Lauren Dreier
Contact: ldreier@princeton.edu | http://lauren.design
Education
PhD candidate, School of Architecture, Princeton University (PU) | 2020–present |
Co-advised by P.-T. Brun (Chemical and Biological Engineering), Andrej Košmrlj (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering), Forrest Meggers (School of Architecture) | |
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) | 2004–2007 |
Magna cum laude |
Research projects
Liquids and Elasticity Lab (P.-T. Brun), Košmrlj Group (Andrej Košmrlj), PU | 2021–present |
Harnessing mechanical instabilities in “soft” i.e. largely deforming material systems, can lead to novel means of manufacturing, emergent structural behavior, and shape morphing across scales. Projects include: | |
Beaded Metamaterials Fabrics cannot typically withstand compressive forces, limiting their applicability in some settings. Our research shows that by introducing discrete rigid units in textiles, i.e. beads, we can form shape-morphing objects with tunable stiffness and the capacity to withstand large compressive forces. | |
Liquid Lace Extrusion-driven instabilities can exhibit self-organizing phenomena, leading to the quasi-autonomous manufacture of materials with periodic holes. | |
Sculpting the free surface of expanding foam: analysis of bubble growth and transport when growing from confinement (in progress). | |
Form Finding Lab (Sigrid Adriaenssens), CREATE Lab (Stefana Parascho), PU | 2019–2021 |
Lace in Space Making bobbin lace with non-traditional materials can cause the textile to pop out-of-plane, forming lightweight elastic networks with emergent mechanical properties. | |
Robotic Lacing Building indeterminate, compliant structures in 3D space using cooperating robotic arms. Situated in the context of the history of lace making by hand and machine with Basile Baudez, Dept. of Art and Archeology, PU. |
Publications
L. Dreier, T.J. Jones, A. Plummer, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Beaded metamaterials”. Nature Communications 16, 7899 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61809-8. | 2025 |
L. Dreier, T. Marzin, R. David, S. Pienaar, A. Eujayl, R. Vogeley, Y. Xi, and
P.-T. Brun. “Liquid lace: Regular pattern formation by under-extrusion”, Physical Review Fluids, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevFluids.9.110512. | 2024 |
L. Dreier, R. David, T. Marzin, A. Koŝmrlj, P.-T. Brun, “Characterizing periodic stick-slip instability in under-extruded polymers,” (in preparation). | 2024 |
T. Yu, L. Dreier, F. Marmo, S. Gabriele, S. Parascho, S. Adriaenssens, “Numerical modeling of static equilibria and bifurcations in bigons and bigon rings”, Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2021.104459. | 2021 |
Exhibitions
Yellow highlight indicates solo show
Green highlight indicates museum show
Fluid Motion: The Coexistence of Order and Chaos, Houston Museum of Natural Science and Nicole Longnecker Gallery, Houston, TX | 2025-2026 |
Art of Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ | 2025 |
Spiraling Upwards: The Traveling Gallery of Fluid Motion, The Leonardo, Salt Lake City, UT | 2024–2025 |
Gallery of Soft Matter, American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting, Minneapolis, MN | 2024 |
Gallery of Fluid Motion, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, Washington, D.C. | 2023 |
Connecting Artifacts 03, Komaba Museum, Tokyo, Japan. | 2023 |
Balancing Act, AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design, Raleigh, NC. | 2023 |
Art of Science (three entries accepted), Princeton University, Princeton, NJ | 2023 |
Gallery of Soft Matter, American Physical Society March Meeting | 2022 |
Lace in Space, Labatut Gallery, Princeton School of Architecture, Princeton, NJ | 2021 |
Joint Mathematics Meetings 2021 Art Exhibition (online) | 2021 |
Strands, in conjunction with NY Fashion Week, 198 Allen St, New York, NY | 2018 |
Boundless: New Works in Printmaking, Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT | 2012 |
23rd National Drawing and Print Competitive Exhibition, Gormley Gallery, Baltimore, MD | 2012 |
Volumes: Artist Editions, Causey Contemporary, Brooklyn, NY | 2012 |
Philly(heart)Design, Philadelphia, PA | 2008 |
