Theo Dounas

Theo Dounas is an Associate Professor at the School of Textiles & Design, Heriot-Watt University. He holds a Doctor of Engineering (PhD) and is a Senior Fellow of Higher Education (SFHEA) and Registered Architect (ARB). His research focuses on architectural design, blockchain technologies in construction, computational design, and sustainable architecture. He is actively involved in the European Council for Computing in Construction (EC3), serving as Chair from 2025 to 2027 and a member from 2023 to 2025.

Education: Doctor of Engineering, diploma in architectural engineering (dip.arch.eng).

Research Interests:

• Blockchain applications in construction and design collaboration
• Immersive technologies for architectural education
• Data governance in decentralized design processes
• Computational design methodologies (e.g., shape grammars, discretization strategies)
• Sustainable urban development and green building certifications

Recent work explores blockchain for digital building logbooks, smart contracts in architectural BIM, and AI-driven design tools. His articles highlight trends in integrating emerging technologies with traditional architecture practices.

Grants & Advising: Accepts PhD students. Collaborations include projects on crypto-twins, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) in AEC industries, and token engineering for construction.

Labs/Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary teams exploring blockchain, AI, and sustainable design solutions.