Iuorio Ornella

Ornella Iuorio, is Associate Professor in Architectural Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan (IT). Formerly, she was Full professor and Chair in Architecture and Structures at the University of Leeds, UK, and Program Leader in Architectural Engineering. Professor Iuorio holds a portfolio of funded research projects in excess of 6.5Million Euros, funded by EPSRC, ESRC, Innovate UK and British Academy. She also led a World University Network (WUN_BRIC), and held a fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA). She serves as Vice President of the International Association of Structures and Architecture (IASA) and is currently chairing the 7th International Conference ICSA2027. She serves as Associate Editor for the Journal “Architecture, Structure and Construction”. In recognition of her work, she was awarded as one of the “Top 50 Women in Engineering: “Invertors & Innovators” in 2022, and her work has been exposed in multiple venues, including at Venice Biennale 2023, where she presented “Set in transition” a robotically assembled dry stack self-standing shell.

Career

Laurea (cum laude) in Architecture from University of Naples Federico II.

PhD in "Design, Analysis and Experimentation of Structures" from University of G. D'Annunzio di Chieti, Pescara.

Research

Professor Iuorio has an established reputation in academia and industry for innovations in: sustainable design of lightweight structures, and advanced manufacturing. With her group, AS_Lab, She explores the opportunities offered by computational tools, prefabrication, lightweight steel systems, advanced manufacturing and robotics in creating innovative low carbon and resilient construction systems.

She coordinates the AS_LAB at Polimi.

Selected publications

Iuorio has published more than 100 papers in international journals, conference proceedings and edited books.

Her profile is visible here.

Iuorio O. 2025. From Mass Prefab to Mass Customization. Modern Methods of Constructions from Experimentation to Manufacturing, Book published by SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology.

Iuorio O, Wolf A. Figueiredo B., Knaack, U., Cruz, Paulo J. S. AM Perspectives 2: Research in advanced manufacturing for architecture and construction.

Grants, awards and Honours

2021 – 2024. Prefabs sprouting: Modern Methods of Construction and the English housing crisis (GtR (ukri.org). ESRC grant. Co-I: O. Iuorio. Value: £ 726,000

2021 – 2024. UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre For Mineral-based Construction Materials. EPSRC grant (EP/V011820/1). Co-I: Iuorio. Value: £4,400,000

2021. WUN-BRIC. World University Network to Building Resilience In Construction. PI: O. Iuorio, with colleagues from University of Leeds, University of Auckland, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, University of Ibadan. Research Groups - Worldwide Universities Network (wun.ac.uk)

2020 – 2024. “Exploration of Parametric Design and Robotic Assembly of Shell Structures”, Funded by EPSRC, PI. Iuorio. Value: £75,000

2019 – 2021. NOVA-VIDA: Novel approach for vital infrastructure post-disaster. British Academy – Infrastructure for wellbeing grant. PI: O. Iuorio, Value: £300,000 Novel Approach for Vital Infrastructure Post Disaster | The British Academy

2019 – 2022. Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Ilke Homes. Founded by Innovate UK. PI: Ornella Iuorio, Value: £ 300,000

2019 – 2020. Digital Design and Fabrication, Funded by Laidlaw. PI: O. Iuorio, Scholar: H. Ottmann, Value: £ 10,000

2019. Digital Fabrication of Shell Structures. Funded by EPSRC Summer Project. PI: O. Iuorio, Scholar: E. Pugsley, Value: £3,000

2018 – 2019. Modular Housing, as response to the UK housing Crisis, Funded by ESRC LSSI IAA. PIs: O. Iuorio, A. Wallace. Value: £ 6,000.

2014 - 2015. SUTD-MIT Postdoctoral fellowship Joint program between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Technology and Design, PI: Iuorio, value: $150,000

2022. Top 50 Women in Engineering “Invertors & Innovators”, United by sustainability: the top 50 women in engineering Orgnaized by WES and The Guardian

2022. SEEDS award for the paper “Co-creation and virtual reality for post-disaster reconstruction” Category urban design planning”.

2021. Sir John Fowler Award, awarded by the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) for the impacts made by the KTP project lead by Iuorio, on the industry and society in Yorkshire and Humber.

2021. Equality Diversity and Inclusion winner for the EPS Faculty, University of Leeds.

Community Service

Iuorio serves as Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds, UK.She also serves as Vice President of the International Association of Structures and Architecture (IASA).