ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½

I am originally from Catania, Italy, where I earned a first-class honours Master’s degree in Architecture and Construction Engineering. Driven by a passion for creative practice in architecture, I pursued doctoral studies at Newcastle University, where my PhD research, titled Liquid Architecture: Experimental Practices of Design in a State of Flux, explored fluid infrastructures, analogue computation, and the architectural potential of liquids. By challenging the Vitruvian principle of firmitas, my work engaged with complex challenges and emerging technologies, such as bioreactors and other ‘wet systems,’ through iterative representations and architectural prototypes. My research, published by Routledge in 2024, challenged traditional architectural paradigms and introduced a visionary approach to sustainable design, which I argue is crucial for addressing the complex challenges of dynamic, multi-agent spaces in the 21st century. 

Throughout my doctorate, I participated in several collaborative research projects with faculty at Newcastle University and other European institutions. These collaborations led to participation in prominent architecture exhibitions and biennales, including Eco-Visionaries: Art for a Planet in a State of Emergency at Matadero premises in Madrid (2019), Is This Tomorrow? at Whitechapel Gallery in London (2019), Self-Built Utopias as part of the Innovation Route in the Great Exhibition of the North (GEOTN) at Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne(2018), Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2017: BioTallinn at the Museum of Estonian Architecture, Tallinn (2017), and many others across Europe. 

As Lead Designer for the Living Architecture (LIAR) project, I explored how architectural knowledge evolves in response to ongoing economic and climatic shifts. My work garnered recognition from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), which awarded me a joint scholarship to attend the Space Studies Program in 2022. This program, led by the International Space University (ISU), allowed me to further explore the intersection of architecture and space studies—a recurring theme in both my teaching and research—broadening the scope and impact of my work. I am currently engaged in several design projects stemming from my expanded network at the International Space University—where architecture profiles are still a minority—developing productively disruptive research for the next generation of space architecture.

I have taught architecture students at several UK institutions since 2017, including Newcastle University, Loughborough University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Sheffield. My experience spans coordinating and delivering a wide range of modules across both Master’s and Bachelor’s programs, as well as supervising undergraduate and PhD students. Currently, at the ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½, I am implementing creative teaching methods that challenge conventional thinking, foster debate, and encourage students to develop critical thinking skills through both digital and analogue fabrication techniques. Among the modules I teach are Time in Design Practices and Transdisciplinary Design, where I explore the intersection of temporal dynamics and collaborative approaches in design, propelling students to think beyond traditional architectural boundaries. 

I am deeply committed to advancing equity and social justice in all aspects of my professional and academic work. To this end, I actively support initiatives aimed at promoting an inclusive and diverse learning environment, participating in public presentations, and contributing to curriculum reviews. My work is driven by a desire to address social and environmental challenges, ensuring that my contributions have a positive impact on both the academic community and society at large. Indeed, I thrive in transdisciplinary settings and fully align with the ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½â€™s vision of pioneering a transnational educational program that recognises the world as one interconnected community. I collaborate with colleagues across the globe to advance this mission, which is particularly urgent in light of the current climate emergency, demanding creative, global, and collaborative (re)solutions.

I am an experimental designer with a deep passion for integrating ecological principles into the emerging field of environmental humanities, both within inter- and trans-planetary contexts. My professional trajectory is marked by international collaborations across academic institutions, industry partners and architectural practices.

Talks

May 2024 - Manchester School of Architecture

Manchester Technology Centre

M.O.N.S.T.E.R. and D.E.F.E.N.D.E.R., part of the TECHNICA 2 Convention.

Mar 2024 - Sheffield School of Architecture

Arts Tower, Sheffield

Liquid Architecture, led by Architecture Students for Climate Action (ASCA).

Nov 2023 - Northumbria University

Squires Cinema, Lipman Hub and Experimental Studio, Newcastle upon Tyne

Liquid Architecture, part of Space Assembly: The Cultural Negotiation of Space Science.

Jul 2023 - Northumbria University

Participant Fellow for Ways of Working: New Models for Interdisciplinary Working between Art, Space Science and Publics, led by The Cultural Negotiation of Science group [CNoS] and Space IDRT.

Awards

May – Aug 2022 - Scholarship for Space Studies Program (SSP) 2022

International Space University (ISU) via European Space Agency (ESA) and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI)

Project funded: Liquid Architecture

2019 – 2021 - Postgraduate Studentship

School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University

Project funded: Liquid Architecture: Experimental Practices of Design in a State of Flux, PhD research

Oct 2016 - Falling Walls Lab

International Conference on Future Breakthroughs in Science and Society, Naples, Italy

Project: Design of Everything: Map for the known Universe

Aug 2015 - BIG URBAN CRUNCH

International Ideas Competition of Architecture

Project: NEZAHUALCÓYOTL CITY VISION: Four-Step-Plan for urban development

Jul 2014 - EURegeneration – New Ecotower Hotel in Rome

International Ideas Competition of Architecture

Project: CITIES WITHIN THE CITY