معرفی
Martin Bechthold is the Kumagai Professor of Architectural Technology at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD), serving concurrently as the GSD’s Academic Dean. He holds affiliations with Harvard’s Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. His academic career bridges architecture, materials science, and engineering, with a focus on innovative material systems and design robotics.
Bechthold earned a Diplom-Ingenieur in architecture from RWTH Aachen University and a Doctor of Design from Harvard GSD. He previously practiced architecture in Europe with firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Santiago Calatrava. His research groups, including the Material Processes and Systems (MaP+S) Group and the Design Robotics Group, explore topics like multi-material 3D printing, carbon-negative materials, and biofabrication. He founded the Laboratory for Design Technology to foster industry-academia collaborations.
His research interests span structural innovation, architectural ceramics, and the perception of materials. He has authored seminal works such as Innovative Surface Structures and Ceramic Material Systems, and his peer-reviewed papers appear in Nature Reviews and Advanced Functional Materials. He teaches advanced courses on material systems, design methods, and structural design.
Bechthold’s work emphasizes sustainable technologies and cross-disciplinary design, with projects like the Concrete Origami and Ceramic Futures exhibitions showcasing experimental material applications. He holds patents in material innovation and has curated influential design exhibitions.
