Spotlight on…

Dr Eleni Toumpanaki, Co-investigator, University of Bristol

What’s your current role at your institution?

I am a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Bristol, with responsibilities spanning both teaching and research. My research focuses on sustainable construction materials, with particular emphasis on timber structures, durability, and structural resilience. In teaching, I serve as Programme Director for the MSc in Structural Engineering and contribute to several units, including Advanced Structural Materials and Design, Sustainable Architecture and Design, and the MSc Design Project. I have also served as an Associate Editor for journals published by ASCE and Elsevier and am a member of the British Standards Institution (BSI) Technical Committee B/525/5 on the Structural Use of Timber.

Which past experiences have helped you the most in your current role?

I have worked in interdisciplinary environments in both industry and academia. At Foster + Partners, I collaborated with architects, environmental engineers, and specialist consultants to deliver integrated design solutions from concept through to detailed documentation. My interest in interdisciplinary work was further strengthened during my postdoctoral role at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Natural Material Innovation, where I worked with chemists, biochemists, and mathematicians on timber research from the nano to the building scale. Beyond the technical and scientific aspects of my research work, these experiences taught me to think beyond disciplinary silos and approach challenges holistically. This is now reflected in several aspects of my teaching and research.

What excites you about the research in the Transforming Homes project?

Transforming Homes is an excellent example of authentic interdisciplinary work, bringing together architects, scientists, engineers, communities, non-profit organisations, industry partners, and, most importantly, end users to deliver tangible, sustainable retrofit solutions for the existing building stock. What excites me most is the project’s strong social impact. By placing communities and end users at the centre of the co-design process, it creates space for people to share their lived experience and articulate what they need for their homes to better support their lives. We spend a large proportion of our daily lives at home; it is our shelter, and our experience has a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing. In addition, the application-driven nature of the project, with real demonstrator homes that translate research into practice and deliver immediate learning and impact, makes it a particularly unique opportunity.

How is your expertise contributing to the Transforming Homes project?

With experience in curriculum development focussing on industry-led skills, I led WP7 on skills and training. As a structural engineer specialising in bio-based materials and timber structures—including circular economy principles and material durability—I also contribute to the co-design activities across other work packages and to assessing the long-term performance of timber fasteners for external wall insulation retrofit solutions.