TEACHERS AND GUEST LECTURERS

Maurizio Angelillo

Professor at Università degli Studi di Salerno

Maurizio Angelillo is professor of Statics and Strength of Materials at the school of Engineering and Architecture of the “Università degli Studi di Salerno”. Architect and structural expert with multi-disciplinary research interests including masonry mechanics, and Biomechanics, trained in Architecture at the University of Neaples and in Mechanics at the University of Minnesota, he and his group are actively working on the kinematics and on the equilibrium of masonry buildings. He coordinates the activity of a research group within the laboratory of micromechanics and biomechanics of the University of Salerno. Angelillo is the Editor and the co-author of the CISM book “Mechanics of Masonry Structures” and works on unilateral models for masonry since the early 80s, being the author of more than 40 papers on the application of these models to masonry structures such as arches, domes, vaults and spiral stairs.

Philippe Block

Professor at the Institute of Technology
in Architecture at ETH Zurich

Philippe Block is Professor at the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zurich, where he co-directs the Block Research Group (BRG) together with Dr. Tom Van Mele. He is director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) in Digital Fabrication, and founding partner of Ochsendorf DeJong & Block (ODB Engineering). Block studied architecture and structural engineering at the VUB, Belgium, and at MIT, USA, where he earned his PhD in 2009. Research at the BRG focuses on computational form finding, optimisation and construction of curved surface structures, specialising in unreinforced masonry vaults and concrete shells. Within the NCCR, BRG researchers develop innovative structurally informed bespoke prefabrication strategies and novel construction paradigms employing digital fabrication. With the BRG and ODB Engineering, Block applies his research into practice on the structural assessment of historic monuments in unreinforced masonry and the design and engineering of novel shell structures.

Gianmarco de Felice

Professor at Università degli Studi Roma Tre

Gianmarco de Felice is professor of structural engineering at the Department of Engineering of Roma Tre University. He is coordinator of the PhD school in Civil Engineering at Roma Tre University, chairmen of the RILEM Technical Committee TC-250 CSM “Composites for Sustainable strengthening of Masonry” and member of the drafting Committee of the Charter of Rome on the Resilience of Art Cities to Natural Catastrophes. He has been the scientific coordinator for the design of engineering projects on heritage conservation and structural rehabilitation, such as the restoration of the Farnese Palace in Ischia di Castro and that of the Abbey of San Clemente in Casauria supported by the World Monuments Fund and awarded by the Domus International Prize for Restoration and Conservation.

Roberta Fonti

Research Leader at the Chair of Restoration Technical University of Munich (TUM)

Roberta Fonti is a researcher at the Chair of Conservation-Restoration of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany. She was trained in structural mechanics, conservation-restoration and architecture in Italy. She conducted research in Munich, Naples and Reggio Calabria on the history of construction, the theory of restoration and the mechanics of historic masonry buildings and their protection from earthquakes and fire. In general, her interests in research are laying into preservation theories especially for heritage lacking integrity and the study of historic books on the theory of Architecture aiming at turning words into simplified numerical models. She has been awarded a prize by the International Masonry Society (IMS) within the 10th IMC Conference (year, 2018), and the "Kleine Fächer - Große Potenziale" Conference in Berlin (year, 2017) for her excellence in science, as well as a special mention within the "Edoardo Benvenuto International Prize per la ricerca sulla Scienza e l’Arte del Costruire nel loro sviluppo storico" (year, 2015). 

Paula Fuentes

Post-doc researcher at the VUB

(Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship)

Paula Fuentes is Architect by the Polytechnic University of Madrid and has a Master in Building Structures. In 2013 she finished her PhD Dissertation: “Crossed-arch vaults between 10thand 16thcenturies. Geometry, construction and structural behaviour.” From 2005 to 2007 she worked in an Architecture Office. From 2010 to 2015 she was Assistant Lecturer in the School of Architecture, Department of Building Structures, Polytechnic University of Madrid. From 2015 to 2016 she worked as freelance making technical reports in historical buildings. From October 2016 to April 2019 she was research associate in the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and member of the DFG Research Training Group 1913 “Cultural and Technological Significance of Historic Buildings”, where she developed the post-doc research project. Her research interests are focused on history of construction, masonry structures and surveying and drawing of architectural heritage. Since May 2019 she is post-doc researcher at the VUB, funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship under the supervision of Prof. Wouters.

Ignacio Javier Gil-Crespo

PhD Architect

Ignacio Javir Gil-Crespo is PhD Architect, Director of the Research Center “José Joaquín de Mora” (Cárdenas Foundation, Madrid, Spain). Distinguished Member of the Chair “Gonzalo de Cárdenas” on Vernacular Architecture of Havana. Directive of the Spanish Society on Construction History. Directive of the Spanish Society of Castles Friends. Full Member of the Centro de Estudios Sorianos (CSIC), Director of the journal Castillos de España (Castles of Spain), invited professor in several universities (Spain, Romania, Ecuador, Canadá, Portugal). ARCC/KING Award by Architectural Research Centers Consortium for the excellence in architectural research. Historical­-archaeological Research Award “José Luis Moro 2013” of the Spanish Society of Castles Friends. Award “Defense 2014, research modality, category PhD thesis”, of the Defense Ministry of Spain, Extraordinary PhD Award of the Polytechnical University of Madrid. Research and publications about Fortification, Construction History and Traditional Construction and Architecture.

Rosa Ana Guerra

Professor at Universidad de

Santiago de Compostela

Rosa Ana Guerra is PhD Architect and Master in Architectural Restoration. Professor of Engineering Graphics at the Escola Técnica Superior de Enxeñería in Santiago de Compostela. Researcher in masonry structures, focused on the use of the state-of-the-art techniques for metric survey of architectural heritage. Member of the Spanish Construction History Society, and an active participant in national and international congresses on Construction History. She is the founder, together with Paula Fuentes, of the metric survey and analysis report of architectural heritage association villard3d.

Santiago Huerta

Professor at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Santiago Huerta is a professor of Structural Design at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid (ETSAM). President of the Spanish Construction History Society (SEDHC). Work as consultant for Historical Constructions Analysis (Cathedrals of Mallorca; Santiago de Compostela; Lonja de Mallorca; San Juan de los Reyes, etc.) Director of publications of the Juan de Herrera Institute. Author of more than 80 publications: books (editor), articles and papers, mainly on historic masonry structures and Construction History. He is the author of more than 80 publications: books (editor), articles and papers. Prize for the ‘Dissemination of Architecture’ related to the Exhibition and Catalog Guastavino Co. the Reinvention of the Vault (COAM), 2003. Telford Gold Medal of the British Civil Engineers Association London, 2011.

John Ochsendorf

Professor at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology

John Ochsendorf is a structural engineer with multi-disciplinary research interests including the history of construction, masonry mechanics, and sustainable design. Trained in structural mechanics at Cornell, Princeton, and the University of Cambridge, he conducts research on the structural safety of historic monuments, and the design of more sustainable infrastructure. His group is actively researching the dynamics of masonry buildings, the safety of cracked masonry vaults and domes, displacement loading of structures and the design of more sustainable infrastructure. Ochsendorf is the author of “Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile” and several dozen journal papers in structural mechanics. He has been awarded a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome and a MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.