Lars De Laet

Lars De Laet is an Associate Professor at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium, since October 2013. His research focuses on sustainable architectural engineering, including lightweight structures, biological materials, computational design methods, and robotic fabrication. He leads projects on mycelium-based materials and has contributed to national and EU initiatives like the European COST-Action on Structural Skins. He serves on the board of VUB and the Royal Flemish Academy’s Young Academy.

Education: Architectural Engineering background.

Research Interests: Sustainable construction, computational tools for structural design, bio-based materials, prototyping with (bio)materials, and robotic fabrication.

Key Projects: MycoMatters (mycelium materials), House of Sustainable Transitions, and ReciPlyDome (modular structures).

Awards: 2023 Outstanding Research Award, 2008 Tsuboi Award.

Grants & Activities: Over 25 projects, including FP7 and H2020 grants. Active in conferences and exhibitions like I Love Science Festival.

Labs/Teams: VUB’s Architectural Engineering Lab, collaborating with ULB and other institutions on mycelium and sustainable materials research.