I am a lecturer in Architectural Structures at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. I am currently the course organizer of the course Technology and Environment 3. TE3 expands students' structural comprehension whose principals have been introduced in the previous technology courses. 

I am also an expert in integrated structural- architectural design and my research focuses on the development of structurally-informed computer aided design tools. Since 2017, I have specifically narrowed my research on structurally-informed design of discrete assemblies. I was awarded a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship grant for the project “SiDMACIB: Structurally-informed Design of Masonry Assemblages Composed of Interlocking Blocks (MSCA-IF Grant 791235)” at the Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture (DiSt) of the University of Naples Federico II - UNINA (Italy). In this project, I developed one of the first digital frameworks to design structurally-informed and construction-aware free-form assemblages composed of interlocking and non-rigid (breakable) masonry blocks.

My main ongoing research projects is "Joint Layout Design (JLD): finding the strongest joint layout within interlocking discrete assemblies" carried out in collaboration with Dr. Antonino Iannuzzo. JLD is a novel form-finding digital tool to segment free-form structures into discrete assemblies composed of convex and concave interlocking parts corresponding to the maximum load bearing capacity.

We are now increasingly aware of the urgent need to reduce the carbon footprint of construction, especially through thoughtful material selection. Buildings consume a significant share of global energy, prompting a growing shift toward natural materials with lower embodied energy, such as earth, stone, and organic resources like wood, bamboo, and natural fibers. However, alongside energy use, water consumption has become a critical environmental concern. The total embodied water of a building—which includes both direct use on-site and indirect use during the extraction and production of materials—must also be considered. This is particularly pressing in arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity poses serious geopolitical and ecological risks.

Natural materials, while often selected for their low embodied energy, vary significantly in their embodied water, making climate-sensitive choices essential. Lignocellulosic materials, such as wood and agricultural by-products, may be efficient from an energy standpoint but can be water-intensive, particularly when grown in irrigated areas. In contrast, soil-based materials typically have low embodied water and energy, making them better suited to regions where water conservation is critical. However, their brittleness—being strong in compression but weak in tension—poses structural limitations. While reinforcements like plant fibers can help, they also add to water demand. Traditional architectural practices in water-scarce regions offer valuable lessons, such as vaulted and domed constructions that minimize water and material use. Similarly, interlocking stone systems from semi-arid areas show how flexural structures can be built without adhesives or reinforcements.

These examples raise key questions:

could we walk on fully interlocking stone floors, assembled without any reinforcing materials?

Can we optimize joint geometries for maximum load-bearing capacity?

And most radically, can we envision modern homes built entirely from soil-based materials—free, or nearly free, of water-intensive reinforcements—yet structurally sound and suitable for contemporary living?

I try to answer these questions through finding the optimal joint form and layout in interlocking masonry assemblies.

Mechanics of Stone Assemblies – Department of Structural Mechanics of TU Budapest, grant number NKFI OTKA K-138642, supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary

PI: Prof. Katalin Bagi

My role: Optimization and discrete element simulations of masonry vaults, particularly on the effect of interlocking joints between the voussoirs.