Raul Polit-Casillas

Raul Polit-Casillas is a Spanish space architect and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He holds a PhD and is recognized for his innovative work in climate-positive architecture and evolutive system design engineering. Polit-Casillas has over two decades of experience addressing complex architectural and engineering challenges, and he has collaborated with numerous prestigious organizations, including NASA, Autodesk, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.13

Professional Background

Polit-Casillas has spent more than ten years at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where he has contributed to various projects, including the development of advanced woven metal fabrics for space applications. These innovative materials are designed to be foldable and adaptable, potentially serving multiple functions in spacecraft design, such as shielding from meteorites and thermal management.24 He co-founded JPL's Atelier, a workshop focused on rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, which aims to revolutionize material production in space.2

Contributions and Publications

He has published a PhD thesis on Evolutive Systems Architecture Design and is involved in outreach initiatives, including TEDx talks and educational programs focused on space architecture and technology.14 His work emphasizes the integration of design and engineering to create sustainable solutions for future space missions.

Current Role

Polit-Casillas is the founder and CEO of ARQESS, where he continues to push the boundaries of architecture and engineering in the context of space exploration and climate-positive design.3