Design x Tech Magazine
BETA is led by a global network of practitioners and scholars who are enthusiastic about design and
technology, with emphasis on investigating the impact of emerging on our future design practices.
Prof. Yuval Kahlon
Co-editor-in-chief
Creating Interactive Immersive Systems
for Design Education and Practice
Prof. Kahlon is an educator, researcher and entrepreneur with interests in design computing and human intelligence. He is both well-versed in current design theories and experienced in developing applications for complex projects in various scales and fields. His teaching focuses on developing literacy among future generations of designers and planners regarding emerging digital technologies. He has trained many professionals by working with institutions such as the Israeli Association of United Architects, as well as with major Israeli architectural design firms such as MYS Architects. His research focuses on the development of interactive environments for design education and practice, using state-of-the art technologies in XR and eye tracking. Kahlon is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan.
Dr. Santosh Maurya
Co-editor-in-chief
Applying Digital Tech to Real-world Issues for Creating Impactful Societal Solutions
Dr. Maurya, a researcher at Hitachi Ltd.'s R&D Group, specializes in digital transformation, catering to Society 5.0's needs through innovative cloud solutions, custom cloud transformations, and future-focused building management systems. Alongside his professional efforts, he engages in academic research aimed at leveraging digital technologies to improve educational environments and professional collaboration. He earned his D.Eng. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where his work integrated immersive technology (MR/XR) and human-centered design to refine early design stages, fostering tangible concept development and collaboration with non-experts. Dr. Maurya is committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation, seeking new partnerships, and applying technology to address societal challenges.
Prof. Christiane M. Herr
Advisory Board Member
Digital Tools Enable New Ways
of Thinking the World
Christiane is a tenured professor at the School of Design, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China. Christiane obtained a Dipl.-Ing. degree from the University of Kassel, her MArch and PhD degrees from The University of Hong Kong, and a Dr.-Ing. degree from the University of Kassel. She founded the Future Ecologies Research Group to examine intersections of ecology and technology in building facades in a cross-disciplinary approach, emphasizing the local context of China. Christiane is Past President of CAADRIA as well as Vice-Chair of CAADFutures and has co-edited the book “Design Cybernetics: Navigating the New” for the Springer Design Research Foundations Series.
Prof. Yasushi Ikeda
Advisory Board Member
Architectural Informatics: Architecture as an Information Medium
Dr. Maurya, a researcher at Hitachi Ltd.'s R&D Group, specializes in digital transformation, catering to Society 5.0's needs through innovative cloud solutions, custom cloud transformations, and future-focused building management systems. Alongside his professional efforts, he engages in academic research aimed at leveraging digital technologies to improve educational environments and professional collaboration. He earned his D.Eng. from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where his work integrated immersive technology (MR/XR) and human-centered design to refine early design stages, fostering tangible concept development and collaboration with non-experts. Dr. Maurya is committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation, seeking new partnerships, and applying technology to address societal challenges.
Prof. Stephen Law
Urban Analytics Editor
Distilling Knowledge from New Urban Data for Designing more Sustainable, Equitable and Liveable Cities
Prof. Stephen Law is an Associate Professor in Social & Geographic Data Science at University College London (UCL). He holds a Bachelor' degree in Economics, a Master's degree in Urban Design, and a PhD on the spatial configuration of the housing market. Prof. Law has served as a Research Fellow and then as a Turing Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, London. His research interests focuses on applying data science techniques (e.g., GeoAI, Computer-Vision, Space-Syntax) to urban design and housing challenges. He has over ten years of consultancy experience at UCL Space Syntax, successfully delivering many urban-design projects in the United Kingdom and abroad, including the redevelopment of London’s Elephant & Castle.
Prof. Michal Gath-Morad
Cognition and Behavior Editor
Decoding the Influence of Architecture on Human Cognition, Behaviour, and Social Interactions
Prof. Michal Gath-Morad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, where she leads the Cambridge Cognitive Architecture research group. Prof. Morad is a registered architect (B.Arch, M.Sc) and cognitive scientist, holding a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from ETH Zurich. Her interdisciplinary research employs methods from cognitive neuroscience to address architectural design challenges, focusing on creating inclusive and legible built environments. Prof. Morad's research revolves around three key themes: (i) understanding how architecture impacts spatial cognition, (ii) translating behavioural findings into evidence-based design tools, and (iii) analysing how evidence influences architects' cognition, design communication, and design outcomes.
