About the Arch // Struct Lab
The Arch // Struct Lab (AS Lab, Thin Architectures and Structures) is a research unit of the Politecnico di Milano led by Professor Ornella Iuorio. Working between architectural design and structural engineering, we develop lightweight, low-carbon and circular construction systems, and use robotics, digital fabrication and computational design to make them buildable, reusable and resilient.
The lab is part of the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC). We focus on optimising thin-walled systems (cold-formed steel, aluminium, shells, variable-geometry and off-site circular solutions) through advanced automation and design for production, so that buildings can be assembled and disassembled efficiently. Reversible, low-impact connections and the durability, reuse and recycling of building components run through all of our work.
Across our research, we develop robotic assembly methods for shell and panel structures, along with the end-effectors and additively manufactured connections they need, and bring modular and cold-formed steel housing from testing to manufacture. A commitment to the circular economy drives our work on design for deconstruction and component reuse, and we also study how housing and infrastructure can recover after disasters.
Our projects are currently funded by multiple bodies including the Erasmus+ program, and previous funding includes the EPSRC, ESRC, Innovate UK, the British Academy and the Worldwide Universities Network. We also work with numerous industrial partners on the development, testing and manufacture of new construction systems. Ornella Iuorio has published more than 140 papers and books. We take our research to the public through exhibitions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale and Milan Design Week, and Ornella chairs the 7th International Conference on Structures and Architecture (ICSA 2027), which we are helping to organise.
From our base on the Politecnico di Milano’s Leonardo campus, we offer our expertise as services to companies, researchers and students, particularly in Milan and across Italy. We can develop design protocols for production, shells and robotic assembly and disassembly; design, optimise and mechanically test cold-formed steel, aluminium and hybrid systems and their connections; and build specialised fabrication tools such as robotic end-effectors. Get in touch to discuss a collaboration.
Group head: Ornella Iuorio
Ornella Iuorio is an Associate Professor in Architectural Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano (IT) and serves as a Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds (UK), where she previously held the position of Full Professor and Chair in Architecture and Structures. As the head of the Arch // Struct Lab (AS Lab), she has established an international reputation for innovations in the sustainable design of lightweight structures and the creation of resilient built environments. Her research explores the transformative potential of computational tools, prefabrication, and lightweight steel systems, specifically focusing on how advanced manufacturing and robotics can facilitate innovative low-carbon and circular construction systems.