Computational Design Next: 2.0

Refik Anadol (b. 1985, Istanbul, Turkey) is a media artist, director, and pioneer in the aesthetics of machine intelligence. His body of work locates creativity at the intersection of humans and machines. In taking the data that flows around us as his primary material and the neural network of a computerized mind as his collaborator, Anadol paints with a thinking brush, offering us radical visualizations of our digitized memories and expanding the possibilities of architecture, narrative, and the body in motion. Anadol’s site-specific parametric data sculptures live audio/visual performances, and immersive installations take many forms while encouraging us to rethink our engagement with the physical world, its temporal and spatial dimensions, and the creative potential of machines.

Dutch FashionTech designer Anouk Wipprecht combines the latest in science and technology to make fashion an experience that transcends mere appearances. She wants her garments to facilitate and augment our interactions with ourselves and our surroundings. Her Spider Dress is a perfect example of this aesthetic, where sensors and moveable arms on the dress help to create a more defined boundary of personal space while employing a fierce style. Partnering up with companies such as Intel, AutoDesk, Google, Arduino, Microsoft, Samsung, Adobe, Red Bull, Cirque Du Soleil, Audi, Swarovski, and 3D printing companies – she researches how our future would look as we continue to embed technology into what we wear, and more importantly – how this will change our perspective on how we will interface with technology.  

Michail Desyllas is an Architect and Entrepreneur. He joined Zaha Hadid Architects in 2012, where he has been involved in projects of various scales, from aviation projects to cultural centers. He is also the co-founder and COO of Ai Build, a technology company specializing in large-scale additive manufacturing of high-performance products. Ai Build presented groundbreaking projects at Milan Design Week (2017), Venice Biennale (2018), and Goodwood Festival of Speed Future Lab (2019), as well as creating the first-ever 3D printed store for Bottletop in Regent Street, London. With his role as Chief Designer, Michail has been working closely with Patrik Schumacher on several very prestigious projects, pushing the boundaries of innovation and advanced fabrication techniques.

iheartblob is an award-winning mixed-reality design studio and research collective with a strong focus on the Architectural Object and the role of emerging technologies within architecture. The work is meant to enchant and reflect on the crisis of thought that runs through architecture today by investigating new and established ideas as though they were materials, engaging seriously with hard-hitting agendas whilst remaining at a distance from full immersion. The studio has exhibited numerous provocative proposals across the globe, including at the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York City and the A+D Museum in Los Angeles; they have constructed a variety of mixed reality works as physical/digital pavilions for the Toronto Winter Stations Festival and Magazin Gallery in Vienna, and their research has been presented at the Architectural Association visiting school in China and in publications such as Archinect’s Ed magazine. They have most recently released their book iheartblob – Augmented Architectural Objects: A New Visual Language.

Justin Hattendorf is a product designer at nTopology, where he leads the Product Design and UI/UX teams. He is an architect-turned-product designer with extensive experience in AEC, software, fashion, performance footwear, and industrial design. Justin’s work uniquely merges advanced digital techniques with primitive, tactile processes, creating surreal objects and environments. Based in Brooklyn, NY, Justin co-founded JAW Studio, a design studio specializing in computational design for 3D-printed fashion hardware and jewelry. At nTopology, a leading software company in New York City, Justin is pivotal in developing their breakthrough computational engineering environment. This innovative technology integrates synthesized geometry and simulation results, transforming three-dimensional data into finely tuned, manufacturable models. nTopology is at the forefront of building the next generation of engineering design tools for advanced manufacturing, empowering designers and engineers to create high-performance products efficiently. Their technology, which unifies geometry and simulation via the language of fields, fosters collaboration and drives the development of functional, high-performing designs.

Zeynep Topal is a developing architect and computational designer based in Istanbul. She gained significance in a short amount of time ever since she started her initiative called ZETZDEZIGN, where she published her conceptual works pointing to a futuristic architectural aesthetic that she had developed with computational tools she has practiced with different software and the workflow between each of them. As she believes there are no constraints on what can be an inspiration when it comes to design, she likes to engage herself with other design disciplines as much as possible, such as procedural art, generative design, visual art, or any concept a software serves to gain a broader vision and sight. She has been producing works based on these particular understandings, and she tries to connect present and future aesthetics and experiences with the references she gets from mostly nature and anything she finds fascinating, as she likes to describe. She has also been collaborating with other designers and trying to implement her design understanding into the jewelry and product design fields.

