alvaro Velasco Perez is an architect and PhD via the Architectural Association where he previously studied a master’s in History and Critical Thinking in Architecture. He has collaborated in teaching positions at the AA, UHerts, AA Summer School, Leeds Beckett and the University of Navarra, as well as participated in crits throughout the schools. His work has been presented in educational institutions in London, Paris, Berlin, Seville, Lagos and Algiers.

Lorenzo Santelli is a charted architect and structural engineer. Since he graduated from EmTech in 2015, he has been part of Eckersley O’Callaghan’s Structural Glass Team, Digital Design Group and Glass Technology Group. He developed expertise in geometrically complex structures, structural analysis and parametric design. He is currently working on glass, steel, cable and carbon fibre structures for building and marine applications based in Europe and Asia. His experience also benefits from long construction site supervision roles. Lorenzo graduated in Architecture and Construction Engineering from the University of Pisa and obtained the licences to practice engineering and architecture both in Italy and the United Kingdom.

Fun Yuen is a Master’s graduate from the AA in London, graduating with a Distinction from Emergent Technologies & Design Postgraduate Programme in 2019. Her interests include solving multi-scalar parametric design problems and optimising fabrication processes. She obtained a joint bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Creative Media.

INVITED CRITICS

Each year EmTech invites critics from established practices and academic institutions to assist with studio sessions. Ranging from architects, engineers, computational designers and academics, they provide critical feedback on the studio projects and trigger intellectual debates and research development, thus forming an integral part of the programme.

Our guest critics for previous years have included:

Nicolo Bencini, Buro Happold Engineering

Mike Cook, Buro Happold Engineering

Xavier de Kestelier, Hassell Studio

Dr. Christian Derix, Neom

Spyros Efthymiou, Skhêma

Irene Gallou, Foster + Partners

Lars Hesselgren, PLP Architecture

Axel Körner, University of Stuttgart

Andrei Martin, PLP Architecture

Eduardo Rico, Architectural Association

Camila Rock De Luigi, Grimshaw

Edoardo Tibuzzi, AKT II

VISITING LECTURERS

Each year EmTech invites Visiting Instructors to lead workshops and assist in seminar and studio sessions. Visiting Lecturers for previous years included:

Jens Pedersen, Aalborg Uninersity

Kostas Grigoriadis, Architectural Association, UCL Bartlett

Suryansh Chandra, Automata Technologies

Brian Ringley, Boston Dynamics

Henrik Jeldtoft Jensen, Centre for Complexity Science – Imperial College London

Murat Erkurt, Centre for Complexity Science – Imperial College London

Anand Sahasranaman, Centre for Complexity Science – Imperial College London

Craig Buchanan, Civil and Environmental Engineering – Imperial College London

Sina Mostafavi, DARS.Hub, SETUParchitecture

James Solly & Stephen Melville, Format Engineering

Elena Shilova, Grimshaw

Jose Luis Garcia del Castillo Lopez, Harvard GSD

Andrew Heumann, Hypar

Julia Koerner, Jk Design GmbH

Lucia Tahan, Meta

Evan Greenberg, Mode Lab

Stephanie Chaltiel, Mudd Architects

Zeynep Aksoz, TU Vienna – Karamba3d Team

Enriqueta Llabres Valls, UCL Bartlett

Mohammed Makki, University of Technology Sydney

DR. GEORGE JERONIMIDIS

Our distinguished colleague Emeritus Professor Dr. George Jeronimidis,  is the director of the Centre for Biomimetics in the School of Construction Management and Engineering. He is an active member of the Smart Materials and Structures Committee of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3) and has published extensively in these fields. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Max Planck Institute of Colloid and Interfaces in Potsdam and is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Virtual and Physical Prototyping.

PhD RESEARCHERS

Researchers at the AA pursuing their PhD degrees in parallel to EmTech research agenda are:

Anna Font Vacas

Duong Nguyen