Dr Kostas Grigoriadis

Research summary

Multi-Materials in Architecture: Grigoriadis' main research area is multi-material design and the implications of functionally graded material use in architecture and construction. More specifically, his PhD thesis proposed a new methodology of designing with functionally graded materials using particle system element simulations. This method was used to design the connection of glazing to aluminium frame in a curtain wall envelope and concerned the whole process from beginning to end, of research, design, and fabrication of the connection. Theresulting original contribution of the thesis was a process model created in an existing simulation software that can be used in a standardlaptop computer to design with functionally graded materials. In addition to his PhD thesis, a recently awarded fellowship for Google in California, instigated a new research area relating to multi-material design, namely of the environmental benefits and embodied energy savings incurred by the use of these materials in buildings. The range of topics that the broader multi-material research agenda investigates include: advanced computational design and computational fluid dynamics simulations in architecture, multi-material or functionally graded material design, multi-colour and multi-material 3D printing and fabrication, generative design (topology optimisation) and embodied energy of multi-material building parts.

Epistemology of Computer Simulations in Architectural Design: On a theoretical level, a further research topic is the formulation of an appropriate epistemology(also known as the epistemology of computer simulations—EOCS) linked to the use of computer simulations to design with(computational blending). More specifically, this concerned the creation of a criteria framework for setting out, running, and evaluating the results of thesimulations.

Cognitive Theory (Material Engagement Theory and Conceptual Blending): Drawing from Lambros Malafouris' Material Engagement Theory (MET) and Turner and Fauconnier's Conceptual Blending Theory, another main research investigation is in the cognitive processes taking place when designing with graded materials in the computer. Additionally, the question of authorship and agency in the design process is analysed through MET in order to rethink the wider anthropocentric notion of form imposition on materials.

Teaching summary

Dr Kostas Grigoriadis is the Co-Programme Director in the MArch Architecture RIBA / ARB Part 2 Programme. He has taught a Design Unit in the Architecture BSc (ARB/RIBA Part 1) programme at the Bartlett School of Architecture for three years from 2016 to 2019. He also taught in Research Cluster 14 in the Postgraduate Urban Design MArch programme that is part of the Bartlett Prospective (B-Pro), for two years from 2015 to 2017. Since 2017 he has been running Research Cluster 8 in the Architectural Design MArch program. The cluster's main research focus is on multi-material design and the wider implications that the use of multi-materials will have on architecture and building construction. More specifically, the cluster explores new procedures of designing and building with material gradients, aiming to rethink component-based assembly and the standard practice of twentieth century mechanical connnectivity. The first two cycles of this research agenda were targeted towards the rethinking of the building envelope, namely of curtain walling and its part based build-up. The corresponding design research projects investigated the use of robotic fabrication for the insitu 3D printing of building facades, and more importantly the fusion of metal and glass to generate component-less, materially continuous envelopes. Currently, the cluster is researching into the multi-material design of large span structures for transit hubs in London. In 2019-20 this was targeted to the Euston Station site and in 2020-21 to the main concourse roof in King's Cross Station. In addition to the above, Grigoriadis coordinated the Design Technology II module in the Architecture BSc (ARB/RIBA Part 1) program for one year, and is currently the Year 1 Technology Module coordinator in Architecture MSci (ARB Part 1 & 2). He was supervised thesis students in Architecture MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) and Bio-Integrated Design (Bio-ID) MArch/MSc. Outside UCL, Kostas has taught in the Undergraduate School at the Architectural Association School of Architecture since 2010, held a Visiting Lectureship in Architecture at the Royal College of Art from 2012 to 2015, and was External Examiner at the MA in Architecture and Urbanism program at the University of East London from 2015 to 2018.

Education

Royal College of Art

Doctorate, PhD in Architecture by Project | 2018

Architectural Association School of Architecture

Masters, Masters in Architecture and Urbanism | 2009

University College London

Other Postgraduate qualification (including professional), Diploma in Architecture (RIBA Part 2) | 2005

London Metropolitan University

First Degree, BA (Hons) in Architecture (RIBA Part 1) | 2002

Publications

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