- Oxford Academia at:
- 2026 Sessions:
July 3–16, 2027
July 31–August 13, 2027
- Eligibility:
- Typical Seminar Size:
In this seminar, explore how we interact with space through hands-on exercises paired with critique sessions, small-scale construction projects, and guest designers. Dive deep into topics centered on utility and aesthetics with drafting and historic styles. Throughout the session, explore how the concepts of design and sustainability are inextricably linked, and increasingly so. Delve into the innovative world of eco-conscious design, where aesthetics and environmental responsibility harmonize. Gain insights into sustainable building materials, energy-efficient technologies, and sustainable urban planning. Discover how architectural design can be a catalyst for positive environmental and social change, addressing pressing global issues. Learn how the concepts of use cases, impact studies, material life cycles, and functional aesthetics overlap and inform both products and policies focused on design.
FEATURED FACULTY
University of Oxford, M.St., Film Aesthetics
University of Vienna, M.Sc., Cognitive Science
King’s College London, M.Sc., Neuroscience
University of Novi Sad, M.Arch., B.Arch., Architecture
An engineer of architecture and a neuroscientist, Mihaela is an intellectual polymath with both architectural design and project management experience, as well as research experience in brain sciences. Her studies span multiple disciplines—including cognitive science, neuroscience, aesthetics, AI, and architectural engineering—and her current work aims to integrate architecture with cognitive and behavioral sciences to explore the complex and fascinating relationship between humans and their (built) environment. Mihaela is the former Director of Strategy and Development at The Oxford Foundation for Theoretical Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. Until recently, she was the Convenor at the Martin Centre at the University of Cambridge and a Mentor at Engineers Without Borders. She is a researcher and consultant based in London and is working on her first book. Since 2014, she has delivered her innovative academic program in architecture, the Oxford School of Architecture (OSA), to students during the summer at Oxford University, along with programs in AI, ethics, engineering, psychology, and neuroscience.