Maria Mingallon

Maria Mingallon is a chartered structural engineer with a degree in architecture. Her research interests are complex geometries, emergent technologies, form-finding and biomimicry. She graduated in 2005 in Civil Engineering from UCLM in Spain and obtained a scholarship at Imperial College, London. Maria joined Arup in 2005. Among other projects, she designed two footbridges leading to Zaha Hadid’s Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympic Park. In 2008 Arup sponsored Maria’s master’s degree in Emergent Technologies and Design at the Architectural Association from which she graduated with Distinction. Maria teaches Advanced Construction and a Community Design workshop at McGill University School of Architecture. She has re-developed the programme for these courses with great success, receiving the Gerald Sheff award for part-time teaching. She is also on the reviewing committee for the Symposium in Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design. In 2010, Maria published her first book: ‘Fiber Composite Adaptive Systems: A manifesto into self-actuating potentials of fiber composite structures embedded with shape memory alloy actuators’. She plans to continue specialising in emerging technologies that will make sustainable design and affordable fabrication possible. A key part of Maria’s role is to work closely with prestigious universities bringing fresh, innovative ideas back to the firm.