Launch of the Third-Level Course "POSITIONING AI. Challenges in Architectural Design & Practice"

Politecnico is pleased to announce the launch of the third-level course “POSITIONING AI. Challenges in Architectural Design & Practice”, a seminar series designed to initiate, within our Institution, a broad and multidisciplinary discussion on the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in architectural design research and practice.
This critical course examines, through contributions from international experts and academics, the emergence of AI as a pivotal concept in contemporary architecture and aims to serve as a playground where various fronts of AI’s impact on the field can be explored and tested. By integrating diverse knowledge, the course promotes a holistic approach that bridges theory and practice, research and application.

The main objectives of the course are to:

• Explore the interactions between AI and architecture
• Stimulate critical discussion on the implications and potential of AI in the field
• Create a platform for theorists, researchers, and PhD students to exchange knowledge

The course will be structured into thematic modules, each addressing specific questions related to AI in architecture. Key themes include: the architect-machine relationship and the creative process; the ontology and politics of archives; the temporal dynamics of AI and the acceleration-obsolescence duality of AI tools; the levels of competencies required to access and use AI tools; the role of AI in architectural aesthetics; machine learning algorithms and the computational optimization, modeling, simulation, validation processes.
Participation is open to all interested students, researchers, and faculty.

PROGRAM:
- Opening Seminar
10 April 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Stanza dei Gigli, Castello del Valentino & Online (via Teams)
The opening seminar will focus on the relationship between AI and architectural practice, through a dialogue between philosophy and computer science.

• Introduction: Michele Bonino (Director, DAD, Politecnico di Torino)
• Guest Speakers: Ciro Cattuto (Scientific Director, ISI Foundation), Maurizio Ferraris (Professor of Philosophy, Università di Torino), Fiorenza Succu (Head of Business Development & Large Companies, AI4I)
• Moderator: Giovanni Durbiano (Professor of Architectural Design, DAD, Politecnico di Torino)

- Seminar II
11 April 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Online (via Teams)

• Fabio Gramazio (Architect & Professor at ETH Zurich, co-founder of the world’s first architectural robotic fabrication lab)

- Seminar III
14 May 2025 | Time TBC – Lingotto & Online

• Philip Yuan (Architect & Professor at Tongji University, co-founder of the DigitalFUTURES initiative)

- Seminar IV
22 May 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Online

• Riccardo Piazzai (Architect & BIM Manager, co-founder of NORDFY)
• Tobias Revell (Design Futures Lead at Arup Foresight)

- To Be Defined - 5th Seminar & Closing Session

PhD students who wish to register for the course may do so through the Polito portal.
For mor details or further information, please contact: federicajoe.gardella@polito.it and giovanni.durbiano@polito.it.