Ricardo’s research is positioned at the intersection of design management, digitalisation, and decision-making in the built environment. His work focuses on how complex design and operational environments can be structured to support more informed, evidence-based, and accountable decisions across the lifecycle of built assets.

At a theoretical level, his research advances design cognition and problem-solving by integrating principles of analysis and synthesis with evidence-based design. This includes examining how knowledge is generated, validated, and applied within design processes, particularly in contexts characterised by uncertainty, multiple stakeholders, and competing performance criteria.

At an applied level, his research spans interconnected domains, including Building Information Modelling (BIM), facilities management, digital twins, and AI in the built environment. A central theme is translating fragmented data into actionable knowledge to support lifecycle decision-making, from early design stages through operations and maintenance. This includes work on BIM-enabled facilities management, IoT-driven asset intelligence, and human-in-the-loop AI systems that augment, rather than replace, professional judgement.

A second strand of his research focuses on evidence-based design for health and wellbeing, examining how built environments influence human outcomes and how this evidence can be systematically embedded into design and management practices. Across both strands, his work engages with broader socio-technical challenges, including sustainability, resilience, and the governance of digital transformation in the built environment.

His research is characterised by strong engagement with industry, policy, and professional practice, enabling translation into real-world impact. This includes contributions to healthcare infrastructure, government foresight programmes, large-scale public asset management, and the development of interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Increasingly, this research operates at the interface between technical innovation and organisational transformation, informing how institutions adopt digital technologies, structure decision-making processes, and respond to emerging challenges in the built environment.

Ricardo’s teaching interests lie at the intersection of digital transformation, research capability, and critical professional practice in the built environment. A central focus of his teaching is Building Information Modelling (BIM), approached not merely as a set of tools but as a socio-technical system integrating people, processes, and technologies. His teaching emphasises BIM as an information management and decision-support framework across the asset lifecycle, supporting students in understanding collaboration, governance, and value generation rather than only technical proficiency.

Ricardo has a strong interest in teaching research methods, particularly in developing students’ ability to construct rigorous and defensible research designs. His approach places emphasis on the alignment between research questions, epistemological positioning, methodology, and knowledge claims. He encourages students to move beyond descriptive work towards analytical depth, methodological clarity, and critical reasoning, equipping them with transferable skills relevant to both academic research and professional practice.

More recently, Ricardo’s teaching has expanded to include artificial intelligence and its ethical implications in the built environment. This includes a focus on responsible AI use, decision-making boundaries, bias, transparency, and sustainability. His teaching in this area encourages critical engagement with AI as a decision-support tool rather than an unquestioned solution, reinforcing the importance of human judgement in complex socio-technical systems.

Across these areas, Ricardo’s teaching is characterised by a strong emphasis on bridging theory and practice, supporting interdisciplinary learning, and preparing students to operate effectively in a rapidly evolving, digitally enabled built environment.

Ricardo holds a number of senior academic leadership roles at the University of Bath. He is Director of Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Programmes for the Faculty of Engineering and Design, Director of Teaching for the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, and Director of Studies for the Master’s in Artificial Intelligence for Engineering and Design. Across these roles, he provides strategic and operational leadership for postgraduate education, including programme development, portfolio review, quality assurance, and the integration of interdisciplinary themes such as AI, sustainability, and digitalisation. His responsibilities span curriculum design, governance processes, and coordination across departments, supporting the delivery of coherent, high-quality programmes aligned with institutional priorities.

Beyond formal roles, Ricardo contributes to the wider academic development of the University through engagement in cross-faculty and university-level initiatives related to education strategy, digital transformation, and internationalisation. His work focuses on strengthening the positioning of postgraduate education, enhancing student experience and employability, and supporting evidence-informed decision-making. He is committed to maintaining and advancing the University of Bath’s standing as a leading institution nationally and internationally, particularly through the development of innovative, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented educational provision.