Guillermo Sanchez Sotes

Dr. Guillermo Sanchez Sotes is a Madrid-based chartered architect and Lecturer at the Manchester School of Architecture, part of Manchester Metropolitan University. His office is located at Manchester Technology Centre 3.02b, and he can be contacted at g.sanchez.sotes@mmu.ac.uk. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool (conducted at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China), where his research focused on the merits of cross-disciplinary appropriations of natural scientific theory in architecture.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool (based at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China)

Dr. Sanchez Sotes' research primarily explores the intersection of architecture with systems theory, particularly focusing on the appropriation of autopoiesis theory in architectural discourse. His work examines how theories from natural sciences are transferred across disciplines and their merits in architectural theory development. He investigates cross-disciplinary appropriations of natural scientific theory in architecture with a specific focus on the theory of autopoiesis developed by Chilean neuro-biologists Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, and Ricardo Uribe. His research also extends to urban analysis, as evidenced by his work on Kowloon Walled City, where he employs visual documentation methods for social urban analysis.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on theoretical frameworks in architecture, with particular attention to how architectural theory borrows and adapts concepts from other disciplines. A significant portion of his work critically examines Patrik Schumacher's application of autopoiesis theory in "The Autopoiesis of Architecture," analyzing the merits and implications of such cross-disciplinary theoretical transfers. His methodological approach combines discourse analysis, close reading, visual interpretation, and "inference to the best explanation" to evaluate theory appropriation in architectural research.

Dr. Sanchez Sotes has received multiple scholarships and grants that have supported his research and teaching activities. He has collaborated with various international architectural firms, including Izaskun Chinchilla Architects, and is the co-founding partner of Chubby Lab design studio, which operates at the intersection of culture, technology and research across multiple disciplines.