Dr Alejandro Veliz Reyes
Profiles

Dr Alejandro Veliz Reyes

Lecturer in Architecture (Digital Design)

School of Art, Design and Architecture (Faculty of Arts and Humanities)

Role

Lecturer in Digital Design (Architecture)


Programme Lead:
BA (Hons) Architecture (link to course details)
BA/BSc (Hons) Digital Design Innovation (link to BA course details, link to BSc course details)
MA/MSc Integrated Design (link to MA course details, link to MSc course details)

Qualifications

PhD in Architecture - 2016 (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom).
PGCert in Academic Practice - 2015 (University of Plymouth, United Kingdom).
BSc Architecture - 2006 (Technical University Federico Santa Maria, Chile).

Professional membership

Registered architect: 2007  - present (Chile).
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy: 2015 - present (United Kingdom).
Member of the eCAADe Association (Education and Research in Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe): 2011 - 2013.
Member of the SIGRADI Association (Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics): 2008.

Roles on external bodies

Conference Reviewer, Conference of the Iberoamerican Society on Digital Graphics SIGRADI 2017: Resilience Design (Universidad de Concepción, Chile).
Journal Reviewer (2017), Journal of Technology, Architecture and Design.
Conference Reviewer, Conference of the Iberoamerican Society on Digital Graphics SIGRADI 2016: Crowdthinking (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy.
Conference Reviewer, Conference of the Iberoamerican Society on Digital Graphics SIGRADI 2014: Design in freedom (Universidad de La República, Uruguay).
Journal Reviewer (2013), Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice.
Conference Reviewer, Conference of the Iberoamerican Society on Digital Graphics SIGRADI 2013: Knowledge based design (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Chile).
Member of eCAADe, Association of Education and Research in Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe.
Journal Reviewer (2008), Cadernos de Pos-Graduacao em Arquitetura e Urbanismo.

Teaching interests

My teaching focuses on the interface between digital and material systems in design and architecture. This includes programme leadership on digital design programmes, module leadership on design communication and representation (ARC502 / ARC505), as well as design studio teaching and dissertation supervision.


Research interests

My research focuses on the role and impacts of digital tools in architectural design education. Some areas of interest are those of cognition and semiotics, modelling and representation, technology-enhanced learning and computer-supported collaborative work. During my doctoral research I observed the impacts of augmented reality tools and the use of Wikis to support design studio teaching. 

Grants & contracts

2019-20. Automation Fellowship (Academic Fellow) at the South West Creative Technology Network. Funding: Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund through the South West Creative Technology Network (£15,000).

04.2019. Self-adaptable robot assisted manufacturing in intelligent sustainable work cells (Principal Investigator) at the School of Art, Design and Architecture, and the School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics, University of Plymouth. Funding: Award granted through the provision of 3 EPSON VT6 series robots.

2017-19. Computing craft: manufacturing of cob structures using robotically controlled 3D printing (Co-investigator), at University of Plymouth and Cardiff University (partner institutions). Funding: Connected Everything (Industrial Systems in the Digital Age) - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funding via University of Nottingham (~£73,000).

2017-18. MAKE Lab: External Engagement initiative (Project leader) at the School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth. Funding: Higher Education Innovation Fund HEIF and University of Plymouth (~£1.500).

2017. Augmented vernacular: embedding digital practices into traditional cob construction techniques (Principal Investigator) at the School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth. Funding: Chartered Institute of Building, Bowen Jenkins Legacy Research Fund (~£7.000).

2017. Early Career Research support funding, School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth. 
Funding: Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Plymouth (£6.500).

2016-20. MAKE Digital Learning Suite (Project leader) at the School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth. Funding: School of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Plymouth (~£120.000 over 5 years).

2015. Digital Learning Suite (Project leader) at the School of Architecture, Design and Environment, University of Plymouth. Funding: School of Architecture, Design and Environment, University of Plymouth (~£5.000).

2013-14. Reflective and dynamic use of Wikis to support collaborative design learning (Research Assistant) at the School of Architecture, University of Liverpool. Funding: British Higher Education Academy (Individual Grant Scheme to Dr Tuba Kocaturk, £7.000), & University of Liverpool (£19.076).

