Projects per year
Personal profile
Scholarly biography
I have participated in and led research initiatives, projects (pure and applied) and multi-disciplinary research teams since I was working in professional practice throughout my entire academic career. My research and scholarly roles include the co-founder and director of @BEACON (Advanced Technologies in the Built Environment, Architecture and CONstruction) research group, founder and immediate past director of BERG (Built Environment Research Group), founder and director of Digital Construction Lab, at School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, UK, co-founder and chairman of NoNames Design Research and Studies, founder and director of MAVRiC (Mixed, Augmented and Virtual Reality inter-Connected) research group, an academic member of EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology (SEAHA), a joint initiative between UCL, University of Oxford and University of Brighton to establish an infrastructure to meet challenges set by the heritage sector, industry and government, and a British Council Fund Reviewer. I also serve as a founding member, member of scientific and/or organising committee of several international conferences, including:
- International Conference on Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society
- International Conference on Zero-Energy Mass Custom Homes
- International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management
- MCPC World Conference on Mass Customization, Personalization, and Co-Creation
- Association of Researchers in Construction Management Conference
and as a reviewer in several academic journals, including:
- Applied Energy, ISSN: 0306-2619
- Sustainable Cities and Society, ISSN: 2210-6707
- Journal of Building Engineering, ISSN: 2352-7102
- Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, ISSN: 0265-8135
- Journal of Architectural Engineering, ISSN: 1076-0431
- Journal of Architectural Engineering and Design Management, ISSN: 1745-2007
- Journal of Automation in Construction, ISSN: 0926-5805
- International Journal of Construction Management, ISSN: 1562-3599
- Facilities, ISSN: 0263-2772
- Journal of Facilities Management, ISSN: 1472-5967
- Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building, ISSN: 1837-9133
- Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, ISSN: 1364-6826
My research publications have recieved several awards in different international conferences including:
- The Frontiers Best Paper Award for Building Performance and Evaluation, SEEDS2018 International Conference, Dublin, Ireland.
- SEEDS Best Paper Award in the Built Environment, SEEDS2016 International Conference, Leeds, UK
- RICS Best Paper Award for Sustainability, ARCOM2015 Annual Conference, Lincoln, UK
- CIOB Best Technical Paper Award, SEEDS2015 International Conference, Leeds, UK
I am also a registered architect (MICEO) with ICEO (Iranian Construction Engeering Organisation) and a chartered architectural technologist (MCIAT) with CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) where I serve on professional membership assessment panels, as a judge for student competitions and also as an educational officer to the CIAT Region 10 (South East Region).
Approach to teaching
As an educator, I have a long and sustained history in pedagodgy of architecture, architectural design/ technology/ engineering as well as ICT/BIM in the AEC subject areas where I have taught individuals, small groups and large groups at UG/PG/PGR levels in three different continents. I firmly believe that teaching is a very personal journey for learners and that they should be supported and provided with the means and practical solutions to be able to build their very own approach to it. Therefore, my teaching style is dynamic where I utilise innovative methods reinvigorated by technological tools and solutions to motivate and encourage the learners to find and develop the most suitable and personalised approach in their learning endeavour.
I have reviewed, restructured, evaluated, (re)designed and delivered new modules and courses over the years where institutional milestones, PSRBs' benchmarks and individual needs, requirements and preferences needed to have been responded to and met.
Research interests
As an architect, urban designer and architectural technologist my research spans over a variety of areas but above all has a Multi-, Cross-, Inter- and Trans-disciplinary nature. As a designer I am interested in design research generally and design research in the fields of architecture and urbanism specifically. As an architectural engineer my research investigates the drivers, requirements, benefits and responses to deployment of advanced technologies in Architecture, the Built Environment and Construction, and triangulates people, information, technology and environment to find out the most viable and highly acceptable solutions to the problems in the field. My work involves both hard and soft technologies to achieve this goal.
I am particularly interested in (Mass) Customisation, Personalisation (which formed the main theme for my Doctorate (PhD) at School of Architecture, University of Sheffield), Co-design and Co-creation of Values building upon and furthering the capacities and benefits new and emerging technologies can offer in the AEC industry. My other areas of interest include: Technology and design of building/urban facades, BIM (Building Information Modelling)/BEM (Building Energy Management)/BES (Building Energy Simulation), OSM (Off-site Manufacture)/OSC (Off-site Construction)/OSP (Off-site Production), Prefab and MMC (Modern Methods of Construction), AR (Augmented Reality)/MR (Mixed Reality)/VR (Virtual Reality), LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)/LCC (Life Cycle Costing).
Supervisory Interests
I have supervised seven PhDs to successful completion in:
- Operational performance and life cycle assessment of double skin façades for office refurbishments in the UK
- Integrated Façade Systems for highly- to fully-glazed office buildings in hot and arid climates
- The judgement process in architectural design competitions as a deliberative communicative practice
- Urban Management in Post-Conflict Settings: The Case of Baghdad, Iraq
- Managing sustainability through architectural design decision processes: influences of values and frames
- Critical success factors for integration of value, financial risk, and environmental management systems in medium-sized design and build projects
- A future-proof cultural heritage: Responsible, safe, and effective retrofit measures for traditional listed dwellings
I have two more PhD students at different stages of their studies working on smart cities.
