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Maria Paz Gutierrez is associate professor at University of California, Berkeley, a registered architect and researcher focused on nature and multifunctional material systems aimed at addressing pressing 21st century environmental and socioeconomic challenges.
In 2008 she founded BIOMS, a new interdisciplinary research initiative intersecting architecture and sciences as bioengineering to integrate principles of design and biophysics. BIOMS develops next-generation material systems through funded research on biologically inspired technologies developed in collaboration with bioengineering and civil/environmental engineering. She is recipient of various research grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the area of sustainable building systems innovation.
Gutierrez became registered in Chile in 1998. Her independent built work includes the R.W. School Playspace and BFHS Plaza in Philadelphia, and Grant House, Niteroi, Brazil. She previously taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, and Universidad Finis Terrae, Chile. She is a member of the National Institute of Building Sciences (High Performance Building Council) and a panel reviewer for the National Science Foundation, where she oversees biologically inspired sensors and actuators at the CMMI division. Her work has been exhibited and published nationally and internationally. These include Architecture Responsiveness (Riverside Press, 2006) and Environmental Tectonics: AA Agendas No.6.
Gutierrez is recipient of the 2006 Best Interior Design Award - Interior Design Magazine (ECCB) for Bayhealth Maternity, Dover, DE; the AIA Academic Medal (First Prize); Spayd Design Prize; and a semi-finalist of 2006 PHL International Airport walls competition. In 2009 she received the Helman Faculty Award at UC Berkeley in recognition of her promise of research distinction, and the Blue Award 2009 First Prize - Sustainable Building Systems category (supervisor), a prominent International Competition organized by the University of Vienna, Austria. In recognition of her teaching and research originality she received the ACSA 2010 Creative Achievement Award (HM). Gutierrez is recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation EFRI-SEED Award 2010 for research innovation in sustainable building technologies based on microengineering principles. She is the first architect ever (principal investigator) to receive this award. Gutierrez has two inventions currently on patenting process.