Back to School: Beginner Bundle

Abhishek Jain is an architect from India and holds a Master’s degree from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), Barcelona. Over the past few years, he has been deeply engaged in exploring modular design through the integration of computational design systems and BIM.He has contributed to projects across a wide range of scales and typologies—including residential, institutional, transportation, and healthcare—on a global level. Currently, he is part of the team at Zaha Hadid Architects in London.Abhishek’s work focuses on the intricacies of design and emphasizes the use of cutting-edge tools and technologies to enhance the design process. He has also taught at various academic and professional platforms, where his research delves into the application of parametric modeling and BIM workflows to optimize form, efficiency, and methodology in architecture.

As an architect, speculative artist and computational designer from Austria, Mümün Keser places himself in the bridge between real and virtual and tries to intertwine these two opposing areas. He is known for his interests in data-driven design techniques and experimental spatial investigations. His most recent works contain various series of architectural designs that are mainly concerned with bringing media into architectural expression and the search for contradictory processes that lead not only to a design outcome, but also to particular experiences. He received his master’s degree from the University of Innsbruck and is currently under contract as a research assistant and lecturer at the Institute for Experimental Architecture and Building Construction under Prof. Marjan Colletti and Prof. Karolin Schmidbaur. In addition, he works as a freelance designer, educator and artist. He held workshops for numerous people in various fields for many different organisations and universities such as University of Innsbruck, IAAC Barcelona, UCL Bartlett London and Futurly. Furthermore he had the opportunity to exhibit his works in major cities like New York City, Berlin, Miami, Vienna, Istanbul, and Tokyo.

Ignacio Revenga is a Spanish architect based in New York and holds a Master's in Architecture from ETSAM - Higher Technical School of Architecture of Madrid, Polytechnic University He is the founder of Topomorpho, a design lab specializing in computational protocols and experimental architecture through emerging technologies and computational thinking. His work dissolves the boundaries between art and architecture through complex geometries inspired by nature and form-finding methods. By integrating mathematics, physical simulations, and biomimicry, he develops architectural solutions that evoke poetic atmospheres, which he refers to as heterotopias. Part of his research has been published in architecture magazines such as UPM and COAM, contributing to the discourse on computational thinking applied to architecture. He has collaborated with educational institutions such as the Polytechnic University of Madrid and Pratt Institute of New York and has worked with renowned international firms like Caza or Theverymany, among others, on projects across the United States, Colombia, the Philippines, and Japan. His work has been recognized and published in Architizer A+Awards, Dezeen, Rethinking the Future, German Design Awards, Archilovers, The Plan, Archello, AIA NY News, Design Icons, BluPrint, Goood, AasArchitecture.

Jacob Lehrer is exploring the future of sustainable architecture, utilizing emerging computational techniques and advanced manufacturing technologies. He began his academic career at Wentworth Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with a concentration in Emerging Technologies. Using Rhino and Grasshopper, he developed systems to create facades, pavilions, and sculptures utilizing Kuka Robotics systems and Wasp robotic clay printing. With a commitment to sustainable design, Lehrer holds three LEED AP accreditations (BD+C, O+M, ND) and believes computation is key to tailoring projects to their specific locations, facilitating a more sustainable development process. His work blends aesthetics and environmental responsibility with a core focus on the natural world. Building on this unique experience, Jacob will attend SCI_Arc starting in August 2025. His distinctive experience with advanced Grasshopper applications informs his approach to teaching the fundamentals of this software. Jacob previously taught the 'Environment-Reactive Computation (with Ladybug)' workshop and the Grasshopper Essential Plugins for Beginners 101 series at PAACADEMY.

Erfan Habibpour is a 3D design and architectural visualization professional with over seven years of experience using Cinema 4D to create innovative and immersive designs. With a background in architecture and extensive work in the automotive and dealership industries, he combines technical expertise with artistic vision to deliver pioneering projects. As a skilled Unreal Engine developer, Erfan specializes in gamifying metaverse projects, pushing the boundaries of virtual environments. A dedicated design seeker, he is passionate about exploring new ways to bring creative ideas to life in both the physical and digital realms.

Cherylene M. Shangpliang is an Architectural Designer currently working at Zaha Hadid Architects in London. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Architectural Association Design Research Lab (AADRL) in London under Patrik Schumacher’s research agenda, “Agent Based Parametric Semiology,” and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, India. Before joining Zaha Hadid Architects, she gained professional working experience at the international office MAD Architects in Beijing, China. Since her time at ZHA, Cherylene has worked on various international competition projects, developing high-end designs for building typologies, interiors, and landscape design. She has previously taught workshops utilizing Autodesk Maya as an architectural modeling tool at the Computational Design: NEXT 3.0 online conference and the Metaplay online workshops in collaboration with DEZACT London. She is passionate about communicating complex concepts in architectural design, with Autodesk Maya being her primary tool for 3d modeling. Her areas of interest lie in parametric modeling, computational design, and generative design methodologies.