I am interested in taking on new PhD students in following areas:
- Digitality in architecture, the built environment, and construction
- Smart(ness) at building, community, city and regional levels
- IoT (BIM, aerial/UAV scan, point cloud scan to BIM) for Facilities Management, Urban Regeneration / Restoration and Cultural Heritage Preservation
- Design Research and Design Theory
- 3D printing and additive manufacturing for post-disaster fast recovery/relief
- Off-site Manufacture for construction, Prefabrication, MMC
- (Mass) customisation, personalisation, modularisation, standardisation, industrialised building systems, and automation in the AEC industry
- Building kinetic, double-skin and integrated facade systems (energy, lighting, indoor comfort, carbon footprint, environmental impact, technology and design)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, MASS-CUSTOMISATION: THE APPLICATION ON DESIGN, FABRICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION (DFI) PROCESSES OF BUILDING ENVELOPES, University of Sheffield
Sept 2003 → Sept 2008
Award Date: 16 Dec 2008
Master, Urban Regeneration of Bahaarestan Square, Tehran, Iran, University of Tehran
Sept 1988 → Sept 1996
Award Date: 3 Sept 1996
External positions
External Examiner for BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, Middlesex University, Middlesex University
1 Oct 2022 → 30 Sept 2026
External Examiner for BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, Birmingham City University
1 Jan 2022 → 31 Dec 2025
External Examiner for BSc (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology, Cardiff Metropolitan University
15 Dec 2020 → 14 Dec 2024
External Examiner for Advanced Professional Diploma/MSc Managing Sustainability, Advanced Professional Diploma/MSc Building Modelling and Simulation, Advanced Professional Diploma/MSc Building Performance & Evaluation, Advanced Professional Diploma/MSc Energy Efficient Buildings, Systems and Refurbishment , Leeds Beckett University
1 Feb 2017 → 31 Oct 2020
Keywords
- NA Architecture
- Architectural Design
- Design Research
- Urban Design
- Facade Design
- TH Building construction
- Off-Site Construction
- Prefabrication
- TS Manufactures
- Mass Customisation
- Personalisation
- TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
- Architectural Engineering
- Facade Engineering
- NC Drawing Design Illustration
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 8 Finished
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TAPAS-DC: Tackling Air Pollution at School - The Dynamic Classroom
Wyche, K. (PI), Aboagye-Nimo, E. (CoI), Smallbone, K. (CoI), Wood, H. (CoI), Berg, M. (CoI) & Piroozfar, P. (CoI)
10/11/21 → 1/12/22
Project: Research Councils / Government Depts.
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The application of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry
Piroozfar, P. (PI), Farr, E. R. P. (CoI), Essa, A. (CoI) & Boseley, S. (CoI)
1/01/16 → 31/12/17
Project: Research
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Round Hill community project
Madgwick, D. (PI), Aboagye-Nimo, E. (CoI), Wood, H. (CoI) & Piroozfar, P. (CoI)
1/01/16 → 31/12/18
Project: Research
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PODIT: Post-Occupancy Design Information Toolkit
Piroozfar, P. (PI), Adeyeye, K. (CoI), Winstanley, G. (CoI) & Rosenkind, M. (CoI)
1/01/11 → 31/12/13
Project: Research
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Developing GDL-scripted building components to optimise offsite manufacture with Passivhaus architecture
Piroozfar, P. (PI) & Sutherland, K. (CoI)
1/01/11 → 31/12/13
Project: Research
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An Experimental study on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Traditional Rubble Stone Construction in the South-East of England
Menconi, M., Alam, M., Piroozfar, P., Lee, H. & Leake, M., 2 Jul 2024, (Accepted/In press) Proceedings of Heri-Tech: The Future of Heritage Science And Technologies Conference . Springer, 17 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Conference contribution with ISSN or ISBN › peer-review
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Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry 4.0 and Beyond: Building Construction Automation through 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Toward Lower Environmental Impacts
Piroozfar, P. & Farr, E. R. P., 11 Nov 2024, The Routledge Companion to Smart Design Thinking in Architecture & Urbanism for a Sustainable, Living Planet . Kanaani, M. (ed.). London: Routledge/Taylor & Francis, p. 643 651 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Chapter › peer-review
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Blockchain Technology for Smart Thinking: The Intangible Digital Assets for AI-enabled Monitoring and Improving Process Performance and Reducing Building Impacts on Ecology
Farr, E. R. P. & Piroozfar, P., 11 Nov 2024, The Routledge Companion to Smart Design Thinking in Architecture & Urbanism for a Sustainable, Living Planet. Kanaani, M. (ed.). London: Routledge/Taylor & Francis, p. 183 190 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Chapter › peer-review
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Enhancing efficiency and sustainability in construction: a product configurator for customizable off-site building solutions
Shafiee, S., Piroozfar, P., Forberg, L.-F., Hansen, H. N. & Farr, E., 3 Dec 2024, In: Architectural Engineering and Design Management. p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Game On: Level-up. City for Gamers
Piroozfar, P. & Farr, E. R. P., 15 Nov 2024Research output: Non-textual output › Exhibition
Activities
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The Judging Panel, AT Student Award: Projects (CIAT) (External organisation)
Piroozfar, P. (Member)
31 Jul 2024 → 22 Aug 2024Activity: External boards and professional/academic bodies › Personal board membership of professional/academic bodies
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The Judging Panel, AT Student Award: Projects (CIAT) (External organisation)
Piroozfar, P. (Member)
27 Jul 2023 → 24 Aug 2023Activity: External boards and professional/academic bodies › Personal board membership of professional/academic bodies
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External Examiner: BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, Middlesex University
Piroozfar, P. (Examiner)
1 Oct 2022 → 30 Sept 2026Activity: External examination and supervision › Taught course
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Digitality: A new era or an historic U-turn?
Piroozfar, P. (Presenter)
1 Sept 2022Activity: External talk or presentation › Invited talk
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External Examiner: BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, Birmingham City University
Piroozfar, P. (Examiner)
1 Jan 2022 → 31 Dec 2025Activity: External examination and supervision › Taught course