Andres Lira Vigneaux

Andres is an architect, educator, and researcher whose work is centered on reconnecting design with construction. His practice and scholarship are grounded in a critical engagement with material culture, fabrication processes, and the ecological and social dimensions of the built environment. His work spans experimental housing systems, public architecture, and research on emerging construction technologies, with a particular focus on timber and other low-carbon materials.

Prior to joining Utile, Andres led his own practice, where he explored the intersection of construction systems, traditional material logics, and digital fabrication. His projects seek to bridge pre-industrial building traditions with contemporary modes of production, developing hybrid approaches that integrate local materials, craftsmanship, and advanced manufacturing techniques.

Andres is originally from Chile, where he studied and taught for several years at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He later earned a Master in Architecture II from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where he received the SRSP research grant from the Joint Center for Housing Studies. His thesis, “Gentle Densities and Off-Site Construction,” was awarded the JCHS Prize for best paper thesis at Harvard. The same project was subsequently selected for the MIT DesignX accelerator. Andres currently teaches design studios at Northeastern University.

Outside of the studio, Andres can often be found surfing along the mild coast of New England.