In July 2012, the AA, in partnership with the Adriano Olivetti Foundation and Gehry Technologies, launched Factory Futures: A three year research program aimed at exploring innovative architectural responses for the productive landscape of the future. The mission of Factory Futures is to connect the realms of contemporary urban theory with computational design techniques for the affirmative re-empowerment of the architectural practice within contemporary conditions of production. This year, the Ivrea Visiting School will develop design tools and research concepts to confront this phenomenon, which is challenging the conventions of both architectural design and urban theory during their workshop which takes place July 1-12. More information after the break.
The former Olivetti headquarters in Ivrea –the only UNESCO candidate site in Italy fully dedicated to its modern industrial architecture – constitute both the physical and cultural setting of our work. A growing network of academic and industry partners, Factory Futures operates through highly focused symposia, visiting schools, exhibitions and publications.
AAVS Ivrea 2013: Architecture Without Humans
Far from being invisible, the physical infrastructure supporting today’s need for data storage and distribution is increasingly transforming the configuration of our productive landscape. Using the Olivetti design culture as the DNA of our design experiments, we will investigate time-based and associative design strategies applied towards the creation of a speculative data storage infrastructure in relation to a former Olivetti industrial site in Ivrea.
The course will be taught by AA school and Gehry technologies tutors, with support from the Adriano Olivetti Foundation, in a two weeks programme. Together with critical seminars and field trips focusing on the local design culture, work will be articulated in sessions intertwining computational design and architectural representation: in reclaiming the rich Olivetti propaganda aesthetics, students’ proposals will be condensed in large scale individual posters to be published and exhibited through the Factory Futures network.
The AA Visiting School Ivrea is open to all current undergraduate/graduate students and young professional in the field of design, engineering and architecture. No previous specific software knowledge is required. An AA Certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program.
The deadline for applications is June 15. For more information, please visit here.
