Research Profile

My research focuses on how designers use digital tools to create and interact in both digital and physical spaces. Through teaching and consulting in 3D digital modeling, geometry, and fabrication, I explore new ways of making and how computation affects our relationship to the physical product. This results in a type of interaction design focused on 3D digital tools and computation.

I work with artists, architects, and product designers to realize projects as diverse as interactive art and sculpture, product design, video, data viz and mapping, and architectural spaces. In 2009, I founded Digital Toolbox with Tam Tran, a web resource to help architects with digital media.

Academic

Master of Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University
2017 – 2018

Fulbright Research Grant,CITA, Danish Royal Academy of Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark
2015 – 2016

School for Poetic Computation , New York, NY
2014 Spring

Bachelor of Architecture, Cum Laude, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California
Minors in Spanish and Sustainable Environments
2007 – 2012

Teaching

NYU ITP, Adjunct Faculty, New York
“Sculpting Data with Everyday Objects”, Co-taught with Esther Cheung
2015 Spring

CUNY City Tech, Lecturer, New York
Lead “Modeling for Fabrication” graduate certificate class, with Charlie Portelli
2014 – 2015

Columbia GSAPP, Guest Lecturer, New York
“Integrated Parametric Delivery”, Co-teaching with Mark Green
Exploring interoperability between generative form-making and BIM documentation
2012-2013

Workshops

CITA – Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Modeling for Fabrication Workshop
2015

One Lab New York – Modeling for Fabrication Workshop
NYU ITP Summer Camp – Modeling for Fabrication Workshop
2015

Cal Poly SLO – Parametric Design and Digital Fabrication Workshop Series
2010-2011

Consulting Work

Digital Toolbox Founder and Co-Director
2009 – 2017

Co-founded digitaltoolbox.info, an educational startup for makers which morphed into a 3D design consulting practice for art, architecture, and product design.

Select Clients and Project Roles:

Plastarc Inc. – Spatial Interaction Designer
2014 – 2016

Visualized qualitative and quantitative spatial data, I also gathered interviews and user research on workplace anthropology and provided design recommendations

Jason Krugman Studio – Product Designer
2013 – 2017
Launched a consumer lighting company called Splyt Light in collaboration
Led 3D design and fabrication of “Rhythm and Form” in Bethesda, MD

Alexis Bittar – CAD Designer
2013 – 2017
Jewelry design, surface modeling from hand sketch to production casting

Control Group (now Intersection), NYC Designer
2013
“Workplace of the Future”, design competition, video production
“Reinventing Payphones”, Community Choice Award

Case Inc. (acquired by WeWork), Intern
2011-2012
Beta-tested and authored white paper for Autodesk Vasari 2012 software
Modeled portions of rainscreen for Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Editor of DesignReform and DesignByMany websites

SLC Construction, Laborer to Assistant Superintendent
2005 – 2007, 2010
Internship in Project management in general contracting
Replaced a door threshold at James Turrell’s Roden Crater

Research Projects

Fulbright Research Grant, Denmark – Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Arkitektskolen
“3D: Danish Digital Design: How Digital Tools are Changing Danish Design”
2016

A Bridge Too Far,CITA, Denmark Robotic Incremental Sheet Folding – part of CITA’s Complex Modelling EU-funded research project
2016

CUNY City Tech, Green Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative –
CUNY Career Path Program, Brooklyn, NY
2013

Flatpack Emergency Shelter, Cal Poly, San Luis Obipso, CA, Prof. Robert Arens
Office for Naval Research funding
2010

Exhibitions

2013 Dumbo Arts Fest, Half Story Mountain, Grayson Cox artist collaboration

2012 Cache, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Prof. Doug Jackson
Exhibition focusing on new media and augmented architecture

2010 ‘Do It Yourself’ Design Expo, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Exhibit includes Digital Toolbox as an open source educator and social catalyst

Publications

2016 Adaptive Robotic Fabrication For Conditions Of Material Inconsistency: Increasing The Geometric Accuracy Of Incrementally Formed Metal Panels, FABRICATE 2016. Paul Nicholas, Mateusz Zwierzycki, Esben Clausen Nørgaard, Scott Leinweber, David Stasiuk, Christopher Hutchinson and Mette Thomsen

2016 Adaptive Meshing for Bi-Directional Information Flows, Advances in Architectural Geometry Paul Nicholas, Mateusz Zwierzycki, David Stasiuk, Esben Clausen Nørgaard, Scott Leinweber, and Mette Thomsen

2016 Filigree Robotics, Posthuman Frontiers: Projects for the ACADIA 2016 Conference – CITA, KADK, Copenhagen. >Martin Tamke, Esben Clausen Nørgaard, Scott Leinweber, and Flemming Tvede

2015 Working without Borders: Flexible Workplace in an International Peacekeeping Organization, EDRA CORE 2015 Recipient – PLASTARC. Melissa Marsh, Ingrid Erickson, Cassie Hackel, Scott Leinweber

2012 Prolegomena to a Map of the Internet: Or Where is the Internet?
B. Arch thesis at Cal Poly SLO, self-published

2011 Autodesk BIM Curriculum 2012 Author
Wrote Unit 6 on Performance-Based Conceptual Design with Ryan Lovett

Acknowledgments

2012 Community Choice Award: “Reinventing Payphones Design Challenge” NYC Mayor’s Office
Entry: “NYC I/O: The Responsive City, Control Group and Titan”

2010 bfgc Architects Scholarship

2010-2012 KCPR 91.3fm Disc Jockey

Patents

2016 Multiple Light Bulb Socket Adapter, US 29561973, with Jason Krugman