Dr Beniamino Polimeni is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Technology, and the Programme Director for the Doctorate in Design (DDes) at the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire, which he joined in 2022.

Before this appointment, he was Senior Lecturer in Architecture at De Montfort University, where he led the MA in Architectural Design, coordinated the second year of the BA in Architecture, and served as Institute Head of Research Students. Earlier in his career, he contributed to the establishment of the AGU School of Architecture as an Assistant Professor (2014–2017). He undertook a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the renowned Aga Khan Programme for Islamic Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (AKPIA@MIT) in 2013.

Dr Polimeni is a UK-registered Architect (ARB), a Chartered Architectural Technologist (ACIAT), and a Registered Architect and Conservation Architect in Italy. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

An award-winning researcher and educator, his work has received international recognition through publications, symposia and funded projects for its interdisciplinary focus on architectural heritage, migration and settlement, and digital methodologies in design. He has published widely, organised international conferences, and contributed to major funded projects.

Dr Polimeni’s work focuses on how built environments carry the imprint of cultural exchange. He bridges architecture, architectural conservation, and design, using visual and digital methods, including digital documentation, to analyse and communicate complex architectural and urban phenomena.

A key strand of his research examines how heritage evolves in response to social and migratory processes, investigating vernacular and cross-cultural architectural traditions. His work is distinctive in connecting historical investigation, field research, and visual representation, producing both scholarly knowledge and design tools.

Alongside this, he develops methods in architectural visualisation and design, including geometric modelling and holographic techniques, and applies them both in practice and in research-led teaching.

A recurring theme across his work is the integration of diverse perspectives, explored through publications, workshops, and collaborative projects funded by bodies such as GCRF, BAP, and Erasmus+. His research has been widely disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and leading editorial publications.
He is an active member of several academic societies, serves as an expert peer reviewer, and contributes as a scientific coordinator and editorial board member for international conferences and journals. He is also affiliated with the Doctoral Education and Academia Research Centre (DEAR), where he contributes to research on doctoral education and academic practice.

As an experienced research supervisor, he welcomes doctoral applications in architectural conservation, visual research methods, and architecture-migration studies.

Selected Research Projects

2019 – Research and Enterprise Fund (DMU): Innovative approaches in architectural representation and design. (Principal Investigator).
2019 – Future Research Leadership Programme (DMU): Development of leadership in architectural research.
2019 – The Architecture of Migration (GCRF Network Project, DMU): Transcultural influences in Mediterranean built environments. (Principal Investigator).
2017 – DMU Engage: Application of Islamic Geometric Patterns for Contemporary Design. (Principal Investigator).
2016 – BAP Project (AGU): Islamic Geometric Patterns in Contemporary Architecture. (Principal Investigator).
2015 – Akbin Valley Survey (Turkey): 3D documentation of subterranean settlements for heritage conservation. (Co-Investigator).
2014 – Historical Quarries of Calabria (UNIRC): 3D-based strategies for environmental and heritage management. (Co-Investigator).
2009–2011 – Crhima Project (UNIFI): Mediterranean subterranean architecture and cultural identity. (Co-Investigator).
2007–2009 – Spazi e culture del Mediterraneo (UNIRC): Mediterranean architecture, landscapes, and heritage. (Co-Investigator).
2005–2007 – Luoghi Mediterranei (UNIRC): Multi-scale representations of Mediterranean architecture, cities, and landscapes. (Co-Investigator).

Beniamino maintains a strong profile of engagement with professional bodies, cultural institutions, and policy organisations. He serves as an Accreditation Reviewer for the UK Architects Registration Board (ARB), External Examiner for CIAT-accredited programmes, and External Assessor for Postgraduate Programmes focusing on the theme of Adaptive Reuse and Preservation. He also served on conservation advisory panels for local authorities.

His research on vernacular architecture, migration, and heritage conservation has informed professional practice and public debate, featuring in RIBA-accredited CPD events, exhibitions, and community symposia. He has curated and co-chaired international conferences, including the Society of Architectural Historians' conference in Atlanta (2025) and the Architecture of Migration International symposium (2019), which bridges academic research with the needs of practitioners, policymakers, and communities.

He also serves as an expert evaluator for European programmes (Creative Europe, JPI Cultural Heritage) and for the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research. He regularly reviews for leading academic journals and editorial boards (Tribelon, Disegnare Con, The Saharan, QUAAD), shaping both scholarly and applied conversations on heritage, representation, and architectural sustainability.

Through consultancy, partnerships, and outreach, his collaborations span city councils, heritage organisations, and professional institutions. His applied work advances architectural conservation, sustainable design, and vernacular traditions, fostering dialogue between academia, practice, and the wider public.