News & Events
16 June 2023
Join us on June 22 at 18:00 for an extraordinary movie screening experience!
Eye of Silence
29mins, 6K Video, 7.1 surround sound modified for IDL’s 75-channel immersive installation
The Eye of Silence explores alternative theories of the origin of life, consciousness, and art, commemorating the centenary of the planetarium. The work marshals high atmospheric video recordings of salt flats, volcanoes, and meteorite crater in order to visualize the Earth at the critical moments of its evolution. The narrative begins at the moment when life on the planet was seeded from a frozen meteorite based on a theory called panspermia. The video ends with 3D scans of prehistoric cave art projected onto the immersive screen, creating an architectural connection between our modern ways of imagining the cosmos in the planetarium with the ancient ways during rituals in caves. Accompanying the psychedelic visuals, temporality and timelessness entwined in a sonic fugue, combining both subterranean beats and cosmic noise—inviting the visitor to meditate on deep time, deep space, and deep listening. In dialogue with contemporary scientific research, the composition comprises original field recordings of solar rays (whistling within the earth’s ionosphere), hydrophone recordings of crackling Arctic ice and flowing cenotes (created by a meteorite impact), and ambisonic recordings from volcanic calderas. The Eye of Silence is reconfigured for the site-specific performance at ETH’s Immersive Design Lab, expanding our spatial explorations within the technological cave. In this context, the 75-speaker sound system in the acoustically controlled chamber of IDL creates a virtual sound field supported by the visual projection, making The Eye of Silence a hallucinatory vision of the cosmic and the chthonic colliding.
The screening is followed by a conversation and Q&A with Charles Stankievech and Ala Roushan.
RSRV your spot now and send a mail to:
12 May 2023
We are thrilled to announce a new Design++ Postdoctoral Fellowship program!
Open Position: Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Architecture, Engineering and Construction - 100%, 2 years.
The postdoctoral fellowship program is expected to develop a strong emphasis on innovation in augmented computational design in the AEC industry. This fellowship program aims to support talented researchers in bringing promising technologies and solutions further into development with an emphasis on commercialization. The intention is to help fill an implementation gap for promising technology and solutions which promote resource efficiency, circularity, integrated planning processes and to reduce carbon emissions in the AEC industry. Research topics include, but are not limited to the following:
- Establishing innovative methods or digital tools (for example based on AI, machine learning, XR) for the full value-chain from design to fabrication for new construction or renovation projects
- Advancing XR and Robotics to support construction, prefabrication, and renovation
- Creating methods for augmenting/automating building information modelling (BIM), with the aim to bridge the gap between construction and operation.
- Developing data-driven digital planning to advance innovation for: facades and building skins, construction and structures, interiors, and/or building services.
Timeline:
- May 15: Call Opens
- July 15: Applications due
- September 1: Interview
- October 1: Earliest start of fellowship
10 March 2023
New Professor for Computational Design
At its meeting of 8 and 9 March 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed Bernd Bickel as Professor of Computational Design at D-ARCH and D-BAUG and granted Stephan Pfister the title professor.
Professor Bernd Bickel (*1982), currently Professor and Vice President for Technology Transfer at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, and Senior Staff Research Scientist at Google in Zurich, as Full Professor of Computational Design in the Department of Architecture and equally affiliated with the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG). Bernd Bickel conducts research into digital technologies with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and extended reality. He has a particular interest in computer graphics at the intersection between robotics, computer vision, machine learning, materials science and digital fabrication. The aim of his research is to create new and efficient ways of modelling, simulating and fabricating digital content. His work has won multiple prizes, including an Oscar (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award) in 2019 and an ERC Starting Grant in 2016.
The appointment of Bernd Bickel is embedded in the Design++ research center. Thus, D-ARCH and D-BAUG will strengthen their competences in research and teaching in the field of digital technologies for design and fabrication with a focus on artificial intelligence and extended reality. Bickel will take up his post on 1 February 2024. Welcome, Bernd!
3 March 2023
Halter AG joins as a Strategic Partner of Design++!
Design++ is thrilled to announce that external pageHalter AG, will join as a new Strategic Partner! This partnership represents an alignment of strategic goals and is supported by a donation via the external pageETH Foundation over six years. The donation from Halter AG will primarily be used to set up a new Fellowship programme to promote innovation in the field of augmented computational design.
“We urgently need to develop and establish new processes and business models to boost productivity and sustainability in the construction industry and, not least, bring about a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. At Halter AG, we are committed to ensuring this in our projects and through our collaborations. Design++ at ETH Zurich takes a promising approach and represents a very important commitment for us,” explains Balz Halter, Chair of the Halter AG Board.
