About me
I am a Lecturer in Construction within the Applied Management Department at the University of Westminster, bringing over 25 years of combined academic, scientific and industry experience across the built environment, geosciences and heritage sectors. My career spans universities, research institutes, cultural heritage organisations and consultancy roles in the UK, Europe and North America.
Alongside my academic role, I've been working as an energy and retrofit assessor and consultant, specialising in damp and mould diagnostics, indoor environmental performance, and retrofit solutions for residential buildings. My work has supported housing associations, local authorities and industry partners to improve building performance, reduce risk and strengthen asset management strategies.
I am driven by a commitment to improving the health, sustainability and resilience of buildings through evidence-based practice. I have published widely, collaborated on international research and innovation projects, and supervised postgraduate researchers working on building materials, compatibility and durability, environmental diagnostics and sustainable interventions. This blend of academic and applied experience shapes how I contribute to teaching, research and industry engagement at Westminster.
Teaching
In my teaching, I draw on long-standing experience in construction, materials science and building pathology to help students understand how buildings perform in real conditions. I teach across construction management and quantity surveying, with particular focus on building materials, energy efficiency, moisture behaviour, retrofitting, and environmental science.
My goal is to connect theory with practice by bringing real case studies from residential buildings, retrofit assessments and diagnostic investigations into the classroom. I encourage students to think critically about how materials, systems and occupants interact, and how data-driven methods can support better decision-making in construction and property management.
I previously taught petrophysics and geomaterials at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and have delivered specialist training for professionals in the energy, surveying and heritage sectors. My teaching is supported by a significant output of educational materials, including technical manuals, book chapters and public-engagement publications. I also contributed to a funded UCM teaching-innovation project focused on interactive and practical learning for cultural-heritage conservation.
My supervisory experience includes master's and doctoral students working on stone consolidation, mortar–stone interfaces, and sustainable tools for damp management in residential buildings. This experience informs my student-centred approach, where applied learning, problem-solving and professional relevance are central.
Research
My research has been exploring how environmental conditions, moisture, salts and pollutants influence the durability and performance of building materials, and how these processes affect residential, historic and retrofitted buildings. I work across diagnostic methods, environmental monitoring, material characterisation, moisture risk, ventilation performance, insulation strategies and retrofit decision-making.
Much of my recent work has focused on innovation for the housing sector, including sensor-based diagnostic systems and methods developed through collaborations with University College London, Wolverhampton University, National House Building Council (NHBC) and many other academic and industry partners.
Earlier research includes international projects on stone conservation, nanoparticles for material consolidation, desalination methods, and the behaviour of geomaterials under changing environmental conditions. I have authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and act as a reviewer, evaluator and advisor for international funding agencies.
I welcome collaboration with researchers, practitioners and social housing providers, and I supervise postgraduate students interested in construction management, building surveying, building performance, diagnostics, heritage materials, sustainability and retrofit innovation.
You can find some of my research and professional outcomes in the following links:
1- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paula-Lopez-Arce
2- https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3728-947X
3- https://westminster.academia.edu/PaulaLopezArce
4- https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=on5TX3EAAAAJ