2010-14. Augmented Pedagogies (Principal Investigator - PhD Research) at the School of Architecture, University of Liverpool. Funding: Chilean Government Grant BecasChile for doctoral studies (~£25.000), & Graduate Teaching Assistantship from the University of Salford. (~£75.000).

2010. Update and Upgrade of the Laboratory System (Computing Laboratory Manager) at the Department of Architecture UTFSM, Chile. Funding: Teaching office, UTFSM (~£7.000 + ~£25.000).

Theses

- Veliz, A., 2015. Augmented Pedagogies. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Veliz, A., 2007. Transferencia de tecnología para la producción de vivienda en Chile (Technology transfer for the production of housing in Chile). R&D dissertation, UTFSM, Chile.

Peer reviewed journal papers

- Veliz, A., 2013. Augmented modelling in the design studio: Augmented pedagogies. Augmented reality, art and technology (3): pp 58-63.
- Veliz, A., Gonzalez, L.F., Barros, P., 2008. Design de components construtivos personalizados usando um método de desenho baseado nas restricoes (Design of customised building components using a constraint-based design method). Pesquisa em arquitetua e construcao 1(3).
- Veliz, A., Gonzalez, L.F., Barros, P., 2008. Transferencia de tecnología para la producción de vivienda en Chile (Technology transfer for the production of housing in Chile). Cadernos de pos-graduacao em arquitetura e urbanismo 8(1): 1-12.

Conference papers

- Balbo, R., Kocaturk, T., Veliz, A., 2013. Hybrid architecture: Coupling structural understanding and architectural education. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference in Architecture and Structures. 24-26 July 2013, Guimaraes, Portugal.
- Kocaturk, T., Balbo, R., Medjdoub, B., Veliz, A., 2012. An Innovative Approach to Technology Mediated Architectural Design Education - A framework for a web-based Socio-cognitive Ecosystem. Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Education and Research on Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) 2012: Digital Physicality | Physical Digitality. 12-14 September 2012, Prague, Czech Republic. 
- Veliz, A., Kocaturk, T., Medjdoub, B., Balbo, R., 2012. Dialogs between physical and virtual modelling methods on architectural design. Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Education and Research on Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) 2012: Digital Physicality | Physical Digitality. 12-14 September 2012, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Vanossi, A., Veliz, A., Balbo, R., Ciribini, A., 2012. Paths between real and virtual environments within a BIM-based scheme. Proceedings of the 1st UK Academic Conference on Building Information Modelling. 5-7 September 2012, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.
- Veliz, A., Kocaturk, T., Medjdoub, B., 2011. Visual programming of customizable building components: Review of three academic experiences. Proceedings of the 10th International Postgraduate Research Conference (IPGRC 2011), School of the Built Environment, University of Salford. 14-15 September 2011, Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Veliz, A., Sills, P., 2011. Digital design of reconstruction proposals in Chile. Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Education and Research on Computer-Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) 2011: Respecting Fragile Places. 21-24 September 2011, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Veliz, A., Medjdoub, B., Kocaturk, T., 2011. Bridging the gap in constraint-based design. Proceedings of the 14th CAAD Futures Conference 2011: Designing together. 4-8 July 2011, Liege, Belgium.
- Veliz, A., Gonzalez, L.F., Barros, L., 2008. Transferencia de Tecnología para la producción de componentes constructivos de viviendas chilenas (Technology transfer for constructive components’ mass production in chilean housing). XII Congress of the Iberoamerican Society of Digital Graphics SIGRADI, December 2008. La Habana, Cuba.

Reports & invited lectures

- Veliz, A., 2014. Augmented models in the design studio - Physical/Digital modelling methods. Guest lecture at the Master in Architecture course, University of Liverpool. 25 March 2014, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

- Veliz, A., 2013. A multimodal approach to digital architectural design education research. PhD Conference, Manchester Architecture Research Centre, Manchester School of Architecture. 22 November 2013, Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Veliz, A., 2013. Digital fabrication in architectural design. Workshop “Future Fabrication Technologies for Creative Designers and Artists”. VR Lab in Collaboration with Future Factory, Nottingham Trent University, 16 September 2013, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
- Veliz, A., 2012. Grounded theory methodology in the context of new design pedagogies. Workshop “When social science meets Lean and BIM”. University of Salford in collaboration with the Center for Research on Activity, Development and Learning of the University of Helsinki. 3-4 December 2012, Manchester, United Kingdom.