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Dr Michal Gath-Morad is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Architecture and director of Cambridge Cognitive Architecture. She researches the impact of architecture on spatial cognition and translates behavioural science into evidence-based design tools
Dr. Michal Gath-Morad is a highly specialized Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, where she directs the cutting-edge Cambridge Cognitive Architecture research group. As an architect holding a PhD in cognitive science, her research career is dedicated to establishing a rigorous, evidence-based link between the built environment and the human mind. Her work is organized around three interconnected themes: understanding how architectural design impacts spatial cognition, translating behavioural and cognitive findings into evidence-based design tools, and analyzing how this evidence influences architects’ design processes and outcomes.
Dr. Gath-Morad’s unique interdisciplinary approach is rooted in her comprehensive background, which spans architectural design, computational modeling, and psychological experimentation. She uses sophisticated methodologies, including behavioural experiments in virtual reality (VR), cognitive agent modelling and simulation, and Choice Architecture, to understand how people perceive, navigate, and interact with complex buildings and urban spaces.
Her research outputs, such as “Beyond the Shortest-Path: Towards Cognitive Occupancy Modelling in BIM” and “Visibility Matters During Wayfinding in the Vertical” (published in Nature Scientific Reports), demonstrate her ability to translate abstract cognitive theories into practical tools and principles for architectural and urban design
Her scholarly engagement extends globally through multiple key affiliations. She is an honorary research associate at UCL’s Space Syntax Lab, a hub for the spatial analysis of built environments, and a visiting lecturer at the Chair of Cognitive Science at ETH Zurich, fostering international collaboration between design and computational cognition fields.
Within Cambridge, she is an active member of the collegiate system, serving as a Fellow and Incoming Director of Studies in Architecture and Design at Peterhouse College. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator on research projects such as “Simulation-Powered Co-Design for Resilient Built Environments” (funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation) and “cogARCH: Linking Cognition and Architecture” (funded by ETH innovedum), which aim to integrate simulation and cognitive data directly into the architectural design process, thereby moving architecture toward a true data-driven, user-centric practice. Through her teaching and research, Dr. Gath-Morad is fundamentally advancing the discipline by providing architects with the empirical tools necessary to design buildings that actively support human well-being and intuitive navigation.
Dr. Michal Gath-Morad (BArch, MSc, PhD)
- Position: Assistant Professor, Director (Cambridge Cognitive Architecture)
- Country: UK
- University: University of Cambridge
- Faculty/School: Faculty of Architecture and History of Art
- Department: Department of Architecture
Contact Information
- Email Address: mgg31@cam.ac.uk
- Phone: +44 (0) 1223332976
- Linkedin: Michal Gath-Morad
- Personal/University Profile Page: https://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-michal-gath-morad
Research Interests / Areas of Expertise
- Spatial Cognition and Architecture (Wayfinding, Visibility)
- Evidence-Based Design (EBD) and Design Cognition
- Simulation-powered co-design (Cognitive Agent Modelling in BIM)
- Active Buildings and Cities / Choice Architecture
- Architectural Design Pedagogy and Communication
Scholarship Supervision Availability
Scholarship Supervision Availability: Yes
Current Projects or Publications (Key Publications):
- Journal Article: Gath-Morad, M., et al. (2022). Beyond the Shortest-Path: Towards Cognitive Occupancy Modelling in BIM. Automation in Construction.
- Journal Article: Gath-Morad, M., et al. (2021). Visibility Matters During Wayfinding in the Vertical. Nature Scientific Reports.
- Current Research: Simulation-Powered Co-Design for Resilient Built Environments (Swiss National Science Foundation); cogARCH: Linking Cognition and Architecture (ETH innovedum).
Number of Graduate Students Supervised: Not provided
Scholarship/Funding Opportunities Linked: Swiss National Science Foundation, ETH Innovedum.
Languages Spoken: Not provided
Preferred Intake / Application Window: Not provided
Response Time / Availability Status: Not provided
