Architecture and Robotics: New Modes of Practice and Pedagogy

Panel Discussion Moderated by Robert Stuart-Smith

in conversation with

Ezio Blasetti

Winka Dubbeldam

Billie Faircloth

Evangelos Kotsioris

Nathan King

Jose-Luis García del Castillo y López

Andrew Saunders

“We need to civilize and tame new inventions in their particulars. But we can do that only with deep engagement, first-hand experience, and a vigilant acceptance….Change is inevitable. We now appreciate that everything is mutable and undergoing change, even though much of this alteration is imperceptible.”  – Kevin Kelly,  The Inevitable.

Last year, the Weitzman School of Design launched a new MSD program — the Master of Science in Design: Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MSD-RAS), and completed the new ARI Robotics Lab, bringing industrial robots into the heart of the Weitzman School's Meyerson Hall.  These exciting developments not only offer unique opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills in advanced state of the art technologies, they also provide a means to critically and creatively question the role of the architect in the face of increasing automation in the construction and design industries. In the early years of what is now described as Industry 4.0, many sectors of our economy are shifting from mass production and automation to leaner modes of on-demand, autonomous manufacturing, promising not only more user-engagement, but also creating unprecedented levels of consumption and waste. With robotics, 3D printing, AI, IOT, and Machine Learning technologies already impacting many aspects of our lives, how can we empower Penn's graduates to operate with greater agency in a fast-evolving Posthuman world? What opportunities are there within design research at Penn to address issues such as social and economic inequality, or climate change? How does creative engagement with autonomous systems impact design authorship or aesthetics? With a return to in-person teaching on campus, the Weitzman School of Design is excited to share recent work of the MSD-RAS program, and brainstorm together on UPenn's next steps in robotics.

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