Philly(heart)Design, Philadelphia, PA | 2007 |
Awards
Most Innovative Student Poster Award: Society of Engineering Science | 2025 |
Milton van Dyke Award: American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics | 2023 |
Best of Diversity, Access, and Inclusion: Outstanding Programming Award, Women in STEM, PU | 2022 |
Art Purchase Prize: Notre Dame of Maryland University | 2012 |
Michael Yaron Prize in Architecture, UPenn | 2005 |
Conferences
L. Dreier, T.J. Jones, A. Plummer, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Beaded Networks” 2025 SES Annual Technical Meeting: 6.1: Advances on the Mechanics of Architected Materials. | 2025 |
L. Dreier, T. Marzin, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Not so soft: incorporating rigid elements in textiles” APS March Meeting 2024: MAR-B63 | 2025 |
L. Dreier, T. Marzin, J. Le Dreff, A. Plummer, P.-T. Brun. “Free-foaming: harnessing the free surface of expanding polyurethane foams” APS Division of Fluid Dynamics: T09.00005. | 2024 |
T. Marzin, L. Dreier, B. Venkateswaran, R. David, S. Pienaar, P.-T. Brun. “Twisted shells: unraveling under-extrusion instabilities in 3D printing” APS Division of Fluid Dynamics 2024: L18.00001. | 2024 |
L. Dreier, T. Marzin, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Soft to solid: unraveling the mechanics of discrete textile networks” APS March Meeting 2024: F34.00008. | 2024 |
L. Dreier, R. David, T. Marzin, B. Venkateswaran, S. Pienaar, P.-T. Brun. “Liquid lace: under-extruding viscous threads to build periodic structures” APS Division of Fluid Dynamics 2023: G23:00002. | 2023 |
L. Dreier, T. Jones, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Beading is the new jamming: leveraging compliance and rigidity in discrete shape morphing structures” APS March Meeting 2023: F09.00012. | 2023 |
L. Dreier, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Building with blobs: harnessing liquid thread instability to assemble regular structures”, APS Division of Fluid Dynamics 2022: T15.03 | 2022 |
L. Dreier, T. Jones, A. Košmrlj, P.-T. Brun. “Think big: overcoming gravity in large scale shape morphing structures” APS March Meeting 2022: B21.00006. | 2022 |
T. Yu, L. Dreier, F. Marmo, S. Gabriele, S. Adriaenssens. “Static equilibria and bifurcations of interlaced bigon rings” APS March Meeting 2021: F16.005. | 2021 |
Teaching and advising
Mentor to undergraduates, PU
Jaya Choudhary ‘28, Mechanical Engineering: Self-folding origami | 2025 |
Liora Nasi ‘24, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Bubble casting for complex actuation. Winner of Donald Janssen Dike Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research | 2023–2024 |
Kaleb Areda ‘24, Chemical and Biological Engineering: Mechanics of Carbopol jets. | 2023–2024 |
Lawrence Azzariti ‘24, Chemical and Biological Engineering: Characterization and mechanical applications of photopolymers. | 2023–2024 |
Stephane Pienaar ‘23, Chemical and Biological Engineering: Machine learning prediction for defect printing. | 2022–2023
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Aman Eujayl ‘23, Rice University via NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, Princeton Center for Complex Materials: Defect printing characterization. | 2022 |
Raphael Vogeley ‘25, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Defect printing characterization. | 2022 |
Christine Ohenzuwa’23, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Using elasticity to bring mechanical intelligence to “Hex Bug” robots. | 2022 |
Research supervisor, PU School of Architecture
Laura Fegley (MArch), Lisa Ramsburg (MArch), Emmanuel Osorno (MArch),
Yinong Tao (MArch), Eric Duong (junior researcher), Alla Alsahli (intern) | 2020–2022
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Teaching assistant, PU
MAE 305: Differential Equations (P.-T. Brun). Taught weekly “precept” lecture, held office hours, student meetings, grading (exams and problem sets). | 2022 |
CEE 102: Engineering in the Modern World (Michael Littman). Led biweekly labs and discussion sessions, assisted with in-class demonstrations, held office hours, student meetings, grading (lab reports, exams, and problem sets). | 2021 |
University of Pennsylvania
