D爱Y®
Maki Wardle

About

Contact Me
My CV


Hello, I’m Maki. I’m a researcher, immersive technologist and game developer. 



I’m an AHRC-funded Collaborative Doctoral Researcher based between the University of York and MOLA Archaeology. My PhD project, 'Hacking the Big Smoke: Alternate Reality Games and London's Archaeology' investigates using alternate reality games to generate open, participatory and playful new approaches to hidden archaeological traces in the unique context of London's Victoria Underground Station. 

During my PhD, I spent six months embedded in the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration. My work centred on improving ESA’s visualisations of the lunar surface in Unreal Engine.
 
Previously, I worked at Buro Happold in London as a Geospatial 3D Web Mapping and Game Developer. At BH, I wrote succesful bids for Digital Twin contracts around the world, developed innovative new procedural shading methods for an Epic MegaGrants-funded Digital Twin in Unreal Engine, and led UX research and design workpackages for major projects in the UK and Saudi Arabia.

In July 2022, I graduated at the top of my class from the first ever cohort of the BSc in Immersive Systems Design (3D Modelling specialisation) at The Glasgow of Art. My practice combines this rigorous technical foundation in the craft and science of 3D modelling and XR development with interdisciplinary research skills in heritage, ecology and urbanism.

I am regularly invited to give lectures on the theory and design of immersive and interactive media and have taught at the University of St Andrews, The Glasgow School of Art, the University of York, and Tallinn University.


    Tools:

    • 6+ years experience in XR development in Unity C# and Unreal Engine Blueprints/C++ for desktop, mobile, web, XR and more.
    • Expertise in 3D modelling in 3DS Max, Blender and ZBrush and material design in Substance and Quixel.
    • Fluent across the Adobe CC suite.
    • JavaScript development inc. TypeScript, Node and p5.js.
    • Professional user of GIS tools.
    • AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

    Awards:
    • AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Studentship 2023
    • The Glasgow School of Art Chair’s Medal in Simulation and Visualisation 2022

    Peer-Reviewed Publications:

    • Wardle, M. 2025. Materials for the Moon: Developing Physically Based Lunar Regolith Assets to Support Space Training and Simulation. In ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 Posters (SA Posters ’25), December 15-18, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1145/3757374.3771428

    Other Publications, Presentations and Workshops:


    Exhibitions:

    • Keeping the Hammer’s Voice Alive, Casa del Alabado Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Quito - 15th of June to 15th of September 2024
    Teaching, Guest Lectures and Seminars:

    • GTA on Advanced Interaction Techniques & Technologies, Final-year BSc/MSc module, University of York, Semester Two 2025-2026 
    • Moonlighting at ESA: Postcard from a Digital Archaeologist in Space, for the Digital Archaeology & Heritage Lab Digital Lunch Series at the University of York, Spring 2025
    • Imaging/Imagining/Virtual and Digital Art, for the MRes in Anthropology, Art and Perception at the University of St Andrews, November 2025
    • Giving feedback on student presentations, 2nd and 3rd-year  BSc 3D Modelling, Glasgow School of Art, 2025
    • GTA on Introduction to Media Technologies, for the First-Year BSc in Interactive Media, University of York, Semester One 2024-2025
    • Guest Lecture at the School of Innovation & Technology, Glasgow School of Art, 26th of March 2025
    • Imaging/Imagining/Virtual and Digital Art, for the MRes in Anthropology, Art and Perception at the University of St Andrews, 28th of November 2024
    • Hacking the Big Smoke: Alternate Reality Games and London’s Archaeology for the MSc in Digital Design at the University of York, 18th of November 2024
    • Building Worlds with Apps and Games for the MSc in Digital Archaeology/Digital Heritage at the University of York, 13th of November 2024
    • Guest Lecture at the School of Innovation & Technology, Glasgow School of Art, 31st of January 2024
    • Imaging/Imagining/Virtual and Digital Art, for the MRes in Anthropology, Art and Perception at the University of St Andrews, 23rd of November 2023
    • Mapping Materials and Materiality: Points of Interest for Creative Technolgists, for the First-Year Colab-1 Module at the School of Simulation and Visualisation, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, 15th of November 2022
    • Remnant: Fife’s Post-Conflict Concrete Landscape in VR at ISOdesign, Glasgow, 13th of July 2022

    ©2025 Maximiliano (Maki) Wardle