Dr Darshil Shah
College Lecturer in Architecture/Design, Associate Professor in Materials in the Department of Architecture
SpecialisationArchitecture and Design
Research interestsDr Shah specialises in natural materials science and technology. Understanding the relationships between materials, society, technology, history and nature, his research aims to design and innovate with natural materials by exploring low-energy methods of manufacture, improving structural performance, introducing multi-functionalities, translating across disciplines and application sectors.
Dr Shah's research and design at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI) imagines the replacement of anthropogenic materials (concrete, metals, plastics) with bio-based materials, such as engineered timber, bamboo, natural fibres and their composites. Examples include a megawatt wind turbine with a wooden tower and flax biocomposite blades, an affordable ankle-foot disability orthosis from recycled plastic waste, an off-grid low-energy house constructed from industrial hemp materials, a room-temperature processing method for silk-like textile fibres, and a green policy that weaves agroforestry and construction in a circular bioeconomy approach enabling aggressive decarbonisation.
Dr Shah's research and design at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI) imagines the replacement of anthropogenic materials (concrete, metals, plastics) with bio-based materials, such as engineered timber, bamboo, natural fibres and their composites. Examples include a megawatt wind turbine with a wooden tower and flax biocomposite blades, an affordable ankle-foot disability orthosis from recycled plastic waste, an off-grid low-energy house constructed from industrial hemp materials, a room-temperature processing method for silk-like textile fibres, and a green policy that weaves agroforestry and construction in a circular bioeconomy approach enabling aggressive decarbonisation.
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