40 Presentations Showcase Use of Cutting-Edge Technology to Create New Types of Cities and Buildings
The Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects (AIADO) of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) proudly hosts The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture (ACADIA) 2009 international conference, ACADIA 09: reForm() Oct. 22–25.
At this critical juncture in history when the world seeks to create new models of sustainability to build newer, more productive and responsible urban environments, ACADIA 09: reForm() will present 40 papers by leading architects, engineers, artists, and designers from the U.S. and abroad that explore ideas for using new hardware, software and networking technologies to positively transform the performance and operation of cities and buildings.
Tickets for the four-day conference and workshops are available at acadia.org/register.html.
ACADIA 09: reForm() also features public keynote lectures by Kai Strelkhe, Head of Design Technology, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten (Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.); Dr. Robert Aish, Director of Software Development, Autodesk (Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.); and Dr. Peter W. Singer, Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative, the Brookings Institution (Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.).
Separate keynote tickets are available to the general public at the door for $10 at the Art Institute of Chicago Fullerton Hall (111 S. Michigan Ave.).
“As an architect and urban designer who is responsible for leading the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the world’s leading educational institutions built upon a trans-disciplinary approach to art and design, I am thrilled to host ACADIA 09: reForm() in Chicago, a city so vibrant and rich in architectural history,” said SAIC President Wellington Reiter, FAIA, who will offer opening remarks at the conference. “SAIC strives to be an innovator in creating new models of sustainability, and through hosting ACADIA we are proud to present cutting-edge, real-world ideas from international scholars that may help transform our city as well as urban environments throughout the world.”
ACADIA 09: reFORM() KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
A highlight of ACADIA 09: reForm() will be the public keynote addresses by three internationally recognized leaders and innovators in the field, followed by panel discussions. Separate tickets for each keynote are $10, available to the general public at the door at The Art Institute of Chicago Fullerton Hall (111 S. Michigan Ave.).
Keynotes include:
The Art of Architectural Programming at Herzog & de Meuron
Kai Strelkhe, Head of Design Technology, Herzog & de Meuron Architekten
Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.
Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) Rubloff Auditorium, 280 S. Columbus Dr.
About Kai Strelkhe
Since 2005, Strelkhe has been instrumental in advancing Herzog & de Meuron’s technological abilities, methodologies and techniques.
In 2001, firm partners Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron won the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. Strelkhe will discuss the working design methodology at Herzog & de Meuron, known throughout the world for its projects of extremely high quality, intention and craftsmanship.
Recognizable designs by the firm include the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics National Stadium (commonly referred to as the “Bird’s Nest”) and the Tate Modern Museum in London.
Strehlke will also explore the interplay between mediation of traditional design, digital design and fabrication. His keynote will be followed by a panel discussion about parametric design and the role of computation in contemporary architecture and design.
Design Language: Representation & Interaction
Dr. Robert Aish, Director of Software Development, Autodesk
Friday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.
AIC Fullerton Hall, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
About Dr. Robert Aish
In 2005, Dr. Robert Aish was named a top ten innovator in British Architecture by Building Design Magazine (UK). He is a co-founder of the SmartGeometry Group, and a visiting professor of Design Computation at the University of Bath’s School of Architecture.
As Director of Software Development at Autodesk, Dr. Aish converges advanced computational design techniques with mainstream tools. He will discuss how software and systems change to produce better buildings, and conversely how buildings work to produce better-situated software and information tools.
Dr. Aish’s keynote lecture will be followed by a panel discussion about the design of software tools for the architectural and engineering communities.
Wired for War: What Happens When Science Fiction Becomes Battlefield Reality?
Dr. Peter W. Singer, Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative
The Brookings Institution
Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
AIC Fullerton Hall, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
About Dr. Peter Singer
Dr. Singer is considered one of the world’s leading experts on changes in 21st century warfare. Singer served in a personal capacity as coordinator of the Obama 2008 campaign’s defense policy task force.
He is also a founder and organizer of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, a global conference that brings together leaders from across the US and the Muslim worlds.
Dr. Singer wrote the first books to explore the cutting edge topics of private military contractors (Corporate Warriors), child soldiers (Children at War), and in 2009 published Wired for War, which explores the implications of robotics and other new technologies for war, politics, ethics, and law in the 21st century.
Wired for War made the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list in its first week of release, and John Stewart of The Daily Show raved that the book is “awesome.”
Dr. Singer’s keynote lecture will be followed by a panel discussion about the role of robotic and network technologies in and beyond social, environmental, political and constructed environments.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Elysia Borowy-Reeder, 312-560-9780