Arturo Tedeschi is an Italian architect and computational designer internationally renowned for his sculptural and visionary approach combined with research on advanced design methods, materials, and fabrication technologies. His use of digital technologies blurs the line between disciplines and emphasizes the semantic and emotional values of objects. As a consultant, he worked with some of the world’s most influential brands in fashion design, sportswear, automotive, and architecture, providing services related to algorithmic modeling, complex geometry, digital fabrication, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and data-driven design. His personal work has been featured in international magazines such as Forbes, Wired, Dezeen, AD, and Business Insider and exhibited worldwide. He is the author of the books Parametric Architecture with Grasshopper and AAD Algorithms-Aided Design unanimously considered one of the global references on the subject. Since 2011 he promoted and directed more than 200 events and workshops that trained a generation of students and professionals. In 2019 he was appointed Italian Ambassador for Design by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He lives and works in Milano, Italy.

Hamid Hassanzadeh is a distinguished architect, entrepreneur, researcher, and speaker. Having earned his degree in architectural engineering in 2012, Hamid has since contributed to various architectural projects across multiple regions around the globe.

In early 2016, he founded the ParametricArchitecture platform, initially launching on Instagram. Today, ParametricArchitecture, often abbreviated as PA, stands as a globally renowned hub for parametric, computational design, and AI lovers, boasting over 20 million monthly interactions on the internet. Hamid endeavors to demystify the intricacies of the parametric, computational, and AI realms through compelling articles, interviews, workshops, podcasts, and conferences disseminated across various digital platforms.

Furthermore, he’s the visionary behind PAACADEMY, an educational entity under the aegis of PA, dedicated to propagating the concepts of computational architecture and design. The PAACADEMY, as an educational platform, educates and engages with its audience, introducing them to advanced techniques and algorithms employed by architects, designers, and coders alike. He highlights exemplary projects executed using state-of-the-art design software, ensuring that his audience not only witnesses but also comprehends the depth and philosophy of these avant-garde design practices.

Moreover, as the esteemed host of the 'PA Talks' interview series, he engages in enriching conversations with architects, orchestrates numerous workshops, conferences, and events, and has had the privilege of interviewing myriad globally acclaimed architects, delving into their methodologies and foresighted visions for the architectural landscape.

Michael Pryor is a multi-faceted designer utilizing Rhino + Grasshopper, C#, Maya, ZBrush, Houdini and others. He is currently a Head of Procedural Generation at Wilder World Metaverse and the CDO of DesignMorphine. Previously he was a Computational Designer at Nike NXT on performance footwear. He has been involved in various major architectural works in the US, China, Dubai, and Lebanon. Previously, he worked at Trahan, SOMA, OLI, and [AY]A on projects ranging from museums, housing, restaurants, furniture, products, exhibits and prototypes. Michael is the author of the popular Grasshopper3d plug-in Pufferfish with over 150k downloads. He has been the tutor to workshops by the AA visiting school Paris with Louis Vuitton, 3D-Dreaming, Rese.Arch, MIT OSL, Harvard GSD, rat[LAB], PA, Meal, and DesignMorphine.

Sushant Jai-Amita Verma is a Design Entrepreneur, Architect, Computational Designer & Educator, and currently leading rat[LAB] Studio (Research in Architecture and Technology) (www.rat-lab.org) that investigates intersections of design, art & technology through architecture, interior design, and art installations. He holds a master’s Degree in Emergent Technologies & Design from the Architectural Association, London, and is a former architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, London & a Sr. Editor at Arch2O. He founded rat[LAB] EDUCATION, an initiative to spread the idea of computation in design through independently-organized design workshops for professionals and academia. Recipient of the MAK Schindler Award from Vienna / Los Angeles and a finalist for the AIA Emerging Leaders Fellowship from Chicago, his work is widely published and exhibited in London, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Taipei, New Delhi, and Mumbai, among other places. Sushant joined the elite list of TEDx Speakers by speaking at TEDxGurugram on ‘Smart Cities need Smarter Design Education’. His second TEDxTalk was recently given at the prestigious IIT KGP, where he inspired young professionals to pursue their passions in Design & Technology. He also started and currently heads Smart Labs – India’s first 6-month hybrid program on Computational Design that blends studio learning and e-learning using a technology-oriented approach. His third TEDx talk was recently delivered at IIT Bhubaneswar on the Diffusion of Technology in Architecture.