Design-Tech Talk 12

Topic: Design-Tech Talk 12
Date: September 19 – 20, 2026
Time: 14:00 – 18:00 GMT
Format: Online on Zoom
Duration: 2 Sessions (4 Hours)
Registration Deadline: September 18th, 2026
Course Fee: Free
Total Seats: 500 seats
Language: English
Certificate: Yes
Organized By: PAACADEMY
Guests: Vlad Tenu, Kostas Grigoriadis, Sonakshi Pandey, Ingrid Paoletti. More information about guest speakers will be added soon.
Recordings: Recordings will be available for members afterward.

Introduction to Design-Tech Talk 12:

Step into the future of architecture and design with Design-Tech Talk 12, a two-day online event exploring the ideas, technologies, and innovations shaping the next generation of creative practice.

Bringing together leading architects, designers, and innovators from around the world, the event highlights a diverse range of perspectives at the intersection of design and technology. Through engaging presentations and discussions, attendees will discover emerging tools, evolving workflows, and forward-thinking approaches that are transforming architecture and the broader design industry.

Whether you are an architect, designer, student, researcher, or technology enthusiast, Design-Tech Talk 12 offers an opportunity to gain fresh insights, expand your perspective, and connect with a global community passionate about the future of design.

Attending the live event is free. However, an active membership is required to access the event recordings.

The Scope of Design-Tech Talk 12:

Design-Tech Talk 12 will feature engaging live Q&A sessions where attendees can interact directly with the speakers and explore the deeper implications of design. These discussions will allow participants to share ideas and learn from leaders’ experiences at the cutting edge of architectural and technological innovation. The event aims to foster a collaborative environment for learning and networking.

This event is ideal for anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, technology, and design. Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding of parametric design, learn about the latest computational tools, or discover how AI is shaping the future of the design industry, this talk will offer valuable insights and inspiration. Learn from industry pioneers and explore the future of design technology.

Guest Speakers:

Vlad Tenu

Vlad Tenu is a Romanian-British architect, designer and artist based in London. His practice explores the intersection of architecture, research and making, investigating how computational design, natural systems and digital fabrication can generate new spatial possibilities. Moving fluidly between buildings, installations, public art, sculpture, modular systems and wearable art, his work reveals connections between geometry, materiality and fabrication across multiple scales. With 20 years of architectural experience, Vlad is currently an Associate at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM).

A graduate of The Bartlett UCL, where he also taught Architectural Computation, he has developed an internationally recognized body of work, receiving awards including the TEX-FAB Repeat Competition and AIA Houston Design Award.

His projects have been exhibited at leading design platforms and institutions, including London, Milan and Shenzhen Design Weeks, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and Swarovski Crystal Worlds, with collaborations featuring Swarovski and Björk.

Kostas Grigoriadis

Professor Kostas Grigoriadis is an ARB-registered architect and academic. His work explores the spatial and theoretical implications of using multi-materials in architecture, as well as the new paradigm of spatial and material continuity they enable. His practice, Continuum, provides building design services and has completed the construction of a tourist center in Anhui, China, for Cozoo Ltd. Continuum previously won the Spiretec competition for the design and construction of the 62,000-square-meter World Trade Center Noida in Delhi, India.

Kostas studied Architecture at UCL, followed by a Master’s in Architecture and Urbanism at the Architectural Association’s Design Research Laboratory. He has worked for Foster + Partners and Populous in London and held a Visiting Lectureship at the Royal College of Art, where he also completed a PhD in Architecture by Project, focusing on multi-material design methodologies. He taught a design studio at the Architectural Association from 2010 to 2023.

He is currently Professor of Multi-Material Architecture and Co-Director of Architecture MArch (ARB/RIBA Part 2) at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and Associate Editor of Architecture Intelligence (Springer). He is the co-author of 3D Printing and Material Extrusion in Architecture, and the editor of Mixed Matters: A Multi-Material Design Compendium, published by Jovis Verlag in June 2016.

His awards include the Ivan Petrovic Prize (eCAADe 2014), the Arup Prize for Emerging Talent in Architecture—Special Mention (Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2016), the RIBA President’s Award for Design and Technical Research (2018), and the Google R+D in the Built Environment Fellowship (2019).

Sonakshi Pandey

Sonakshi Pandey is an architectural designer exploring the boundaries of computational design and digital fabrication. Her practice lives at the intersection of generative design and making, testing how complex geometric algorithms translate into physical form. Currently, she is experimenting with the material behavior of 3D printing on fabric, investigating how rigid computational patterns integrate with flexible textiles to create performative structures. Was recently a Resident in the Autodesk Research Residency Program, where she integrated robotic workflows into fabrication practices.

Completed her Master of Advanced Architectural Design in Digital Crafts and Fabrication from the California College of the Arts (CCA). Sonakshi also holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her ongoing research in additive manufacturing continues to develop new methods of fabrication.

Ingrid Paoletti

Ingrid Paoletti is Full Professor of Architectural Technology at Politecnico di Milano, where she also earned her PhD in Construction Technology. She has conducted research as an associate researcher at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and is the founder of Material Balance, a research group focused on theoretical and design experimentation with innovative technologies and materials for a new and responsible material culture. She has served as Vice-Rector for Expo Dubai 2020 and Vice President of the Politecnico di Milano Foundation. She collaborates with several international universities and research centers, including KTH, KDAK, and the Gloknos Center.

In 2022, she was a speaker at TEDxMilano. Since 2023, she has been the Rector’s Delegate for Exhibitions and Events, and in 2025 she curated the Material Bank for the 19th edition of the Venice Biennale. Her publications include L’innovazione consapevole (Maggioli, 2012), Advanced Customization in Architectural Design and Construction (with R. Naboni, Springer, 2015), Material Balance: A Design Equation (Springer, 2020), and Siate Materialisti! (Einaudi, 2021).

More information about guest speakers will be added soon.

Important Notes:

• The Design-Tech Talk 12 hosted by PAACADEMY will start at 14:00 (GMT) on Saturday, September 19th, 2026.
• Total sessions: 2 Sessions
• The event will be recorded, and videos will be available for members just a day after the event for an unlimited time.
• The event will be hosted on Zoom.
• PAACADEMY will provide a certificate of attendance.

Topic: Design-Tech Talk 12
Date: September 19 – 20, 2026
Time: 14:00 – 18:00 GMT
Format: Online on Zoom
Duration: 2 Sessions (4 Hours)
Registration Deadline: September 19th, 2026
Course Fee: Free
Total Seats: 500 seats
Language: English
Certificate: Yes
Organized By: PAACADEMY
Guests: Vlad Tenu, Kostas Grigoriadis, Sonakshi Pandey, Ingrid Paoletti. More information about guest speakers will be added soon.
Recordings: Recordings will be available for members afterward.