Lecturer, Architecture: Materials and Fabrication (undergraduate-level). Conceptualized and taught new design curriculum. Planned exhibitions and reviews of student work. | 2010 |
Lecturer, Integrated Product Design (graduate-level). Conceptualized and taught new design curriculum. Planned exhibitions and reviews of student work. | 2008–2009 |
Teaching assistant, Penn Summer Arts Studios (pre-college-level). | 2005–2007 |
Grants
NSF Future Manufacturing Grant CMMI 2037097 | 2022–present |
Princeton University Global Collaborative Network ROBELARCH provided by Princeton Institute for International and Regional studies | 2021, 2023 |
University Committee on Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences | 2020–2021 |
Magic Project Grant via the PU Humanities Council
• Conceived project (Digital fabrication and art historical inquiry into bobbin lace)
• Led grant writing | 2020–2021 |
C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute
• Conceived project (COVID-19 social distancing technology and art installation)
• Led grant writing | 2020–2021 |
Princeton School of Engineering and Applied Science Project X Fund
• Conceived project (Lightweight elastic structures inspired by bobbin lace) | 2018–2020 |
Selected work experience
Multimedia freelance designer. See http://pandlmedia.com | 1997–2020 |
Owner, L-Fab digital fabrication workshop, New York, NY and Hopewell, NJ | 2015–2020 |
Art director, Edible Vineyard, a quarterly magazine about sustainable food and farming
on Martha’s Vineyard, MA | 2009–2010 |
Design engineer, Amuneal Manufacturing Corporation, Philadelphia, PA | 2008 |
Intern architect, Maria Paz Gutierrez, Architect, Philadelphia, PA | 2005–2007 |
Selected service
Invited workshop leader, “Beading workshop”, Studio for Creative inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA | 2025 |
Panelist, “STEM & Beyond: Charting an Interdisciplinary Journey”, PU | 2025 |
Panelist, “Where Art Meets Science”, hosted by the APS Joint Network for Informal Physics Education and Research (JNIPER), online | 2025 |
Violinist, Princeton University Sinfonia, PU | 2021–present |
Violinist, Westminster Community Orchestra, Princeton, NJ | 2022–present |
Member, Women in STEM Leadership Council, PU | 2020–2023 |
Volunteer, D&R Greenway and Friend of Princeton Open Space, Mercer County, NJ | 2018–2021 |
Designer, Island Grown Initiative, Martha’s Vineyard, MA | 2004–2011 |
Assistant, Larry Becker Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA | 2008–2009 |
Instructor, Fourth Grade Theater Project, Vineyard Haven, MA | 2004 |
Student teacher, Arlington Reservoir Art Project, Arlington, MA | 2002–2003 |
Press
Research, art, and design
Daily Princetonian: “Merging ways of thinking at the art of science exhibition” https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025/05/princeton-prospect-art-of-science-exhibition-friend-center-visual-arts (Accessed: June 20, 2025) | 2025 |
EQuad News, Art + Engineering: “A da Vinci-inspired ‘deluge’ of collaborative experimentation” https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2025/04/29/da-vinci-inspired-deluge-collaborative-experimentation (Accessed: June 20, 2025) | 2025 |
Physics: “Winning Videos Feature Marbling Paint and Freezing Flashes” https://physics.aps.org/articles/v16/201 (Accessed: Dec 4, 2023) | 2023 |
EPrinceton: “Technique inspired lace making could someday weave structures space” https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2021/06/01/technique-inspired-lace-making-could-someday-weave-structures-space (Accessed: Aug 17, 2022) | 2021 |
Friends of the Artist: Volume 12: “Lauren Dreier” https://www.friendoftheartist.com/volume12 (Accessed July 18, 2023) | 2020 |
Garnette Report: “Lauren Dreier Exhibition ‘Stripes, Strands, & Strings’” https://thegarnettereport.com/art/lauren-dreier-exhibition-stripes-strands-strings/
(Accessed: Aug 17, 2022) | 2018 |
NYC Plugged: “Lauren Dreier Presents Strands: A Blend of Music, Fashion and Art During NYFW” https://nycplugged.com/lauren-dreier-presents-strands-music-fashion-and-art-during-nyfw/ (Accessed: Aug 17, 2022) | 2018 |
Also reported in Times Square Chronicle, Fashion Week Online, The Impression, Fashion Maniac, The Violin Channel | 2018 |