About
I obtained my professional degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Concepción in Chile in 2004, followed by a Master’s in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2010. I later completed a PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester in 2016. I am a Chartered Engineer in the UK (CEng MICE), a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
My professional journey began in Chile, where I worked as a structural engineer on various projects focused on the design and implementation of seismic protection systems for buildings. I subsequently moved to the UK to pursue doctoral research on seismic safety and risk mitigation in the British nuclear industry. After a brief period in industry post-PhD, I transitioned into academia and joined the Liverpool School of Architecture in September 2022.
While my research spans the broader built environment, reflected in publications across architecture, engineering, and construction journals, I focus on two distinct research areas. The first centres on the risk and resilience of buildings and critical infrastructure against natural hazards, particularly earthquakes. This line of inquiry also informs my interest in net-zero structural design and the integration of architectural and structural engineering to minimise embodied carbon in construction.
My second research area explores the transformative potential of data science and artificial intelligence in architecture. I am particularly interested in how AI can enhance human creativity in architectural and urban contexts, offering new methods of representation, interpretation, and innovation at the intersection of design and computation.
I welcome PhD applications from motivated candidates eager to make meaningful contributions toward a more sustainable and resilient built environment or to explore the frontiers of human-machine creativity.
Prizes or Honours
- Finalist - Excellence in Structural Engineering Education Award (Institution of Structural Engineers, 2024)
- 2022 Teaching Excellence Award (Universidad Diego Portales, Chile, 2023)