Maria Mingallon is a senior bridge engineer with over 15 years of experience. She has a degree in architecture and structural engineering. She has taught at several universities and is currently an adjunct professor. Her areas of expertise include advanced computation, digital fabrication, and parametric design applied to bridge and infrastructure projects.

1. MARIA
Maria Mingallon is a senior bridge engineer with a degree in architecture, specialized in
advanced computation and digital fabrication. She graduated in 2005 and has since worked
MINGALLON
as a structural engineer for the firm of consulting engineers Ove ARUP & Partners, Ltd. In
2009 Maria graduated with Distinction from the MSc program Emergent Technologies and
Bridge Engineer Design at the Architectural Association. She has taught at the AA and is currently part-time
teaching at McGill School of Architecture in Montreal as Adjunct Professor. She directed the
Advanced Computation design and construction of the ContemPLAY pavilion and is currently co-directing the b-
MSc (Distinction) Architectural Association
MEng Structural Engineering, CEng MICE Shack project, both in collaboration with the Facility for Architectural Research in Media and
Mediation of McGill University. In December 2010, Maria published her first book: ‘Fiber
1009 rue de Bleury, ap 1202 Composite Adaptive Systems’ and in August 2012 she co-authored a chapter titled ‘Bio-
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
inspired self-actuating composite materials’ part of the book: ‘Composites and Their
t: +1 514 458 5679
maria.mingallon@gmail.com Applications’.
Qualifications: MSc (Distinction) Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, UK
Emergent Technologies & Design, 2008-2009
MEng Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, UCLM, Spain
5 years degree, 2000-2005
MEng 4th Year, Imperial College, London, UK
Erasmus Scholarship, 2003-2004
Chartered Engineer (CEng) Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK since Sep 2009
Professional Member of Colegio de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Spain since Nov 2005
ing. jr. Membre de l’Ordre des ingenieurs du Québec, Canada since Feb 2013
Experience: Parametric Bridge Components, Montreal, 2013
Programmer and developer of custom plug-ins for GrasshopperTM, in Visual Studio, Vb.net
Senior Structural Engineer 3.5 framework; the tool models different bridges typologies in 3D and runs automated
structural analysis routines, including their rapid prototyping using the 3d printer MakerBot.
Bridges & Infrastructure
In-house Teaching, New York & San Francisco, USA, 2013
Ove ARUP & Partners Ltd Instructor and developer of the Arup internal course: “Algorithmic design with Grasshopper”
imparted as part of the Arup University in the offices of New York and San Francisco.
(sep 2005 – currently)
Nouvelle Autoroute 30, Montreal, Canada, 2009 - 2013
Senior structural engineer responsible for auditing the construction of over 20 bridges
including two viaducts of 1.5 and 2.1km lengths spanning over the St Laurent River and the
Canal de Beauharnois. Main responsibilities were the approval of changes to the design and
the specification of remedial actions for non-conformities among others.
Monument ‘Le Canalier’, Canal de Soulanges, Canada, 2012
Senior structural engineer responsible for the development of a concept for an emblematic
monument for the Soulanges Canal for the municipality Vaudreil-Soulanges. The structure
was modeled and analyzed using parametric design and scripting.
Parracombe Footbridges, Bristol, UK, 2012
Specialist services for the parametric modeling of different bridge typologies during the
concept stage and preliminary studies.
Taichung Tower, Taiwan, 2011
Specialist services for the automated structural analysis and parametric design modeling of a
550m high tower scheme, using GrasshopperTM for Rhinoceros3D.
Heifei Yangtze Skyline Mansion, China, 2011
Specialist services for the automated structural analysis and parametric design modeling for
the concept design of the tower.
London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, UK, 2005 – 2008
Structural Engineer responsible for the detailed design of the footbridges leading to the
London Aquatics Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

