Director
Professor of Architecture
thanos@gatech.edu

Athanassios (Thanos) Economou is Professor at the School of Architecture in the College of Design, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Economou’s teaching and research are in the areas of shape grammars, computational design, computer-aided design and design theory, with over sixty published papers in these areas. He is the Director of the Shape Computation Lab, a research group that explores how the visual nature of shape can be formally implemented with new technologies to enable new paradigms in visual computation, design automation, creative design and digital heritage. Recent projects include the Shape Machine, a new computational technology that allows shape matching in CAD systems, and Courtsweb, the most significant visual database on Federal Courthouses, sponsored by GSA and US.Courts. Design projects from his studios at Georgia Tech have received prestigious awards in international and national architectural competitions. He has been invited to give talks, seminars, and workshops at several universities including MIT, Harvard, TU Vienna, U. Michigan, KAIST, Chiao Tung U Taiwan, Emory, Seoul National U, Cambridge U, Tsinghua U, UCLA, NTUA, U.Thessaly, U.Aegean, among others. Dr. Economou holds a Diploma in Architecture from NTUA, Athens, Greece, an M.Arch from USC, and a PhD in Architecture from UCLA.

Research Assistant
PhD Architecture Program
2023- Current

Yichao Shi is a doctorate student at the School of Architecture, College of Design, at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received an M. Arch from the Bartlett School of Architecture at the University College London with distinction and a Bachelor in Engineering from Tongji University. His research in design computation focuses on the development of cyber-physical systems for autonomous architectural structures. His coding skills include Python, C#, and Java and his software skills include Rhino, Grasshopper, Blender, Unreal Engine, Unity, MAYA, Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects, REVIT, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch Up, AutoCAD.

Research Assistant
PhD Architecture Program
2024 - Current

Russell Newton is a PhD student in the School of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His current work as a research assistant in the Shape Computation Lab is centered around the continuous improvement and evolution of Shape Machine, the lab's flagship shape grammar interpreter. These efforts include the creation and optimization of algorithms involved in shape embedding, and the improvement and implementation of features within Shape Machine. Russell holds a BSCS and an MSCS from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Graduate Research Assistant
MS Computer Science
2024 - Current

Niraj Kamal Karunanidhi is pursuing MS in Computer Science at Georgia Tech. Previously, he was a Research Software Engineer at Mercedes-Benz R&D, focusing on the development of ADAS and self-driving features, in-house large language models and novel patents in the field. He has delivered keynote speeches and lectures on "Paradigms of Autonomous Driving" and "Scenario Generation" at IIT Roorkee and at Mercedes. He spearheaded the Product Development and Design Direction of one of the largest cross-border student accommodation platforms - UniAcco. He was also a Product Manager at Snaptrude, which is revolutionizing AEC industry through its collaborative in-browser parametric BIM modelling suite. He studied architecture at IIT Roorkee and TU Dresden, where he was the Principal Investigator for Project ADAM, focusing on programmable structures. His architectural experience includes working with Ruairi O'Brien Architects in Dresden, Germany and with Ar. Suhasini Ayer. Notably, his work with Ar. Suhasini, Humanscapes, received the Green Solutions Award at the United Nations COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.

Research Assistant
School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology
2023-2024

Askhin Vemana is a graduate computer science student at Georgia Tech with an extensive background in data science and software development built up in interest-based projects spanning topics from education to politics, with tools like XGBoost, scikit-learn, React, Django, and Firebase. He is especially interested in AI, VR, and the intersection between the two areas. Akshin’s responsibilities in the Shape Computation Lab focus on the reworking of the original Shape Machine code into an object-oriented framework.

Graduate Research Assistant
MS Arch  
2024 - Current
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Zac is a MS Student in Design Computation at the School of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology. From 2021 to 2024, he studied for an M.Arch degree at UCLA AUD, during which he came into contact with Shape Grammar, which he is currently very interested in. He is helping out in the SCI lab at Georgia Tech.

Undergraduate Research Assistant
BS Architecture Program
2024 – Current

Violet Cerbone is an undergraduate research assistant at the Shape Computation Lab, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is interested in the applications of CAD and BIM software in architecture and design, as well as historic preservation and reconstruction. As a member of the lab, she focuses on developing practical applications for Shape Machine in the AEC fields and other industries, gathering potential use cases from industry professionals, and creating tutorials and demos to make the software approachable for designers. Her independent research centers on the applications of shape grammars and Shape Machine in the analysis and reconstruction of ancient buildings.

Undergraduate Research Assistant
BS Architecture Program
2024 - Current

Tianrun (Jackie) Wu is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Shape Computation Lab, School of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology. His work in the lab focuses on the redesign of the SCL website 2.0 to be compatible with handheld technology. Jackie is currently working towards the completion of his BS.Arch at the School of Architecture with a minor in Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Undergraduate Research Assistant
BS Computer Science
2024 - Current
‍
Hartej Singh is a B.S. Computer Science student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with an interest in the intersection of mathematics and computer science. As a research assistant at the Shape Computation Lab, he is actively contributing to the development of a website for the Shape Machine. This project aims to enhance the accessibility of the tool for students and individuals, promoting wider usage and understanding of shape computation principles.

Undergraduate Research Program
BS Architecture Program
2024 – Current

Jingqi (Kiki) Ruan is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Shape Computation Lab, School of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her work in SCL includes producing demo videos to illustrate functions and applications of Shape Machine, designing the interface for the SCL website, and documenting lab news and achievements.  She has expertise in graphic design and is a winner of the 2024 portfolio competition at the School of Architecture. Her independent research focused on the integration of shape computation in the reconstruction of historical buildings. She is also a member of the Solar Decathlon Team at Georgia Tech, which won the first place of single-family housing competition in 2024.