Academic staff

My expertise is in digital manufacturing with focus computational design, DfAM, development of advanced materials through robotic manufacturing using non standard materials such as ultra polymers and composites.

Through subtractive and additive robotic manufacturing, I develop the possibility of directly fabricating building components designed expanding the AEC industry.

Using robotics and automation to break typical constraints and solves common problems, for instance by implementing digital workflow in manufacturing embedded with the design process itself with integration of new materials.

Most recently, I collaborated with the European Space Agency for the development of 3D printed planetary habitat.

I am an Associate Professor in Architecture and Digital Manufacturing at London South Bank University with over 15 years of experience in digital manufacturing and robotics.

Graduated from Architectural Association in London, I trained as an architect working for Dame Zaha Hadid with focus in digital manufacturing processes in construction. In 2013, I secured a fund of £400k from HEFCE for the creation of the Digital Architecture and Robotics Lab (DARLAB) with the scope to examine the changes for architectural production with robotic manufacturing.

As founding director of DARLAB, I have developed consultancy projects for Volkswagen, Astana Energy Expo, Ars Electronica, SCM Group, Veolia, Dyson and Southwark Council exploring research topics Design for Additive Manufacturing, Circular Manufacturing, Large Scale Reinforced Polymer Structures and Robotic Advanced Manufacturing.

In 2018 received a grant from the Knowledge Exchange & Embed Partnership (KEEP+) with Titan Reality Ltd funded by EU Horizon 2020 for the development of a digital manufacturing workflow for immersive acoustic surfaces through robotics fabrication process.

In 2021, the project SCRAM - Sustainable Construction through Robotic Additive Manufacturing - was awarded from EPSRC UKMSN+ to develop a digital work flow using robotics additive manufacturing, machine learning and topology optimization for production of large scale 3D printed protypes in order to demonstrate the potential of recycled based polymers in the AEC industry.

Recent research outputs of the field of robotic additive manufacturing will include a prestigious collaboration with the European Space Agency, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration, for the development of robotic 3D printed planetary habitat using reinforced recycled polymers.

Currently I am CoPI in a research grant for UK Innovate research for the development of circular cementitious products embedding additive manufacturing workflow and in Royal Society research grant for the developing modular interlocking bricks and blocks with the entire waste reuse model in Nigeria and UK.

I am Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and my work has been published, exhibited internationally including Salone del Mobile, Wired, Domus, Royal Academy Summer Show and Italian Trade Agency.

Courses taught

Architecture - MArch

Architecture - PhD

Architect Apprenticeship (Architecture MArch)

Postgraduate Research Supervision

Current

Awarded in the last 5 years

Prizes, awards, and accolades

RA Summer Show - project selected (Jun 2016)

Royal Academy of Arts

The Summer Exhibition, now in its 248th year, is the world’s largest exhibition, and has taken place annually since 1769. Every year thousands of entrants submit works of art and media in all mediums including; painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film.

The event is a great platform for emerging artists, household names and successful artists to come together. Entries to the Exhibition are narrowed down, by a team of Royal Academicians, to 1,000 works for the final show.

Federico’s ‘Woodstream’ has been selected amongst 12,000 submissions for the Exhibition in the section of Architecture. Woodstream is a three-dimensional structure that expresses the complexity of surfaces and volumes using a six-axes machining processes.

The sculpture in scale 1:10 represents the conceptual model of the sculpture developed in collaboration with SCM Group, using complex milling algorithms where the design meets digital fabrication to replace completely hand crafting techniques.

Federico said: “I’m extremely happy to be a part of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, especially with a design that reflects the research and projects currently underway in the Digital Architecture and Robotic Lab at London South Bank University.

“The project was developed using advanced milling techniques with the aim of producing different geometry conditions. The result is Woodstream, a sinuous fluid sculpture where you can read the toolpath from the digital manufacturing process.

“Woodstream is product of a lot of hard work and a lot of experimenting. Now that it’s complete it’s a privilege to be given the opportunity to share this work and knowledge with people at the Exhibition.”