Architect, Researcher, Computational designer

Elena Vazquez, PhD

Hello.

I am a computational designer and researcher interested in new materials for sustainable architecture.

See all my Research Projects

Bistable screens

Image

Hydro-active wood

Image

Cardboard Smart Recycling

Image

Robotic-aided concrete casting

Image

Robotic Wheeling

Image

See more

News + Awards

Designed to Adapt: Living materials are the future of sustainable building

Working together across disciplines, researchers from Penn State and the University of Freiburg are applying materials that adapt, respond to the environment, self-power, and regenerate to meet the challenges of adaptive architecture.

Penn State adaptive screen system for buildings featured in Lisbon Triennale

A window screen system that automatically changes its shape based on indoor and outdoor environmental conditions is part of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022.

AIA Upjohn Research Initiative

Project: “Adaptive envelopes for a changing climate: Exploring bi-stability for building envelope design" (+Jose Duarte, Zoubeida Ounaies)

ARCC Research Incentive Award

Project: "Bistable Carbon Fiber Kinetic Screens: Full Scale Construction and Validation of Environmental Daylight Performance" (+ Jose Duarte)

2021 Seoul Biennale of Architecture

Upcoming exhibition at the 2021 Biennale, titled: “Tapping into Urban Recycling for Low-cost/No-cost Housing Solutions: Using Waste Cardboard to Build & Sustain the Resilient City”. (+ Marcus Shaffer and Julio Diarte)

Fabricating PPE

Stuckeman School professor, students join efforts to 3D print face shields