Biography
Antiopi Koronaki is an Assistant Professor in Design Computation and Fabrication in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge and a member of the Centre for Natural Material Innovation. She is a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and a member of the Digital Workflows and Computational Design panel of The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
Her research interests lie at the intersection of architecture, engineering and materials with a focus on the decarbonisation of the built environment. Using advanced fabrication and computational analysis methods her work develops new frameworks for the design and construction of efficient structures. Interdisciplinary collaborations and projects with industry aim to reduce the gap between academic research and practice, developing computational tools and fabrication workflows that are directly applicable in practice.
Prior to becoming an Assistant Professor, Antiopi was a postdoctoral researcher in the Centre for Natural Material Innovation of the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge (2019-2022) exploring the potential of engineered timber for off-site manufactured schools in the UK. This approach enables the reduction of the environmental impact of the construction industry through the promotion of natural construction materials and modern methods of construction.
She holds a PhD from the University of Bath on the optimisation of large-scale, complex space-frame structures for construction. Since 2014 she has been heavily involved in teaching at higher education institution internationally and she has led several international workshops focusing on digital fabrication and design computation. She has industry experience working on the bridge team at Wilkinson Eyre and her work has been exhibited widely, including the London Design Festival and London Design Biennale.
Research
- The New Model School: London Design Festival 2024 (2024)
AA Rapid Response - AHRC/PSF: £12,000
PI: A. Koronaki; Co-I: M.H. Ramage
Installation and exhibition of a full-scale demonstrator for a modular, circular and sustainable school system of engineered timber components, made of homegrown English timber.
- WOODCIRCLES: Integrated, circular, and digitally supported sustainable solutions for waste minimization and carbon capture in buildings and the construction sector (Project 101082184) - (2023-26)
Horizon / UKRI: 781,493.75 €
PI: M. Ramage; Co-I: D.U. Shah, A. Koronaki
Woodcircles is a European innovation project to develop circular solutions for sustainable wood construction. The goal is to accelerate the construction sector's green transition. (https://woodcircles.eu/)
- TIMBER: Timber Innovative Manufacturing Benefiting English Resources - (2021-25)
Centre for Digital Built Britain: £160,000
PI: M. Ramage; Co-I: A. Koronaki
Developing novel pathways for the supply of underutilised local woodland resources into high-value, long-lasting building applications.
- Tomorrow's Timber Tools for Schools (T3S) - (2021-23)
Forestry Commission, Timber in Construction Innovation Fund: £263,000
PI: M. Ramage; Co-I: A. Koronaki
Setting up of a prototype manufacturing hub and building a school extension for the Fawcett School in Trumpington. This supports the delivery of physical, large-scale prototypes for the Precision Engineered Timber research programme.
- Fawcett School Extension - (2021-22)
EPSRC IAA Adventurous Impact Funding: £30,000
PI: M. Ramage; Co-I: A. Koronaki
Impact funding to support professional services in the design of the Fawcett School Extension.
Publications
- Liu, Y., Lee, T.-U., Koronaki, A., Pietroni, N., & Xie, Y. M. (2023). Reducing the number of different nodes in space frame structures through clustering and optimization. Engineering Structures, 284, 116016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.116016.
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Koronaki, A., Shepherd, P., & Evernden, M. (2023). Fabrication-Aware Joint Clustering in Freeform Space-Frames. Buildings, 13(4), 962. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040962.
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Debnath, R., Koronaki, A., Marino, D., Meng, Y., Shah, D. U., Smith, S., Haggart, K., & Ramage, M. H. (2023). Environmental performance of timber schools for climate action: a data-driven and simulation approach. Proceedings of WCTE2023. World Conference in Timber Engineering, Norway. https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=hJCWcSoAAAAJ&sortby=pubdate&citation_for_view=hJCWcSoAAAAJ:Zph67rFs4hoC.
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Gatóo, A., Koronaki, A., Chaudary, A., Gin, Y., Shah, D. U., Wiegand, E., Hesselgren, L., Ainoura, M., Bakker, R., & Ramage, M. H. (2022). Unfolding Timber - A future of design. 57–66. https://doi.org/10.52842/conf.ecaade.2022.1.057.
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Koronaki, A., Bukauskas, A., Jalia, A., Shah, D. U., & Ramage, M. H. (2021). Prefabricated Engineered Timber Schools in the United Kingdom: Challenges and Opportunities. Sustainability, 13(22), 12864. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212864.
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Ramage, M., Shah, D. U., Bukauskas, A., Koronaki, A., Colman, A., Gatóo, A., Wiegand, E., Gin, Y., & Debnath, R. (2021). Environmental Audit Committee Call for Evidence: “Sustainability of the Built Environment.” Cambridge Open Engage. https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2021-bjtwz.
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Koronaki, A., Shepherd, P., & Evernden, M. (2021). Structure and fabrication-driven conceptual design of space-frame structures. IASS Annual Symposium and Spatial Structures Conference.
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Bukauskas, A., Koronaki, A., Lee, T.-U., Ott, D., Al, M. W., Jalia, A., Bashford, T., Gatoo, A., Newman, J., Gattas, J., Shah, D. U., & Ramage, M. (2021). Curved-crease origami face shields for infection control. PLOS ONE, 23. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.63809.
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Broo, D. G., Lamb, K., Ehwi, R. J., Pärn, E., Koronaki, A., Makri, C., & Zomer, T. (2020). Built environment of Britain in 2040: Scenarios and strategies. Sustainable Cities and Society, 65, 16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102645.
