Jenny Sabin
Principal and Principal Investigator
Jenny Sabin’s work is at the forefront of a new direction for 21st century architectural practice, investigating the intersections of architecture and science while applying insights from biology and mathematics to design of material structures.
Zeiad Amin
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Zeiad Amin is a graduate student in Design Tech at Cornell with a background in architecture and Computer Science and experience in structural analysis from his work with Chicago-based firms. His current research centres on developing computational design frameworks that merge structural performance with cultural and aesthetic considerations using Machine Learning. He also serves as a teaching assistant for a Coding for Design course and is a former Research Associate at Cornell's Robotic Construction Lab. Recently, he was a co-artist on a CCA grant project on an interactive exhibition exploring how media, particularly images, encode cultural signals through historic textiles. At JSLab, Zeiad leads the HelioSkin project, which innovates a bioinspired solar-tracking building skin in collaboration with engineers, plant biologists, physicists, and industry partners.
Julia Barnoin
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE & Lab manager
Julia Barnoin is a researcher who graduated from the M.S. Design Tech at Cornell University. She specializes in cross-disciplinary work that merges design computation with biomedical engineering. At Cornell University, she leads innovative research on 3D modeling and spatial analysis of single-cell data, collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, and biologists. In parallel with her work on scRNA-seq data, she explores bioinspired, responsive structures using advanced technologies like 4D printing and additive manufacturing.
Madison Feely
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Madison Feely is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell University. Her research includes developing biologically inspired knit structures on manual and computerized knitting machines. Madison is interested in the textile engineering of knit and woven fabrics, and how these can be applied to everyday life.
Lauren Greene
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Lauren Greene is a graduate student in the M.S. Design Technology program at Cornell AAP and holds a B.Arch from the University of Houston. She is a licensed architect in her home state, Louisiana, and is interested in the intersection of technology and craft traditions. Her current research investigates textile techniques and their potential use at an architectural scale to enhance aesthetics, structural performance, and acoustics.
Yuji Kitamura
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Yuji Kitamura is a graduate student under the Masters of Science in Design Technology program at Cornell AAP. Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil and a Florida resident, Yuji holds a b.Arch from Florida Atlantic University, where he gathered experience with computational methods, generative AI in design, and acoustic simulations. From traditional brick and mortar projects, to more theoretical research , he is excited to be part of a team that is pushing the boundaries of what design can do. Yuji's long term goals are to apply and develop the research that was started during his undergraduate studies.
Anita Lin
Project associate
Anita Lin is a graduate of the M.S. in Matter Design Computation (MDC) program at Cornell AAP. Her design and research interests include kit-of-parts construction and customizable building-integrated photovoltaics. Before rejoining JS Lab, she was a procurement and design specialist for premier outdoor recreational spaces and rooftop decks in New York City. Anita currently serves as a project manager for HelioSkin, a newly funded project from the National Science Foundation that introduces bio-inspired, solar-collecting responsive building skins.
Xinlin Lu
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Xinlin Lu, a master’s student in the M.S. Design Technology program at Cornell University with an architectural background, is a Research Associate with JSLab and holds an M.S.D. in Robotics and Autonomous Systems from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include robotic fabrication and computational design. Currently, her work focuses on developing adaptive design and fabrication processes that integrate robotics and machine learning to improve the flexibility of computational design in adapting to various material behaviors.
Cardinal Robinson
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Cardinal Robinson is a graduate of the B.S. in Fiber Science and Design from Cornell University. Specialized in computational knitting, he focuses on projects that involve the integration of novel fiber technology, as well as biologically driven design. Cardinal currently leads an interdisciplinary team of researchers investigating the emulation of morphological biological systems through knit structure design.
Marina Rosolem
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Marina Rosolem is a graduate student in the M.S. Design Technology program at Cornell AAP, and holds a B.Arch from California College of the Arts. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, her research explores digital fabrication and biomaterials at the intersection of technology and traditional building techniques. Her current research investigates sustainable ways to create breezeblocks while using new technologies for a greener built environment.
Jeeya Savani
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Jeeya Savani is a research and design associate in the JSLab focusing on the NSF-funded HelioSkin Project. Collaborating with scientists and engineers, her work finds Nature, Culture, Architecture at its core. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from NMIMS Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Mumbai and a postgraduate Master’s in Science- Advanced Architectural Design from Cornell University, USA. Her current research investigates biomaterials and revolves around developing a technologically sophisticated circular economy.
Hung Ming Tseng
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Hung Ming Tseng is a research associate in the JSLab focusing on the NSF-funded URoL:EN project. Collaborating with biomedical engineers and plant scientists, he develops computational workflows to extract rules from biological data to inform adaptive material design. He has created algorithms for modeling the whole 3D chicken heart as well as techniques for analyzing calcium imaging data. His current research aims to integrate the biological principles derived from both plants and hearts to develop innovative, responsive textile structures.
Chi Zhang
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Chi Zhang, an undergraduate pursuing a B.Arch from Cornell University, is a research associate with JSLab. Chi’s primary research interests reside in digital fabrication and computational design. Prior to joining the team, Chi has worked at Robotic Construction Lab at Cornell as a research assistant and engaged extensively with free-form timber structure design and robotic bandsaw fabrication methods.
Alumni:
Alexia Asgari, Jeremy Bilotti, Eda Begum Birol, Nicholas Cassab, Daniel Cellucci, Omar Dairi, Madeleine Eggers, Shuo Feng, Frances Gregor, Chenming He, John Hilla, Zhenxiang Huang, Jessica Jiang, Colby Johnson, Alexander Kyaw, Ian Limbaseanu, Jingyang Liu Leo, Jasmine Liu, Andrew Lucia, Bowen Luo, Yehong Mi, Martin Miller, Mahshid Moghadasi, Andrew Moorman, Cameron Nelson, Bennett Norman, Giffen Ott, Jack Otto, Yifei Peng, Karolina Piorko, Ivania Rivera, David Rosenwasser, Zada Stuart, Teng Teng, Max Vanatta, Simin Wang, Alexander Wolkow, Daniel Woo, Liangjie Wu, Chisato Yamakawa, Hoon Yoon, Veronika Varga, Viola Zhang