Dr María Paz Gutierrez
Professor of Architecture. UC Berkley. PhD Centre for Natural Material Innovation (2022) Former Member
Research Expertise and Interest
natural waste composites and additive manufacturing, flood resilience, multifunctional building systems, biologically inspired technologies
Research Description
Maria Paz Gutierrez, Associate Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Program of Architecture at UC Berkeley is an architect and researcher focused on nature and multifunctional material systems aimed at addressing pressing 21st century environmental and socioeconomic challenges. Her research group BIOMS, pioneers the physical and cultural implication of functional natural and living materials. These functional natural materials are designed from the nano to the macro scale to transform the health and resilience of the built environment. Her work has been published in leading scientific journals, including Science and Scientific Reports (Nature), exhibited nationally and internationally, and widely covered in the press, including in Science Nation. Her exhibitions include the Oslo Architectural Triennale 2014 and the Field Museum in Chicago. Gutierrez’s prestigious accolades include the 2010 Emerging Frontiers of Research Innovation Award from the U.S. National Science Foundation 2014 Buckminster Fuller Award semifinalist. Gutierrez is a Fulbright NEXUS Scholar and was appointed as Senior Fellow of the Energy Climate Partnership of the Americas by the U.S. Department of State from 2011-2016. Gutierrez has two provisional patents and a forthcoming book, Regeneration Wall (Taylor & Francis, 2020).