Olga is an architectural designer and researcher working with the MaP+S Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). Her primary research lies at the intersection of computer-controlled fabrication and material properties. In her field, Olga is particularly interested in biologically inspired design and is part of the Alive research group working in collaboration with the Wyss Institute.

Olga is an adjunct faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she teaches core design and advanced studios in the department of architecture. She has also taught architectural studios at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), North Eastern University (NEU), and at the Universidad Tecnologica Equinoccial (UTE) where along with her students she researched, designed, and built projects located in the Ecuadorian rain forest.

Olga has over ten years of experience as a designer and project architect in residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Her former professional experiences include being an associate at 3six0 Architecture, and a project manager/architect at Gensler and Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects.

She achieved her accreditation in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2002 with specialization in building design and construction. Olga earned her Master in Design Studies with a concentration in Technology from Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) where she graduated with distinction and was the recipient of the prestigious Daniel Schodek award for her thesis tilted: Anima: Choreographed Matter. Olga earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. She was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Gold Medal for design excellence in 2000.

Website: http://olgaluciamesa.com/