His design, Synthetic Cultures, was one of 7 finalists out of 407 nominees from around the world. He was the only representative from the United States.
Of Polk's work, the jury said, "The narrative is a wonderful 'sci-fi' project. Not every project has to be plausible, and this one takes you out of your comfort zone."
Associate Professor Simon Kim served as an advisor for Synthetic Cultures.
Polk’s project examines nonhuman culture’s role within architecture. He writes, “Ultimately, it suggests answers to the following question: Through what narratives and design strategies can humans co-exist with a culture of autonomous architecture - irreducible to people or to machines, but one that serves itself while interfacing with humans and the environment to create mutually benefiting hybrid realms?”
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