reduced energy bills for occupants, and.

Mamoura is a director and founding member of Bryden Wood’s Creative Technologies team where she leads work on algorithmic design and simulation.She began her career as an architecture student in Athens, before advancing to an MSc in Adaptive Architecture and Computation from the Bartlett, UCL.

She says that this experience has led to a ‘deep interest in algorithmic design and new technologies in engineering.’.Her initial computational design work for Foster + Partners saw her involved with major international projects, including the New International Airport of Mexico City, a role she says allowed her to ‘experiment with the algorithmic approach to architecture, focusing on complex geometries for large scale projects,’ and which, ‘involved automation of design processes through the whole project lifespan from concept to detailing.’.Maria says that currently, working at Bryden Wood has allowed her to ‘focus on the core of her interest,’ where she is actively engaged in pushing the boundaries of data-driven design.. For the past twelve months, Mamoura has led the development of the company’s ‘Rapid Engineering Model’ (REM), which Board Director Phil Langley describes as ‘a radical and disruptive new approach to automated design for Highways England, developed by Bryden Wood Technology Ltd. for the Smart Motorways Programme (SMP).’.

Assembled from a range of different technologies, rather than a single piece of software, REM is ‘digitally driven and collaboratively enabled,’ comments Langley, which means that ‘SMP schemes can be designed automatically - in a much smarter and faster way.’.Langley commends Maria’s role at the helm of the multidisciplinary project team, comprising a diverse range of specialists from architects, engineers and computational designers, to GIS specialists and other software developers.

‘This requires not only a deep understanding of many different design disciplines and digital platforms,’ he says, ‘but also a considerate approach to organising and managing diverse team members, who all benefit from Maria’s technical rigour and creative outlook, which has helped build a unique, rich and inspiring project.’.

Maria credits her individual ‘way of thinking,’ taking initiative and pushing projects in ‘a more ambitious direction,’ as the primary factor behind her success at Bryden Wood.. ‘As a matter of principle,’ she says, ‘I weigh creativity and innovation far above a task-based approach to work and my key contribution comes through bringing all these elements together in one piece.’ Whilst Mamoura is acknowledged as a natural leader, she appreciates the importance of teamwork and expresses her belief that the first point of importance is actually, ‘respect to the individuals,’ and an ‘understanding that everyone is unique.’.It’s important to acknowledge that, and to trust that working together will lead to the best solution..

There are other benefits as well.Swapping one's normal, corporate working environment for a more interesting design office, liberates thinking and democratises the process.

Remote working too creates more equality in status.At Bryden Wood, we dedicated an entire floor of our office to collaborative working.