October 24–29, 2022
The Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) will hold its 2022 annual conference in Philadelphia from October 24 through 29. The Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design is hosting the conference, which will feature keynote addresses from well-known experts in the field, talks from award winners, exhibitions of curated and peer-reviewed work, and peer-reviewed paper and project presentations of cutting-edge research showcasing the creative use of computational practices in architecture and design.
The conference’s subject, “Hybrids & Haecceities,” calls for creative design and research methods that reject fundamental hierarchies and binary conditions in favor of new forms of practice. Haecceities are the characteristics or elements that make something special. Hybrids, on the other hand, are things whose traits have been improved by the process of fusing two or more things with various qualities. Together, these words provide a challenge toward more specialized and inclusive kinds of computational design.
The main sessions’ topics range from carbon-negative fabrication and design to robotic fabrication and design, disruptive practice and pedagogy to machine learning and artificial intelligence, environmental performance and simulation to knitted architecture and biomaterials, and more. They are scheduled to take place from October 27 to 29. The full schedule is online at 2022.acadia.org.
Keynote speakers include J. Meejin Yoon, accepting on behalf of Howeler + Yoon, recipients of the ACADIA Design Excellence Award; and Antoine Picon, Harvard University. The prologue keynote panelists include Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, Royal Danish Academy; Robert Stuart-Smith, University of Pennsylvania; Rashida Ng, University of Pennsylvania; Marcos Cruz, University College London/Bartlett; and Winka Dubbeldam, University of Pennsylvania and Archi-Tectonics. The epilogue panelists include Jenny Sabin, Cornell University; Hina Jamelle, University of Pennsylvania and Contemporary Architecture Practice (CAP); Ferda Kolatan, University of Pennsylvania and su11; Antoine Picon; and Andrew Kudless, University of Houston.
Along with the conference proceedings, ACADIA 2022 offers 14 pre-conference workshops from October 24-26, both in-person and online, taught by an international cast of up-and-coming and seasoned designers. Designing with artificial intelligence, augmented digital processes, designing for culturally responsive settings, and industrial robotic production are some of the subjects covered in workshops. The state-of-the-art Robotics Lab at Weitzman is where a large number of the in-person workshops are being held. The full schedule is online at 2022.acadia.org.
The exhibition A Mosaic of Unlikely Affinities, which presents an international survey of built and unbuilt work, reflects on the larger issues brought up by the conference theme through a kaleidoscopic collection of images showing prototypes, artifacts, and buildings created by Penn faculty members and their respective teams and practices. A concurrent ACADIA Project Exhibition presents 29 projects from more than 100 proposals that underwent double peer assessment. The accompanying Project Catalog includes information on both exhibitions.
Philadelphia, one of the truly famous cities in America, is home to more than 3,000 outdoor murals, as well as four centuries of architectural heritage, several public squares, parks, and neighborhood eateries (referred to as “BYOs” in Philly).
In order to promote critical thinking and discussion about the use of computers in architecture, planning, and building science, ACADIA was established. The company is dedicated to the study and advancement of computational techniques that improve design creativity rather than just output and that are intended to aid in the creation of hospitable physical settings. Education, together with the associated pedagogy, hardware, and software, is a particular area of interest.
Under the leadership of Miller Professor and Chair Winka Dubbeldam, the conference chairs are Penn faculty members Masoud Akbarzadeh, Dorit Aviv, Hina Jamelle, and Robert Stuart-Smith. The workshop chair is Andrew Saunders; the exhibition and media chairs, respectively, are Ferda Kolatan and Nate Hume.
Registration for both the conference and the workshops are still open, and tickets are available through the conference’s webpage: 2022.acadia.org.