We would like to thank Halter AG for their donation and express our enthusiasm to form this new Strategic Partnership!
21-23 June 2022
Future of Construction Symposium
The external pageFuture of Construction features two symposiums with complementary topics, i.e. one on Computational Design for Sustainable Construction organized by members from Design++, and one on Construction Robotics organized by members from NCCR dfab. The shared goal of the joint event is to bring together experts from various fields, such as architecture, sensing, robotics, engineering, computer science, circular construction, computer vision and more. We will address the challenges for the future of construction, focus on innovative methods, share knowledge, and establish a dialogue between international participants from academia and industry. This exchange will help identify needs and opportunities of the various involved research fields for successful future collaborations.
Visit the website for Registration and up-to-date information: external pagehttps://2022.futureofconstruction.net/
2 December 2021
Open Position: Professor of Augmented Computational Design in Architecture, Engineering and Construction
The Department of Architecture (www.arch.ethz.ch) and the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (www.baug.ethz.ch) at ETH Zurich conjointly invite applications for the above-mentioned position.
The new professorship will be embedded in Design++. The new professor is expected to develop a strong and visible research programme in the area of augmented computational design in architecture, engineering and construction with a focus on artificial intelligence.
Click here for the full job description and link to apply online.
25 May 2021
Hexagon becomes the second strategic partner of Design++ with a donation
We are happy to announce that external pageHexagon, the sensor, software and autonomous solutions firm will support Design++ through a strategic partnership and a donation via the external pageETH Foundation over six years. The donation from Hexagon will primarily be used to establish the new professorship for Augmented Computational Design and will also support the Research Center.
"We share the ambition, purpose, and entrepreneur spirit with Design++,” comments, Thomas Harring, CEO, Leica Geosystems and President Geosystems Division, Hexagon. “We have ambitious plans in place for AEC, and we are eager to learn more from leading research institutes such as Design++.”
We would like to thank Hexagon for their donation, and we look forward to the partnership to advance technology innovation for the AEC industry.
27 April 2021
Join us for the official (virtual) opening of Design++ and IDL on 27 May 2021, 16:00 – 18:00
During the event, you will hear about research perspectives from the diverse and interconnected domains of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Computer Science. The event will also feature the opening of the Immersive Design Lab (IDL). Register on external pageEventbrite to get the zoom link for the event! See event schedule for more informaiton.
2 February 2021
Basler & Hofmann engages with Design++ as a strategic partner with a generous donation over the next six years
The engineering, planning and consulting firm Basler & Hofmann supports Design++ via a strategic partnership and a generous donation through the ETH Foundation over six years. While the donation from Basler & Hofmann is primarily used to establish the new professorship for "Augmented Computational Design", they greatly support the vision of the entire research center. "We very much welcome the effort to break down the silos of individual disciplines. We are convinced that we can only exploit the advantages of new digital technologies if we sharpen our view of the whole. This requires interdisciplinary collaboration," comments Dominik Courtin, Chairman of the Executive Board of Basler & Hofmann.
The entire Design++ team would like to thank Basler & Hofmann for their generous donation and commitment to interdisciplinary research and innovation in the AEC industry!
For more information:
November 2020 - Januay 2021
Postdoc Position in Fabrication-aware Generative Design
We are seeking a motivated person to work jointly between the Chair of Innovative and Industrial Construction under the supervision of Prof. Daniel M. Hall and the Chair of Digital Building Technologies under the supervision of Prof. Benjamin Dillenburger on the 7DayHouse project. Reference the DownloadETH Job Board for a full description.
10 November 2020
Design++ Launches a Seminar Series and YouTube Channel
We have initiated a seminar series which features top expertise in AI, ML, AR, and VR within the AEC domain. The seminar series is open to the public and available on our YouTube channel: external pageCenter for Computational Augmented Design in AEC.
20 October 2020
AIA Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction
The AIA Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction brings together experts and enthusiasts from various fields of academia and industry to explore the potential of artificial intelligence for the design and fabrication of our built environment. As part of the Rethink Design Program and Design++, AIA provides a platform for participants to discuss cutting-edge research, exchange ideas, and strengthen interdisciplinary connections and collaborations.
25 September 2020
Congratulations Prof Daniel Hall and Prof Benjamin Dillenburger for your SNSF project!
Can you imagine designing and building a home in just one week? This ambitious SNSF project, 7DayHouse, aims to improve the design, fabrication and construction process to provide innovative housing solutions in just 7 days.