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Gatóo, A., Koronaki, A., Asali, M. W. A., Bukauskas, A., Shah, D. U., & Ramage, M. H. (2021). Flexible and sustainable building components through kerf patterns. IASS Annual Symposium and Spatial Structures Conference.
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Koronaki, A., Bukauskas, A., Gatoo, A., Shah, D. U., & Ramage, M. H. (2021). Design space exploration of materially efficient CLT structures. IASS Annual Symposium and Spatial Structures Conference.
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Asali, M. W. A., Koronaki, A., Ramage, M. H. (2021). Computational Design Strategies for Thin-tile Shells Manufacturing. IASS Annual Symposium and Spatial Structures Conference.
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Koronaki, A., Shepherd, P., & Evernden, M. (2020). Rationalization of freeform space-frame structures: Reducing variability in the joints. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 18(1), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478077119894881.
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Koronaki, A., Jalia, A., Bukauskas, Aurimas, Shah, Darshil U, & Ramage, Michael H. (2020). Emerging trends in the applications of engineered timber in UK school buildings.doc. Proceedings of WCTE2020. World Conference on Timber Engineering, Santiago, Chile.
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Erdine, E., Koronaki, A., Sungur, A., Moreira, A. F. L., Lopez, A., Jeronimidis, G., & Weinstock, M. (2019). Curved-Crease Folding and Robotic Incremental Sheet Forming in Design and Fabrication. SimAUD: Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design, 207–214. https://doi.org/10.5555/3390098.3390114.
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Koronaki, A., Shepherd, P., & Evernden, M. (2019). Fabrication aware optimization of space-frame structures. IASS Annual Symposium and Spatial Structures Conference. International Association of Spatial Structures, Barcelona, Spain.
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He, L., Gilbert, M., Shepherd, P., Ye, J., Koronaki, A., Fairclough, H. E., Davison, B., Tyas, A., Gondzio, J., & Weldeyesus, A. G. (2018). A new conceptual design optimization tool for frame structures. 8.
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Koronaki, A., Shepherd, P., & Evernden, M. (2018). Geometry optimization of space frame structures for joint modularity. 8.
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Chandra, S., Körner, A., Koronaki, A., Spiteri, R., Amin, R., Kowli, S., & Weinstock, M. (2015). Computing Curved-Folded Tessellations through Straight- Folding Approximation. 221–228. http://simaud.org/proceedings/.
White papers and policy briefings
- Reyes, N., Rodríguez, B., Wiegand, E., Zilic, F., Ramage, M., Bukauskas, A., Debnath, R., Shah, D. U., Colman, T., Wolf, C. D., Koronaki, A., Gatoó, A., & Gin, Y. (2021). Achieving zero carbon emissions in the construction sector: The role of timber in decarbonising building structures. Cambridge Open Engage. https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2021-hgd6q.
- Debnath, R., Bardhan, R., Shah, D. U., Koronaki, A., Bukauskas, A., Colman, A., Gatóo, A., Wiegand, E., Gin, Y., & Ramage, M. (2021). Climate repair through built environment: Decarbonising UK’s building sector through energy efficiency and natural materials. Cambridge Open Engage. https://doi.org/10.33774/coe-2021-30w2x.
- Koronaki, A. (ed) 2020. Towards carbon free construction: Cultivating and manufacturing our homes. Centre for Natural Material Innovation, University of Cambridge. Cambridge, United Kindom. https://www.cnmi.org.uk/post/towards-carbon-free-construction-cultivating-and-manufacturing-our-homes
Press and Media appearances
- Legends vs Modern Icons, Maximus Film, 2020. Documentary series comparing engineering and construction achievements of the past with those of the present. https://www.maximusfilm.de/en/content/legends-vs-modern-icons
- Koronaki, A. (2021, March). Digitally designed timber schools. Construction Manager, 28 - 30. https://constructionmanagermagazine.com/timber-targets-a-green-industrial-revolution/.
- London Climate Action Week, Towards carbon free construction: Cultivating and manufacturing our homes (2020).
Teaching and Supervisions
Undergraduate teaching
- Part IB Professional Skills - Course lead (2022-23)
- Part IB Design Studio 5 (Michaelmas Term) - Course lead (2022-present)
- Part II Architectural Engineering - Course lead (2023-present)
- Part II Dissertation - Supervisor and assessor (2021-present)
Graduate teaching
- MSt Apprenticeship in Architecture: Module 3 Architectural computing and modelling masterclass - Course lead (2020-present)
- Master in Architecture and Urban Studies - Supervisor and internal examiner (2022-present)
- Master in Architecture - Supervisor and internal examiner (2022-present)
Other Professional Activities
Professional memberships
- Technical Chamber of Greece - Member (2015-present)
- ARB - Member (2015-present)
- HEA - Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2020 - present)
Selected invited lectures
- "Automating timber construction", University of Bath (02/2024)
- "Creative rationalisation in design", Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA) ETH Zurich (12/2023)
- "The New Model School: Growing the future", Built by Nature Spring Symposium (03/2023)
- "Automating construction: Woodcraft in the digital age", WHXY x Cambridge Global learning and Engagement Programme (01/2023)
- "AI and computational design", Accelerate Science's 2021 Annual Symposium (12/2021)
- "Focus on Glasgow COP26: Innovations in sustainable materials" Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland (10/2021)
