Digital architectural production for social good

A multidisciplinary team investigating the social and environmental benefits of modern methods of construction and digital architectural design
Timber slotted together
This research focuses on the intersections between sustainable architectural design, community engagement and participation, and digital innovation. It explores how modern methods of construction, when embedded in local contexts, can significantly contribute to sustainable housing solutions, skills development, and local economic growth.
 

About the research team

  • We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers and external partners with expertise in architectural design, participatory design methods, product design, digital arts, digital design and fabrication, project construction management, and data science.
  • Our research encompasses technologies and their impacts in society and the environment, and follows a participatory approach. Our work has been funded by the AHRC, Forestry Commission, and EPSRC.
  • We work directly with community groups, housing organisations, academic partners, and industrial networks, ensuring the co-creation of projects and solutions which are relevant, inclusive, and tailored to local needs.
  • Our research methodologies include the development of technology, adoption studies, and participatory methods in partnership with community and industry organisations – such as research in residence, action research, and co-design activities.

Projects

Composite aerial view of Ismir, Türkiye
Modern methods of construction for displaced communities in Izmir, Türkiye
This international partnership aims to scope the adoption of modern methods of construction in the context of the 'tiny house' market
Illustration of a prefabricated house being assembled
Smart contracts for community-led procurement of affordable housing
Developing a novel contractual framework to promote community participation in the delivery of their own built environments
One Hundred Factories timber workshop
One Hundred Factories
Unlocking the collective capacity of local timber MMC manufacturers
Housing construction site in Chile
Modern methods of construction in a world-leading rural housing programme
An implementation case study in Temuco, Chile
Whitleigh community members working on a housing model activity
Neighbourhood-making and community heritage in Whitleigh, ²ÝùÊÓƵ
A demonstrator project on modern methods of construction for community building
Bridport building project
Building with Bridport
Co-design, digital fabrication and sustainable materials for the architectural production of housing futures
 

Recent publications

Veliz Reyes, A., Yilmaz, A., Olmez, D., Bakan, Ö., Burke, R., Carr, A., Kızılörenli, E., Morales-Beltran, M., Pedergnana, M., & Pericic, L. (2025). . Abstract from .
Veliz Reyes, A., Olmez, D., & Carr, A. (2024). . In A. Estevez, & D. Torreblanca-Diaz (Eds.), Proceedings of the SIGRADI 2024 Conference: Biodigital intelligent systems: XXVIII International Conference of the Ibero-American Society of Digital Graphics (pp. 841-852).
Veliz Reyes, A., Carr, A., & Crabtree, T. (2024). . In V. Fors, M. Berg, & M. Brodersen (Eds.), The De Gruyter Handbook of Automated Futures (pp. 339-358). (De Gruyter Handbooks of Digital Transformation). de Gruyter.
Veliz Reyes, A. (2024). . International Journal of Technology and Design Education.
Carr, A., & Veliz Reyes, A. (2024). . In S. Leighton, & E. Barrett (Eds.), Careful Collaborations: Ethics and Care in Cultural Knowledge Exchange and Trans-Disciplinary Research (pp. 26-30). The National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange.
Veliz Reyes, A., & Holmes, M. (2024). . In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 111-117). Springer Nature.
For more publications, view the profiles of the researchers involved:
 

Opportunities for commercial and research collaboration

We invite key stakeholders and potential funders to join us in our mission to drive innovation in place and create a sustainable impact. We offer multiple collaboration pathways, including project and grant collaboration, contract research and consultancy, research in residence, and living labs embedded within community organisations.
For more information and to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact us at alejandro.velizreyes@plymouth.ac.uk
Assembling a timber frame

Partners and funders

Addressing global challenges through the lens of place

²ÝùÊÓƵ's cross-institutional place-based research aligns with government agendas for people and place, as well as UKRI and British Academy priorities.
A critical mass of Social sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy (SHAPE) researchers in collaboration with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) colleagues are tackling global challenges associated with health, marine and sustainability.
Place-based research concept: crowd of people standing on a computer motherboard.