Abstract
This paper examines the shifting epistemic foundations of architectural design from analogue traditions to AI-driven synthetic biology, framed within the broader discourse of Design Across Time. Drawing on a longitudinal case study spanning 1974–2026, documented in Analogue to AI Futures, the research interrogates how design principles adapt to techno-ecological imperatives. Three eras structure the analysis: (1) the analogue-craft period (1970s–1980s), where manual fabrication and Cold War-era avant-garde experiments in Berlin established a dialogue between material intelligence and sociopolitical critique; the digital transition (1990s–2010s), marked by parametric tools and biomimetic paradigms that redefined sustainability in Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design; and the emergent AI-SynBio era (2020s–), where autopoietic systems and bio-scripted materials challenge anthropocentric design norms. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, synthesizing archival project documentation, tool ethnographies, and critical theory to reveal three key findings: First, hybrid analogue-digital workflows (e.g., 3D-printed steel structures informed by sculptural techniques) demonstrate the enduring value of craft epistemologies in computational design. Second, interdisciplinary collaboration—between biologists, programmers, and architects—has become essential to address design in society, particularly for climate resilience. Third, the rise of SynBio demands new frameworks for design education, merging wetware prototyping with algorithmic literacy. By situating these transitions within the conference’s special focus, the paper argues that design’s future lies in temporal layering: preserving critical manual practices while ethically integrating AI and living materials. This work contributes to the network’s transdisciplinary aims by bridging gaps between history, technoculture studies, and speculative ecology.
Presenters
Thomas SpiegelhalterProfessor, Co-Director Structural and Environmental Technologies Lab, College of Architecture, Communication and the Arts, Florida International University, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Architectonic, Spatial, and Environmental Design
KEYWORDS
Analogue-digital hybridity, Biomimetic design, AI in architecture, Synthetic biology, Design
