Victoria Cotella

Biography

Dr Victoria Andrea Cotella is an architectural researcher and educator specialising in the intersection of digital technologies and heritage conservation. She holds a European PhD in Sustainable Technologies, Restoration, and the Representation of Architecture and the Built Environment from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. Her doctoral research focused on applying machine learning for the reconstruction of architectural components and generative AI visualisation in heritage contexts. Prior to that, she earned a double Master’s degree in Building Engineering–Architecture through a joint programme between the University of Salerno (Italy) and the National University of Córdoba (Argentina), equipping her with a robust interdisciplinary foundation in both architectural design and engineering.

With over six years of professional experience in the private sector, she has worked extensively as a BIM Coordinator and Manager on a wide range of architectural and restoration projects. Her academic profile is complemented by significant teaching experience across design studios, architectural drawing, digital surveying, and the application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in heritage environments. She is currently an Honorary Visiting Researcher at the Faculty of Engineering and Digital Technologies at the University of Bradford, UK, where she collaborates with the Artificial Intelligence and Visual Computing Research Unit. Her research centres on developing machine learning applications for design automation in archaeology and cultural heritage, her principal area of scholarly interest. Dr Cotella has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on topics including digital design, representation, and the integration of emerging technologies in the preservation of tangible heritage. She has actively contributed to international research initiatives and presented her work at conferences across Portugal, the UK, India, the USA, and the Middle East, with a particular focus on Jordan. She has also gained valuable experience in Horizon proposal writing. Her professional advocacy centres on advancing the role of digital technologies in heritage conservation and fostering social inclusion in fragmented urban settings.

Research

Dr Victoria Andrea Cotella’s research explores the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and architectural heritage, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive innovation in the built environment. Her work examines how emerging technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and AI can enhance the documentation, analysis, and adaptive reuse of cultural heritage while promoting ethical and human-centred design practices.

She is particularly interested in developing frameworks that link computational design, data-driven decision-making, and environmental sustainability to support the resilience of both historic and contemporary architecture. Through interdisciplinary research spanning architecture, computer science, and digital humanities, she investigates how digital technologies can bridge cultural, social, and ecological challenges.

Dr Cotella’s current projects involve the application of AI-enabled digital systems in heritage conservation, sustainable housing, and community mapping across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Her research aims to advance the integration of technology, culture, and ethics in architectural innovation, contributing to a more inclusive, empathetic, and sustainable digital future.

Teaching

• Digital Technologies in Architecture: Integration of BIM, HBIM, AI, and digital twins in design, documentation, and heritage conservation.
• Architectural Representation and Visualization: Advanced 2D/3D drawing, computational geometry, and generative design using Revit, Rhino, and Grasshopper.
• Digital Surveying and Heritage Documentation: Photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), and point-cloud processing for heritage and archaeological applications.
• Design Communication and Parametric Design: Visual storytelling, data-driven design, and representation strategies for conceptual and technical design.
• Sustainable and Inclusive Design Education: Pedagogical approaches linking emerging technologies to cultural identity, climate adaptation, and social inclusion.
• Interdisciplinary Research and Studio Pedagogy: Bridging architecture, engineering, and digital humanities through project-based learning and collaborative teaching.

Professional activities

Publications