2026 Speakers
Can AI think Architecture?
Abstract: The current wave of Artificial Intelligence has begun to profoundly impact the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. Generalist Large Multi-modal Models and advanced image-generation pipelines, alongside AI-based building cost and performance simulations, are increasingly adopted in daily practice among architects.
To what extent does this technology transform the design and planning process today? What will be possible soon? What are the real risks and opportunities, and how do they differ from those induced by previous technological shifts? We will address these issues through case studies of AI implementation within architectural practice.
Beyond professional utility, we will explore the cultural implications of generative AI in architecture and the visual arts. As LLMs mimic the discourses of architectural theory and image-generating models embed reminiscences from the entire history of visual culture, they have the potential to act as powerful engines of synthetic imagination.
Examining the current performance and limitations of these systems leads us to pose questions of a more critical nature: What does AI understand about architecture? To what extent are language and vision models able to represent architectural concepts? How do these models comprehend space? And how creative can generative AI really be? In short - can machines now 'think' architecture?
Bio: After graduating in Architecture from ETH Zurich, Pierre honed his skills as an architect at Caruso St John Architects and further integrated digital methodologies at Pascal Flammer Architekten. Prior to his architectural career, he earned a master's degree in Cognitive Science in Paris (ENS, EHESS and University of Paris, master thesis at École Polytechnique), gained programming experience as a data visualization engineer at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and participated in an international health data exchange project for the European Commission.
Drawing on his combined expertise in architecture, cognitive science, and technology, Pierre joined Itten+Brechbühl in 2023, where he became an associate partner and leads the office's AI-Community. In this role, he advances the use of artificial intelligence within the design, planning and management processes of architectural projects.He has led several AI workshops at USI Mendrisio, TU München and ETH and co-founded with Nora Walter the art project Constructed Visions, which explores the potential of AI to visualize possible architectural worlds.
Setting a Performative Frame between Fact and Fiction
Abstract: "In my work, cinema becomes an instrument to interrogate the qualities of space. I often manipulate the apparatuses of cinema such that projectors are transformed into new mechanical objects that generate information in real time, and that turn on themselves and bend the conventions of cinema to the requirements, possibilities, or limitations of their new forms. My aim is to create spaces that are not limited by the convention of two-dimensional projection but that open up narrative possibilities by dissolving the barriers between the space of the projection and the space of the spectator and space beyond.
My intention in this research project is to propose a journey from cinema to another kind of film, through an objectification of a filmic ontology into a hyperspace whose nature and limits remain to be defined. This space beyond consists of spaces stacked on top of each other and is reached through the concept of “embarkation,” that is, a journey from A to B, with a change of gear in order to create new mental places of experience and consciousness. How do we create a performative setting where fact and fiction can be intertwined?„
Bio: Rosa Barba explores permanence, impermanence, reality, and fiction through a repertoire of works traversing sculpture, installation, and film. Using performance as a framework and method, Barba examines the unruliness of cinematic apparatuses, the instability of knowledge, and the complexity of astronomical phenomena. Her work examines how space is influenced by temporal and linguistic constructs, challenging traditional understandings of narrative and language. Natural landscapes and human-made interventions into the environment feature as pivotal actors in Barba’s films, and as proxies for charting political and cultural transformations in society. Using the raw material of cinema–projectors, screens, and celluloid film–Barba probes theoretical and abstract conditions of space and time, creating pieces that often quantify the convergence of light and sound. Her work is part of numerous international collections and recent solo exhibitions include: MAXXI, Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, Rome (2025-2026), The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2025), Centre Pompidou, Paris (2023), Tate Modern, London (2023), Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (2021-2022), Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan (2017), Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid (2017) and Secession, Vienna (2017), Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt (2016), and at Biennials such as the 53rd and 56th Venice Biennale, and Performa (2013).
Emerging Innovations in Structural Timber Engineering
Abstract: The talk presents an overview of 15 years of successful research activities at the Chair of Timber Structures at ETH Zurich, with focus on innovative timber products and innovative research methodologies developed at the Chair.
Bio: Andrea Frangi is Professor for Timber Structures at the Institute of Structural Engineering at the ETH Zurich since 2010. He is co-president of the SIA Structural Design Code Committee (KTN) and president of the Swiss Code Committee for Timber Structures (SIA 265) and for Fire Safety Engineering (SIA 183). He is vice-chairman of TC250 SC5 (Eurocode 5, Timber Structures), chairman of TC250 SC5 WG4 (Eurocode 5, Timber Structures, Working Group Fire) and member of TC250 HGF (Horizontal Group Fire).
He received his diploma in civil engineering in 1995 and a Ph.D. in technical science both from ETH in 2001. From 2001 to 2003 he worked by the Structural Engineering Company “Read Jones Christoffersen” in Vancouver, Canada and from 2004 to 2009 part time by the Structural Engineering Company “Marchand+Partner” in Zürich as well as senior scientist associate at the Institute of Structural Engineering of ETH Zurich.
Building Spatial Intelligence from Measurements
Abstract: Architects and engineers have long used sensing and measurement technologies to capture the real world and embed their designs within it. Today, the built environment faces increasing demands for comfort, safety, resilience, scalability, and resource efficiency. With advances in machine perception, raw XYZ measurements alone are no longer sufficient, provisioning actionable insights is a must. From an industry research perspective at Hexagon, this seminar draws on existing AI solutions to present the vision of digital twins across scales, where AI-driven interpretation transforms sensor data into decision-ready knowledge for both humans and autonomous agents.
Bio: Fiona Collins is a Machine Learning Research Engineer in the Innovation Hub at Hexagon AB, where she works at the intersection of AI, reality capture, and the built environment. In her work, she focuses on developing intelligent methods for interpreting spatial data, bridging sensing technologies with engineering workflows.She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from EPFL and a M.Sc. in Integrated Building Systems from ETH Zurich. Fiona is currently finalising her PhD on the topic of Scan-BIM integration at the Technical University of Munich, at the Chair Computing in Civil and Building Engineering under Prof. André Borrmann