معرفی
Laura Maria Gonzalez is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Design Tech at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), Cornell University. Her work bridges architecture, technology, and synthetic biology, with a strong emphasis on innovative making and material exploration.
- Master of Science, MIT
- Bachelor of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University
Her research focuses on computational design, 3D printing, biocemented materials, and the integration of synthetic biology into architectural practice. She explores sustainable and collaborative methods of fabrication, often merging art and science in her projects. Her work has been featured in Nature Biotechnology, Designboom, STIRpad, and Casa Vogue.
Her recent publications and creative work reflect a strong trend in bio-based design and hybrid educational models in laboratory sciences. The 2022 publication in Nature Biotechnology highlights her involvement in global synthetic biology education, emphasizing accessible, hands-on learning frameworks.
Notable awards and fellowships include:
- MIT CAMIT Grant (2022)
- MIT Architecture Fellowship (2020)
- AIA Henry Adams Certificate (2016)
- Stewart L. Brown Award for Design (2016)
Laura has served as a teaching fellow at MIT and a researcher at the MIT Media Lab, and she previously worked as an architectural designer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). She teaches DESIGN 6151: Design and Making Across Disciplines at Cornell. Though no formal grants are detailed beyond the listed fellowships, her project-based work suggests engagement with interdisciplinary funding sources and collaborative networks.
Her solo exhibition Microbes Make Mountains (2023, MIT Keller Gallery) exemplifies her experimental studio practice, where biological processes are harnessed for sculptural and architectural prototyping, particularly using biocemented materials with copper carbonate and iron oxide.
