Welcoming Fall 2024 New and Promoted Faculty

Assistant Professor Dr. Andrew Gipe-Lazarou is a Greek-American designer, educator, and researcher interested in the role of architectural and urban space in cultural-historical contexts + the impact of multi-modal / differently-abled perspectives on design practice and education.

Assistant Professor Gonzalo Muñoz-Vera is a Licensed Architect with a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Chile (2007). At McGill University, he obtained a MArch in History and Theory of Architecture in 2012, where he is currently a PhD candidate. His doctoral research studies the role of visuals in the construal of cities and cultures in nineteenth-century European colonization.

He has taught studio and history courses in Canada at the University of Toronto, McGill University, Carleton University, and Concordia University, as well as in Chile at the University of Chile and the Federico Santa Maria Technical University.

Kristin Washco is an Assistant Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech and a Ph.D Candidate in Architectural History + Theory at the ASAU, Carleton University, Canada. She received her Master's in Architectural History + Theory from McGill University and her professional degree in Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Kristin is a Registered Architect and has practiced professionally across the United States and Canada. In 2021, she co-founded the design firm Metier Projects. She was the former co-coordinator of CR|PT|C (Carleton Research Practice of Teaching Collaborative).

Sida Dai is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech. He earned his Ph.D. in the Planning, Design, and Built Environment program from Clemson University in 2021. After completing his doctorate, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Computing and as a lecturer at the School of Architecture, both at Clemson University. His research intersects artificial intelligence (AI), structural engineering, and human-computer interaction (HCI) within an architectural context. Sida has explored the application of reinforcement learning in architectural design to optimize building performance.

His work also includes research focusing on repairable, tessellated structures to improve building sustainability and the development of technologies for tangible interaction and interactive built environments. He has hosted workshops globally on origami and computational design, and has been instrumental in developing multiple tangible interactive technologies, some of which were featured in an exhibition at the National Museum of American History. He has published works in international conferences such as ACM TEI, ACM IUI, CAADRIA, and Structures Congress.

Ramtin Haghnazar is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Virginia Tech and the Co-Founder of Dahi Studio. His professional and academic pursuits revolve around the design and creation of freeform structures and installations, employing computational design methods and advanced digital fabrication technologies, including 3D printing and robotics.

As co-founder of Dahi Studio, he has made his mark in fabrication-oriented design and modeling, contributing as a designer, fabricator, or computational design tool developer, to notable projects worldwide in Frankfurt, Toronto, Istanbul, Baku, Tehran, Mashhad, and Doha. His efforts have been recognized with numerous awards, including two Gold medals of the Architizer A+ Award, several prizes at the Memar Awards in Tehran, the Iranian Interior Architecture Award, and The Annual Brick Awards in the UK.

Assistant Professor  Alaa Algargoosh's work bridges design, art, and technology with a special focus on acoustics, standing at the intersection of research and innovation. She has been recognized as an Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review in addition to many prestigious awards in architecture, humanities and sustainability.

Algargoosh investigates the links between the physical, perceptual, and social aspects that shape the acoustic experience. Her research develops advanced solutions for acoustics, including immersive experiences that enhance well-being and advanced computational technology for designing and analyzing complex acoustic environments. Her current areas of focus include generative AI for design and supportive acoustic experiences.

Assistant Professor Luis Borunda is an architect, researcher, and educator specialized in architectural technology and computational design with a focus on advanced design and construction methods that utilize computation and digital fabrication. His work has been centered on the development of lightweight, high-performance structures using computational techniques and digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing and robotics, as well as the integration of sensors and other technologies into the built environment to enable real-time monitoring and optimization of building performance. 

Borunda has also dedicated his research and teaching to addressing issues of sustainability and social equity in the built environment, including the design of energy-efficient buildings and communities and the development of tools and methods for the analysis and optimization of urban systems. He has led projects on smart construction and experiential learning at the Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience at Virginia Tech's College of Architecture and Urban Studies and is currently a collaborator of the National Laboratory of Sustainable Housing and Communities of Mexico. 

Assistant Professor Giorgia Cannici is an architect, biologist, and engineer. She has worked professionally with Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Sybarite Architects, and UNStudio. She has also collaborated with academic institutions such as The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, as well as with Autodesk as an artist-in-residence.

Her work lies at the intersection between architecture, bioengineering, and material science. She is passionate about biotechnology, nano- and micro-materials, and device engineering, all of which are disciplines that she believes to be of seminal importance to the future of architecture. Her vision for tomorrow’s architecture emphasizes an integrated scientific approach to achieve sustainable and innovative design solutions and she is committed to helping the next generation of architects to contribute to the advancement of this interdisciplinary field.

Assistant Professor Christine Williamson has spent her career in building science forensics, discovering why buildings fail, and working with owners, architects, and builders to remedy the problems. She is the founder of the Instagram account @BuildingScienceFightClub, an educational project that teaches architects about building science and construction.

Christine graduated from Princeton University and received her Master's of Architecture from NewSchool of Architecture + Design. She is past chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.12, Moisture Management in Buildings and is a frequent lecturer on building science at universities and professional conferences.