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About

Leslie Lok is a pioneering architectural researcher whose work sits at the dynamic intersection of digital fabrication, mixed reality (MR) interfaces, and sustainable timber construction. Best known for developing the Unlog Tower project and the broader UNLOG framework, Lok has advanced innovative methods for transforming irregular and invasive-species-affected timbers — particularly emerald ash borer-infested wood — into structurally viable, bending-active architectural systems through robotic kerfing techniques. This work challenges conventional material standardization, reframing timber's irregularities as design opportunities rather than liabilities. A defining thread across Lok's research is the integration of gesture recognition into MR platforms, enabling intuitive human-machine collaboration during complex fabrication and assembly processes — effectively replacing traditional two-dimensional drawings with immersive holographic guidance. Her most-cited work, garnering 14 citations since 2024, demonstrates how these interfaces can meaningfully support quality control and real-time decision-making in architectural construction. With a cumulative citation impact spanning timber de-standardization, deployable structural systems, and feedback-based fabrication workflows, Lok's research offers students and practitioners a compelling model for how emerging digital tools can make sustainable, materially adaptive architecture both practically achievable and intellectually rigorous.