Lisa Iwamoto received her Master of Architecture degree with Distinction from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Colorado. Lisa has taught previously at the University of Michigan where she was a Muschenheim Fellow, and Harvard University. Lisa is currently an Assistant Professor at University of California Berkeley where her design research concentrates on the perceptual performance of material and digital fabrication techniques. Lisa is partner of IwamotoScott, a practice formed in partnership with Craig Scott. Committed to pursuing architecture as a form of applied design research, IwamotoScott engages in projects at multiple scales and in a variety of contexts consisting of full-scale fabrications, museum installations and exhibitions, theoretical proposals, competitions, and commissioned design projects. Iwamoto’s work has been published widely nationally and internationally. She is author of Digital Fabrications: Architectural and Material Techniques published by Princeton Architectural Press as part of their series Architecture Briefs.

Established in 2003 by Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch, Aranda\Lasch is a New York-based studio engaged in both experimental research and innovative building. Winners of the Young Architects Award from the Architecture League and United States Artists Fellowship in 2007, their design work from buildings to installations to objects has garnered international recognition. Their early architectural projects were the subject of the critically acclaimed book, Tooling, published by Princeton Architectural Press. In 2008 they were commissioned by the MoMA in New York to produce a large-scale installation in the museum. They also collaborated with artist Matthew Ritchie on a pavilion sized work, “The Morning Line,” initially installed at the 2008 Venice Biennial and then fully realized at the Seville Biennial in October. In addition to commercial and residential projects in New York, Aranda\Lasch recently completed a 42,000 square foot temporary structure for Design Miami in December. Objects and furniture designed by Aranda\Lasch are represented by Johnson Trading Gallery in New York.

Jason Kelly Johnson is a founding design partner of Future Cities Lab, an experimental design and research office based in San Francisco, CA. Since 2002, Future Cities Lab has created a range of award-winning projects exploring the intersections of design with advanced fabrication technologies, robotics, responsive building systems and public space. He received his MArch degree from Princeton University and his BS from the University of Virginia. His work has been published and exhibited worldwide, most recently at SFMOMA and the ZERO1 Art and Technology Biennial. He was awarded the 2011 Architectural League of NY “Young Architects Prize”, and the 2008-09 “Oberdick Fellowship” at the University of Michigan, and the 2009 “NY Prize Fellowship” at the Van Alen Institute. He was a lead instructor of the AA San Francisco Visiting School “Biodynamic Structures” workshops from 2010-11, and most recently he was the Chair of the ACADIA 2012 “Digital Synthetic Ecologies” conference. In 2009 Jason began his collaboration with Andy Payne on the FIREFLY for Grasshopper toolbar. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the CCA in San Francisco.

MODE COLLECTIVE is a Brooklyn-based design studio and research collective founded by Ronnie Parsons and Gil Akos. As a studio committed to design as a form of applied research, Mode engages in practices that have a requisite and deep connection to material and the processes by which it is formed and informed.

Studio Mode has completed and collaborated on a number of projects, varying in scale and complexity from interactive installations to stadia design. Mode has exhibited throughout North America and Europe in shows that most recently include System:System by Random Number and Spontaneous Schooling at the Nous Gallery. Ronnie and Gil currently teach at Pratt Institute and have previously taught studios, seminars, and workshops at institutions such as California College of the Arts, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, and University of Kentucky as well as Yale, Princeton, and Columbia Universities.

CASE exists where building and technology intersect. They combine their experience as architects, projects managers and teachers with a passion for technology to improve the way buildings are designed, built and operated. CASE is a Building Information Modeling (BIM) consultancy based in New York City providing strategic advising to building design professionals, contractors and owners seeking to supplant traditional project delivery methods through technology-driven process innovation.

A founding partner of CASE, David Fano is predominantly responsible for leading technology implementation, knowledge capture and sharing, social media initiatives and business development. Nathan Miller is Director of Computational Design at CASE, a Building Information Modeling (BIM) and integrated practice consultancy, where he is responsible for leading the efforts on computational design strategy and complex modeling and geometric rationalization.

THE BECK GROUP is a fully integrated design and construction company servicing the southern United States. Through their innovative use of BIM technology, Beck has developed a highly digital process that is leveraged throughout the entire project from concept to jobsite to closeout. They are known for their commitment to quality having worked on such projects as the Dallas Nasher Sculpture Center, the Salvador Dali Museum in Florida, and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Frank Fralick is the company’s leading force in direct fabrication methodology and non-traditional procurement. He works with designers to deliver complex building components ranging from structural and ornamental steel to unique millwork. Brandon Coates is a young designer out of the Dallas office who leads computational design efforts within the organization. In addition to working on concept and schematic designs, Brandon couples his talents with Frank Fralick’s expertise to provide an avenue for highly customized building features delivered in a competitive market.

Maria Mingallon is a Senior Structural Engineer in Arup specialized in parametric 3D modeling and digital fabrication. Maria also teaches at McGill University in Montreal, where she directed the design and construction of the research pavilion ContemPLAY, a 100% digitally fabricated structure. Maria will present Arup’s work in this field, including among others, the recently unveiled Wawona sculpture in Seattle, Metropol Parasol and KAIA Space Frame Roof. Arup first came to the world’s attention with the structural design of the Sydney Opera House, followed by its work on the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Arup has since grown into a truly multidisciplinary organization. Arup’s advanced design process uses computation to model, analyze, optimize and implement design solutions in a true integrated manner realizing the ‘total design’ of systems and structures: “The term ‘Total Architecture’ implies that all relevant design decisions have been considered together and have been integrated into a whole by a well-organized team empowered to fix priorities.” – Ove Arup, Founder, Arup, 1970.