Benachir is a qualified architect with several years experience in practice in the UK, France and Algeria. Benachir holds a master degree in building sciences and a PhD in Digital Architectural design. His PhD thesis explored the potential for using optimisation techniques and constraint programming, as an aid to automate and optimise space planning in architectural design project. Benachir has previously held research and academic positions at Ecole Centrale de Paris, the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham and The University of Salford. Benachir has secured several research grants funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK and by industry.

Benachir has more than fifteen years teaching experience in design and digital architectural design. During this experience he has developed undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in architecture. At Nottingham University, he developed a new master course in digital design and he introduced the first digital design studio using mixed reality; his student’ work has been showcased in different art cinemas. At Salford University Benachir has developed a new master course in architectural studies and conducted research and development in digital design.

Benachir’s expertise includes the development and the use of advanced digital media technologies in architectural and urban design from understanding the human intelligence involved in the design process in order to enhance the quality of our built environment. Over the years, Benachir has published more than 40 papers in the field of digital design. His work has been published in international leading journals such as: Computer Aided Design Journal (Elsevier) and Artificial Intelligence in Engineering (Elsevier). Benachir has collaborated with key research institutions and organisations (including KPF, AEcom, Bentley Systems, University of Cambridge, University of Cardiff, University of Nottingham and Ecole Centrale de Paris).

Specialist areas:

• Digital representation and communication: the use of novel digital design tools to enhance the representation, communication and visualization in architectural and urban design. Benachir is an expert in virtual reality and mixed reality as a medium to enhance the user experience and improve the design evaluation and communication. Benachir has developed several films using mixed reality for architectural project communication.
• Design optimisation: This area explores new computational models using artificial intelligence techniques such as constraint programming, evolution approach and case-based reasoning to model and implement design processes as reasoning systems. Benachir has an extensive research and development experience in this area where he developed several applications in space layout planning, facility management, space optimisation and automation of building services design. 2D parametric sketcher in architecture and an automatic plant room designer
• Training in digital design: Benachir hold a postgraduate certificate in higher education from Nottingham University. He has a long experience in providing training in computer aided design, scripting and programming, digital animation, virtual and mixed reality. He also has experience in organising seminars, symposiums, workshops in the field of digital design such as the Generative Component international workshop he organised in 2009 at Salford in collaboration with Bentley Systems.