Experts

(Manufacturing and Industrial Engineer, Researcher, Co-founder of Zero Damage) Esmeralda Niño, M.S. is a Manufacturing and Industrial Engineer with seven years’ experience simulating the structural behavior and material’s properties of mechanical components across large, multitenant enterprises in Mexico such as General Electric, Takata CO., and Whirlpool, Inc. She also was a patent examiner at the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office of the University of Puerto Rico. In 2016 he teamed with Arch. Wilfredo Méndez and co-founded Zero Damage LLC,…

(Architect, Researcher, Educator, Co-founder of Zero Damage) Wilfredo Méndez, M.Arch is an adjunct professor and researcher at the School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. In 2016 he teamed with Eng. Esmeralda Niño and co-founded Zero Damage LLC, a startup that engineers autonomous seismic-controlling systems that will allow creating buildings that behave like humans to improve earthquake-resilience. Since 2012, he has been leading multiple scientific investigations on bio-inspired building technology and disaster-resilience from within the Pontifical…

(Architect, Urban planner, PhD Eng. Arch.) Dr. Agnieszka Labus is an architect and urban planner, assistant professor at the Department of Urban and Spatial Planning at the Faculty of Architecture at Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. She gained experience during many internships at: USA (Berkeley), UK (London and Edinburgh), France (Paris). Initiator and CEO of the Laboratory of Architecture 60+ (LAB 60+), the first that type laboratory in Poland. The author of one book and many articles in scientific…

(Architect, Art Historian, Ph.D of Sciences, Ph.D of Arts, Expert of Biodigital and Genetic Architecture, Founder of ESARQ /UIC/) Alberto T. Estévez - Architect (UPC, 1983), Architecture Ph.D. of Sciences (UPC, 1990), Art Historian (UB, 1994), Art History Ph.D. of Arts (UB, 2008): With professional office of architecture and design (Barcelona, 1983-today). Teaching in different universities for more than 25 years, in the knowledge’s areas of architectural design, architectural theory and art history, until founding the ESARQ (UIC, 1996), where…

(Architect, Researcher, Expert in computational design and digital fabrication, Manager of Noumena) Aldo is an architect and researcher, expert in computational design and digital fabrication. Master in Architectonic Design in 2007, Master in Advanced Architecture at IAAC in 2012, Fab Academy diploma in 2014 in the Fab Lab Barcelona, Aldo is currently involved in several projects running in parallel. Since 2011, he is manager of Noumena, a young firm exploring multiscalar strategies from bits to atoms. He is also founder of…

(Artist & Architect, Director of the Atmos Studio) Alex Haw is an artist & architect, and director of the Atmos - an award-winning multidisciplinary art + architecture + design practice (est. 2007) that works internationally across scales and media - from small-scale product-design to large-scale master-plans, with core expertise in public installations and bespoke residential environments. Before atmos, Alex studied at the Bartlett (UCL) and Princeton; worked for Diller + Scofidio, Richard Rogers, Nicholas Grimshaw and Seth Stein Architects; and taught…

(Textile designer, Scientist, Specialist in biotechnology) Amy is a designer interested in exploring the crossovers between design and science, through a highly experimental and research driven practice. Using speculative design work she investigates the implications of engaging with new technologies, such as biotechnology. Employing her work as a vehicle to provoke debate, and discussion, into the potential ramifications of using living materials to create our future products. She is currently collaborating with tissue engineers at Kings College London. Amy has…

(Architect, Co-founder of Fundación Organizmo, Ashoka Fellow) Director of Bio Architecture and Alternative Technologies Dept. at Organizmo, Ashoka Fellow (www.ashoka.org). Through her foundation, Ana Maria teaches, investigates and improves construction techniques and alternative technologies that support traditional knowledge, are adapted to the territory and economically accessible. The foundation is equipping rural communities in Colombia to improve their own living conditions. Organizmo develops more than 30 workshops a year aiming to empower community leaders who can be multipliers of these techniques…

(Interdisciplinary artist, Expert in portable architecture, Inventor) Ana graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto and received her MFA from Concordia University in Montréal, Canada. She works with inflatables and explores relations between portable architecture, the body and the environment. Her art crosses into disciplines of art, design, architecture and performance. Influenced by Buckminster Fuller's concept of “synergetics” she strives for the integrity of processes and ideas looking at biomimicry and “homeotechnology” as sources of inspiration. Currently,…

(Architect, Urban designer, Researcher at the MIT Senseable City Lab) Anthony is partner strategist and researcher at the MIT Senseable City Lab, a multidisciplinary research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that studies the interface between cities, people, and technologies. Anthony has widely presented on topics of design, technology and urbanism, including at Harvard University, Skanska Worldwide Research & Development, the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the New York Center for Architecture, and published in both academic…