Mariana Popescu is a PhD researcher at the Block Research Group (BRG), Institute of Technology in Architecture, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland.

Block Research Group is part of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) to lead the development and integration of digital technologies within the field of architecture. The BRG is led by Philippe Block and Tom Van Mele, and focuses on several core areas including: analysis of masonry structures; graphical analysis and design methods; computational form finding and structural design; discrete element assemblies; and fabrication and construction technologies.

Mariana Popescu is an architect with a strong interest in innovative ways of approaching the fabrication process and use of materials.

She studied architecture at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands, specializing in non-standard and interactive architecture within hyperbody.

After graduating she was part of a start-up, Hive Systems (2012-14), developing a platform enabling designers and architects to quickly conceptualize, visualize and build complex interactive environments using distributed algorithms. She was an architect specialising in parametric design at Zwarts & Jansma Architects, Amsterdam (2013-15).

She was part of the Nuon Solar Team, a multidisciplinary team designing, building and racing a solar car across the Australian Outback (2008-10) and part of the ReVolt House team, which built a fully self-sustaining house (2011-12).

Mariana Popescu was a workshop expert at the 6th International LafargeHolcim Forum for Sustainable Construction in Cairo, April 4-6, 2019.