NOMAD-rnd stands for non-standard oriented morphology in architectural design.

Nomad is a hub for educational processes and research on, for, by and with design. nomad was established by Dr Maria Voyatzaki, at the School of Architecture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The hub includes theoretical as well as design work yielded in the recent past on design, material and manufacturing experimentation. This work has been generated in courses, workshops, conferences, and publications in collaboration with research students and teaching assistants as well as through international fora and European Union funded projects. The work featured in the hub considers emergent processes, exploiting existing and inventing new techniques.

Maria Voyatzaki is Professor of Architecture, Anglia Ruskin University, UK (since September 2018) and of architectural design and technology at the School of Architecture of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) since 2001. Maria was founder and Chair of the post-graduate course “Advanced Design: Transdisciplinarity and Innovation in Architectural Design” (September 2015).

Maria’s most recent publication is her book Architectural Materialisms: Nonhuman Creativity, Edinburgh University Press (October 2018). He book includes her essays as well assays by Manuel Delanda, Lars Spuybroek, Kas Oosterhuis, Luciana Parisi, Fernando Zalamea, Jussi Parikka, Mark Burry, Marcos Cruz, Pia Ednie-Brown, Levi Bryant, Vera Buehlmann, Julieanna Preston, and Jen Archer-Martin.

After her graduation as an architect-engineer, Maria pursued her PhD at the University of Bath, School of Architecture (1996) investigating the design process of non-standard architecture entitled “An Insight into the Design Process of Unconventional Structures” that was supervised by Dr Chris Williams and Professor Sir Edmund Happold. Beyond working as a free-lance architect since 1988 in Greece and Europe, she worked for Buro Happold (1993-1996). Whilst practicing and conducting research, Maria worked as an adjunct lecturer at the School of Architecture of the University of Bath. Maria decided to engage further in academia. Prior to becoming a Professor of Architecture at ARU (September 2018) Maria taught for over 11 years in the United Kingdom at Bath and Plymouth University as Senior Lecturer, as a visiting professor for a semester in Denmark (Aarhus School of Architecture) and as professor of design and technology until 2018, at the School of Architecture of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Maria is a confirmed researcher and educator, a proof of which is her recent book “Architectural Materialisms: nonhuman creativity” (Edinburgh University Press, October 2018) and a series of international prizes her students were recently awarded on their final design theses by participating in international student competitions. Namely,

1. Rethinking the Future Awards 2017, final design thesis title: Reinspired Architecture, by Maria Lantavou and Effie Douroudi,
2. ISARCh Awards, final design thesis title: Public Space Revisited: Liquidisation of Thresholds, by Sofoklis Kontakis, 14.12.2017
3. World Architecture Community Awards, final design thesis title: Materia Rediviva, by Aliki Vaina and Eirini Vaina 13.2.2017
4. MEDITERANEAN MIMAR SINAN PRIZE 2016, final design thesis title: Materia Rediviva, by Aliki Vaina and Eirini Vaina
5. Unbuilt Visions 2016, final design thesis title: Assembling Narratives, by Danai Toursoglou Papalexandridou
6. Tamayouz International Excellence Award – Excellence in Graduation Projects, final design thesis title: Choreographing Space, by Dimitra Gkougkoudi and Elli Athanasiadou October 2016