Dr. Tom Van Mele is a Senior Scientist and co-director of the Block Research Group (BRG) at ETH Zurich. With a PhD focusing on the design and analysis of retractable roofs, his research deeply bridges graphic statics, discrete element assemblies, and advanced computational form-finding. He is best known as the lead developer of COMPAS, an open-source computational framework for collaboration in architecture, structures, and digital fabrication, and serves as the president of the COMPAS Association. Van Mele's computational contributions have driven major BRG architectural projects, including the Droneport and the Armadillo Vault.