Alvaro LRDesign
Alvaro Lopez Rodriguez, Phd
@alvarolrd
alvarolopezrodriguezdesign@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alvaro-lopez-559286106
Alvaro Lopez Rodriguez is an architect, researcher, and Associate Professor (Teaching) at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, where he leads innovation at the intersection of robotics, 3D printing, and mixed reality. In October 2025, he completed his PhD at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid with the thesis "Digital Interactions: Architecture for the Augmented Era," which redefines the synergy between human craftsmanship and digital automation. He also holds a Master of Architecture with Distinction from The Bartlett and a Master’s in Architecture from the European University of Madrid.
Complementing his academic tenure, Alvaro is a highly sought-after Digital Manufacturing Consultant. He has collaborated with pioneering international firms, including Nagami, Ensamble Studio, and DBT ETH Zurich, to implement advanced robotic fabrication and augmented reality workflows in large-scale architectural projects. His expertise bridges the gap between computational design and physical construction, focusing on "Augmented Craftsmanship" to empower local labour through intuitive technological tools.
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CV
SELECTED WORK
001—DIGITAL GROTESQUE II_2017
CENTRE POMPIDOU_PARIS
What happens when a computer becomes a generative partner rather than just a tool? Digital Grotesque II is a 3.5-meter-high 3D-printed masterpiece that compresses millions of intricate, recursive branches into a single structure. It is a space where order meets chaos.
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CONSULTANCY
002—INCIDENTAL SPACE_2016
SWISS PAVILION_VENICE
In Incidental Space, Christian Kerez transforms the Swiss Pavilion into a site of fundamental research. Merging craftsmanship with digital processes, this installation challenges the "monumental regulation" of modern architecture, creating a complex void that demands a new way of seeing.
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CONSULTANCY
003—ChrYsalis Pavillion_2025
BIENAL MUGAK_SAN SEBASTIÁN/DONOSTIA
Building Castles in the Air Featured at the 2025 MUGAK Architecture Biennial, the ChrYsalis Pavilion explores the materialisation of the intangible. Using augmented reality and parametric systems, this installation transforms a network of 6mm steel rods into a complex, double-curvature surface—a "drawn" architecture that floats within the historic nave of a San Sebastian convent.
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DESIGN
004—WOVEN MEMORY_2016
SPACE MEDIA FESTIVAL_TAIPEI
Robotic Craft and Structural Ecology
Woven Memory explores the intersection of natural materials and industrial automation. By using robots to manipulate linear bamboo elements into a bending-active structure, this modular installation introduces "Softmodelling" techniques to create an inhabitable framework covered in laser-impregnated fabrics, merging physical simulation with traditional materiality.
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ACADEMIC
005—FOSSILIZED_2015
THE BUILDING CENTRE_LONDON
Reinventing Concrete Craftsmanship Fossilized moves beyond the "stagnant" limits of standard 3D concrete printing to reinstate craftsmanship in digital design. Developed by team Amalgamma, this research introduces a "supported extrusion" method—combining extrusion and powder-printing—to create high-resolution, volumetric architectural "chunks" that dissolve the boundaries between structure, material, and ornament.
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ACADEMIC
006—NEW Z PAVILLION_2023
GRIMSDYKE FARM_BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
The New Z project proposes an alternative additive manufacturing method that replaces the traditional vertical Z-axis with a revolving horizontal axis. This sideways extrusion process circumvents standard bounding box limitations, enabling the continuous printing of customised, variable-density structures and expanding the performative capabilities of 3D printing in architecture.
Project teaser text goes here.
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DESIGN
007—AUBE_2025
FÊTE DES LUMIÈRES
_LYON
"Aube" is a minimalist light installation that combines traditional craftsmanship with digital 3D printing. Shaped like an egg, its translucent panels and wooden framework act as a physical sculpture by day and a dynamic light display by night. It is exhibited at the Art Deco villa of the Instituto Cervantes.
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DESIGN
008—NECTARY_2018
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM_LONDON
Nectary is a modular system of infinite morphological variations. Utilising four distinct robotically 3D-printed elements, it assembles into diverse spaces via structural combinatorial algorithms. From furniture to architecture, Nectary creates a dynamic three-dimensional pattern where porosity and colour converge to offer a truly unique spatial experience.
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CONSULTANCY
009—RC9_2017-2023
THE BARTLETT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE_LONDON
RC9 investigates the "Augmented Age" through the lens of Extended Realities. By blurring the boundaries between human intuition and machine precision, the unit explores how holographic assistance and Mixed Reality redefine fabrication. RC9 interrogates the future of craftsmanship, automation, and multi-player design within the evolving metaverse.
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ACADEMIC
010—RC8_2023-PRESENT
THE BARTLETT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE_LONDON
Research Cluster 8 redefines architectural assembly by moving beyond mechanical connectivity toward innovative multi-material design. By integrating Augmented Reality and advanced 3D printing with recycled materials, the cluster investigates robotic fabrication and material life cycles. The goal is a new architectural language where sustainability, hybridity, and performance converge.
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ACADEMIC
011—AAVS_2017-2019
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION_LONDON
An overview of intensive academic residencies focused on generative design methodologies, material computation, and large-scale prototyping. Developed in collaboration with leading academic institutions and global practices, these research workshops investigate the integration of robotic fabrication, material upcycling, and structural performance through full-scale, 1:1 physical prototyping.
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ACADEMIC