2. Academic: the b-Shack, Montreal, 2012 – currently
Design and construction of a beehives observation shack, using parametric design and digital
fabrication; co-director of the project in collaboration with the Facility for Architectural
Research in Media and Mediation (FARMM) of the McGill School of Architecture.
ContemPLAY pavilion, Montréal, 2010-2012
Design and construction of a pavilion, using advanced computation techniques and digital
fabrication; management and coordination of the project in collaboration with FARMM, McGill
School of Architecture.
Theaterhaus Jena, Germany, 2009
Design and construction of an inflatable structure for the Theatre Festival ‘Crash Boom Bau!’
in Jena. EU funded project as part of the Cultural Program for the Bauhaus year 2009, in
collaboration with the AA Interprofessional Studio led by Theo Lorenz and Tanja Siems.
AA Terrace Canopy Project, London, UK, 2009
Design and construction of a canopy for the AA terrace. Main responsibilities were
coordination of the structural design in liaison with Buro Happold engineers, development of
construction sequence and methodology under tight site constraints and a low budget.
Teaching:
McGill University, School of Architecture, Montreal, 2010 - current
Advanced Construction, MArch program. Parametric design and digital fabrication in
architecture.
Architectural Association, London, 2009
Introduction to Design by Scripting (VB), 3-days workshop.
Competitions:
Enneper Pavilion, Finalist
City of Dreams Pavilion Competition, New York, May 2012
Amsterdam Iconic Footbridge
AC-CA International Competition, Amsterdam, March 2012
eVolo 2012 Skyscraper International Competition
Collaboration with MSSM Associates, Jan 2012
fLying seating installation
Seoul International Design Competition, South Korea, 2011
MSD Future Proofing Schools
International Competition, Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Paphos Footbridges
Collaboration with MSSM Associates, Cyprus, 2011
REPEAT
TEX-FAB, Digital Fabrication, Houston, USA, 2010
Taxi Stands
Design Montréal, ‘Les taxis prend ses aires’, Canada, 2010
Wu Zhi Qiao Footbridge, Third Award
Arup internal design competition, (entry no. 57), Mixia, China, 2010
Lectures (selected):
TEX-FAB, Digital Fabrication Alliance, ‘Advanced Computation for Total Architecture’,
Dallas, TX, USA, February 2013.
Café des Z’Architectes, ‘L’architecture paramétrique: vers quels futurs?’ organised by la
Maison de l’architecture du Québec, Montreal, Canada, February 2013.
Brown Bag Lecture Series, McGill University School of Architecture presents: Maria
Mingallon, Montreal, Canada, March 2012.
ACADIA, Responsive Information and Variations in Architecture, Peer Reviewed
Exhibition: ‘Fibre Composite Adaptive Systems’, New York, USA, October 2010.

3. Awards: IRHA Award, 2013
The Working Models Forum: A Fabricating Aesthetics Initiative
MMOT, SSHRC Research Creation Grant in Fine Arts, 2011
Modelling the Methodologies of our Time
Awarded ‘Gerald Sheff Visiting Professorship’
Excellence in part-time teaching, McGill University School of Architecture, June 2011.
MSc Distinction for thesis: 'Fibre Composite Adaptive Systems'
Emergent Technologies and Design taught by Mike Weinstock, Michael Hensel and Achim
Menges, Architectural Association, London, UK. November, 2009.
EC Erasmus tuition scholarship
Imperial College, London, UK, 2003-2004.
UNIÓN FENOSA, First Award, UCLM
Urban Planning project: 'Industrial Sector Larache, Ciudad Real', Spain, March 2003.
SIKA, S.A., Third Award, National Contest
'Construction project of an egg-shaped sludge treatment plant', Spain, June 2005.
Publications (selected):
‘Composites and their applications’, edited by Ning Hu, Chapter 15: ‘Bio-Inspired Self-
Actuating Composite Materials’, InTech, ISBN 978-953-51-0706-4, Published: August 22,
2012.
ASME, Biomimetics in Architecture, ‘The Architecture of the dragonfly wing: a study of
the structural and fluid dynamics capabilities’, Denver, Colorado, USA. November 2011.
‘Fiber Composite Adaptive Systems: A manifesto into self-actuating potentials of fiber
composite structures embedded with shape memory alloy actuators’, published by LAP
Lambert Academic Publishing; ISBN-13: 978-3843367257, December 14, 2010.
SimAud, ‘Associative modelling of Multiscale Fibre Composite Adaptive Systems’,
Orlando, FL, USA, April 2010.
Committees:
Digital Fabrication Alliance, Arup delegate in North America, since November 2012.
Technical reviewing committee for SimAud, Symposium for Simulation in Architecture and
Urban Design in North America, since December 2011.
Languages:
French, English and Spanish – fluent in writing and oral expression
Software:
Structural Analysis: Oasys GSA, ANSYS, SAP
Calculus: MATLAB, Mathematica, Microsoft Excel COM interface
Programming: Visual Studio, Vb.net, Vbscript, Java, Processing, GrasshopperTM, custom
components in GrasshopperTM, developer of export/Import custom links
3DModeling: Rhinoceros3D, 3DStudio Max, AutoCAD, Microstation, REVIT, 3D printing
General: Microsoft Office, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Fireworks.