I am a researcher with a PhD in Architecture and six years research experience, specializing in the integration of digital and prefabrication technologies to foster sustainable and inclusive design in the built environment. My work focuses on how advanced technologies — automation, robotics, computational design, and simulation tools — can transform architectural practices to address critical global challenges such as housing crisis, sustainability, social equity, and climate resilience.

Since 2024, I’ve been an Associate Researcher in the Digital Living Spaces group at ISTAR-Iscte, where I continue to develop research in robotic construction and AR/VR simulation environments. I’m also a researcher on the GreenCity4Aging project, co-developing the Experimental Protocol for the Ethics Commission and leading the project’s experimental phase. This phase involves creating a VR-based user simulation to collect heart rate and eye-tracking data from elderly citizens, which will contribute valuable insights into designing inclusive, elder-friendly urban spaces.

During my PhD, I explored cutting-edge construction technologies, particularly robotics, and their application in both design methodologies and construction planning. My research developed innovative VR/AR simulation tools to enable human-robot collaboration, specifically in construction environments where workers interact with robotic technologies, including drones. These tools are designed not only to integrate real construction workers with these emerging technologies but also to assess their reactions and readiness to collaborate with robotic systems.

I am an expert in digital technologies applied to construction and architectural design, with a focus on robotics, virtual and augmented reality simulations, and human-machine cooperation environments. In 2015, I obtained my bachelor’s in architecture from Universidade Lusófona in Lisbon. I then graduated in 2017 with a master’s in architecture from Iscte-IUL and completed my PhD in Architecture in September 2024, also at Iscte-IUL. My passion for architecture and technology research led me to begin my PhD journey while awaiting my final Master’s presentation. My doctoral research focused on robotics and VR/AR simulation methodologies, culminating in the defense of my thesis titled "Advancing Construction Technologies: Integrating Human-Machine Collaboration and Drone Robotic Construction in a Comprehensive XR-Simulated Environments Methodology," under the supervision of PhD Sara Eloy and PhD Ricardo Resende.

Early in my PhD, while awaiting an FCT PhD scholarship, I was invited to join an architectural studio where I worked on integrating parametric design and coding for BIM environments into practice. Since 2018, however, I have been fully dedicated to research as an Assistant Researcher and PhD Candidate at ISTAR-Iscte, where I benefitted from the center’s multidisciplinary approach and its encouragement of industry collaboration. These experiences enabled the development of real-world prototypes and applications, bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical implementation in architecture and construction.

A pivotal collaboration during my PhD was with NexusUAV, a partnership that formed the basis for my experimental research on drone automated construction. Leading an interdisciplinary team of five, I fronted the research, development, and execution of real-world drone construction experiments. This partnership secured 80% of the funding needed to acquire the necessary technology for the real-world construction experiment, further underscoring the real-world potential of my research.