Prof. Mark Goudswaard
Digital Prototyping Editor
Developing Tools and Technologies to Help Designers Create Products Faster and Better
Dr. Mark Goudswaard is a lecturer in digital and data driven engineering with specialisation in the area of design and manufacturing at the University of Bristol. His research falls into three overarching streams: (i) people-led engineering; (ii) data-driven product development; and, (iii) advanced manufacturing and production systems. Each of these is recognized as one component of wider socio-technical systems that require input from a variety of disciplines to be adequately understood. Accordingly, Dr Goudswaard's work is transdisciplinary by nature.
Prof. Jiang Zhu
Cyber-physical Tech Editor
Advanced Digitization
using Cyber-physical Technologies
Prof. Zhu worked at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology as a Visiting Professor, at the Technical University of Munich (Germany) as a visiting scholar, and at the University of Minnesota (USA) as a visiting scholar. His current research interests include Intelligent Manufacturing (precision machining, additive manufacturing, micro machining, plastic processing), Laser processing (laser forming, laser coloring, surface treatment), Robotics (intelligent control of robot manipulator, micromanipulation robot, mobile robot, human-machine interface) and Digital Manufacturing (CAD/CAM, process planning, reverse engineering, geometric modeling).
PhD Matteo Belfiore
Sustainable Design Editor
Innovative Design Bridging Cultures:
Shaping Flexible and Sustainable Spaces
Born in 1979, Matteo Belfiore is an Italian architect and researcher based in Tokyo, with over 20 years of experience. He holds the title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for his contributions to architecture. After earning a Master’s in Architecture (2005) and a Ph.D. (2010) from the University of Naples “Federico II” he moved to Japan, where he worked with Kengo Kuma, Nikken Sekkei, and Richard Bliah Associates. In 2017, he founded MB-AA in Tokyo, focusing on innovative, flexible design that integrates western and eastern culture, tradition, and cutting-edge research.
PhD Barak Pellman
Hybrid Craft Editor
Investigating the Evolution of Craft and Design Education in the Digital Era
I am an architect, educator, and researcher specializing in design and craft education and sustainable environmental design. A graduate of Tel Aviv University, I hold a Master’s from the Architectural Association, London, and a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As director of the Hybrid Pedagogy Lab, I explore craft and design pedagogies through ethnographic research and design-based methods. My work focuses on creating innovative tools and methods for teaching craft and design while uncovering shared practices across disciplines such as architecture, industrial design, and ceramics, advancing new approaches to design education.
PhD Lena Dubinsky
Material x Tech Editor
Mobilizing Traditional Knowledge for Developing Advanced Materials and Technologies
Lena Dubinsky (Ph.D.) is a researcher and a Senior Lecturer at the Ceramics and Glass Design Department of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Israel. She combines traditional crafts with computational analysis, digital environments, and advanced materials. She applies traditional and historical material knowledge to industrial production, developing advanced ceramic materials and methods for defense and space applications, as well as new materials for the studio glass industry. She has developed computational analytical methods for technique recognition in archaeology and collaborates with a game development company to create assets using traditional craft techniques. Her work has been exhibited internationally and included in permanent collections, such as the Israeli Parliament and The Design Museum Holon and more.
M.Des. Naomi Collins
Parametric x Art Editor
Exploring the Interfaces
Between Architecture, Art and
Computational Design
Arch. Naomi Collins Julien is a licensed architect, artist, and researcher specializing in tridimensional weaving in architectural design. She holds a master’s degree in architecture from McGill University, where she integrated her background in dance to explore spatial dynamics and movement. Her work focuses on the iterative nature of form finding, blending formal and constructive systems with spatial qualities, functional needs, and sustainable building strategies. Arch. Collins has taught architectural modeling and lighting design and is recognized with awards such as the Canadian Architect Student Award of Excellence. Since 2023, she has worked at Provencher Roy + Associés Architectes in Montreal, creating innovative designs that engage human experience and environmental considerations. Her research investigates how weaving translates movement into spatial form through digital as well as analog processes.