Adaptive Architecture Conference

An International Conference at the Building Centre, London,
3-5 March 2011

Architecture has always been inventive and adaptable. However, our current era is unique in its technological potential combined with societal and environmental challenges. The need to generate sustainability, developments in design techniques and technology advances are leading to the emergence of a new Adaptive Architecture.

The built environment is becoming truly responsive in terms of physical, real-time changes acting under intelligent control. Adaptive Architecture can be characterized by four key attributes; it is Dynamic, Transformable, Bio-inspired and Intelligence.

Drawing on these themes, the Adaptive Architecture Conference will bring together leading practitioners, researchers and industry experts who will present built work and practical research. Presenters will demonstrate new types of reconfigurable architecture, and will show how adaptive strategies can extend a building’s life cycle, enhance energy efficiency and optimise resource utilisation.

The conference will be organised into four modules:

Dynamic Facades
Next-generation, responsive facades will be examined, including the creation of a building fabric that is both intelligent and communicative. Presenters will demonstrate systems that are capable of reducing energy demands, enhancing occupant comfort and integrating energy generation into contemporary architecture.

Transformable Structures
Methods to create building-scale structures that change their size and shape will be demonstrated. Speakers will discuss architecture that adapts over different time-scales, whether daily cycles or long term response to changing economic demands, climate adaptation, weather patterns, emergencies and other external factors

Bio-inspired materials
Nature creates responsive organisms and materials that transform, heal, and change colour. These functions originate at the molecular level and scale up to create adaptive systems that actuate by chemical and physical cues. Utilizing insights from the natural world, researchers are now creating a new generation of adaptive materials and devices. Speakers will present state of the art research, and discuss how nature’s strategies can provide inspiration for design

Intelligence
As buildings develop the capacity to adapt, the challenge is to implement effective control where building automation systems, user interfaces and services can interact seamlessly, to embed intelligence within the architecture. Speakers will present current strategies as well as explore the future potential of intelligent systems.

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Adaptive Architecture international conference will be running a peer reviewed stream for research papers.

The review committee is composed of:

Philip Beesley, Philip Beesley Architect Inc. and University of Waterloo
Professor Ulrich Knaack, TU Delft
Professor Robert Kronenburg, University of Liverpool
William McLean, University of Westminster
Andrew Scoones, The Building Centre
Holger Schnädelbach, University of Nottingham
Bob Shiel, Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London
Professor Michael Stacey, University of Nottingham

If you are interested in participating in the Adaptive Architecture international conference please contact
adaptivearchitecture@buildingcentre.co.uk

website

Organisers: The Building Centre and The Architecture & Tectonics Research Group of the University of
Nottingham.