In this interview with Domus, Prof. Carlo Ratti discusses architecture and the digital revolution. Speaking about innovations that will influence the future, Ratti explains that “thanks to digital technology, we can finally build an interior that is not only able to feel, but also to respond, adapting itself in real time to our needs.”
The March 2017 issue of Italian design magazine Domus includes a special section that explores the fringes of architectural innovation in four aspects: design, materials, production, and interaction. Curated by Prof. Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, the section’s articles feature an array of MIT architects, designers, and innovators.
MIT students participating in the Masters of Architecture Options Studio have developed a prototype portable shelter that self-assembles in mid-air, reports Alexandra Simon-Lewis for Wired. Graduate student MyDung Nguyen explains that the goal of the project was to "defy the constraints" that can often impede architectural projects, particularly in areas where space and time are limited.
MIT’s School of Architecture + Planning has been named the world’s top architecture school by QS University Rankings for the third year in a row, reports Madeline Billis of Boston Magazine. MIT received a total of 98 points when judged on categories including academic and employer reputations and research citations from the previous year.
In an article for The New York Times Magazine about design challenges, Jon Gertner highlights Prof. Skylar Tibbits’ idea to reimagine cell towers. By making cell towers responsive to external stimuli, Tibbits believes they can gain in flexibility and functionality, and will have “personality and an aesthetic of movement.”
Melik Kaylan writes for The Wall Street Journal about “Syria: A Living History,” an exhibit curated by Prof. Nasser Rabbat. Kaylan writes that the exhibit is “a poignant, cathartic show. The visitor can’t help feeling awe and veneration for the immortal works of art mixed with a bittersweet sense of what humans are capable of—at their best and worst.”
Prof. Nasser Rabbat curated an exhibit at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto showcasing Syria’s legacy and important contributions to world heritage, reports Nigel Hunt for CBC News. Prof. Rabbat hopes the exhibit will “weave from the history of Syria a glimmer of hope for the future.”
MIT has been named the top university in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings, reports Nick Morrison for Forbes. This is the fifth consecutive year that MIT has earned the number one spot in the QS rankings.
Jan Gardner of The Boston Globe writes that a new book exploring MIT’s architecture chronicles MIT’s history and includes eight walking tours focusing on the architecture and art of the campus. Gardner notes that “since 1968, MIT has required that there be an art component to the construction or remodeling of buildings on campus.”
In a Boston Magazine article about six city squares in Boston, Joseph Mendolia writes that MIT’s plan for Kendall Square, “which is slated to bring 740 apartments—not to mention additional office, retail, and research space—to the square,” could help bring a neighborhood feel to the the area.
Hashim Sarkis, dean of SA+P, speaks with Vanessa Quirk of Metropolis about MIT’s widespread presence at the 2016 Venice Biennale, the Institute’s approach to architectural challenges and its interdisciplinary ethos. “MIT thrives on what it calls complex societal problems,” says Sarkis. “And what better complex societal problems are there today than cities and architecture and the environment.”
Writing for Forbes, Keith Flamer explores Prof. Carlo Ratti’s design for the world’s highest vertical park. “Imagine you take New York’s Central Park, turn it vertical, roll it and twirl it,” says Ratti of his design.
Engadget’s Timpthy Seppala reports that MIT researchers have developed a model for estimating gas and electricity for every building in Boston. Seppla explains that, “the idea here is to use the model as a way of making Beantown more energy efficient across the board.”
Architect David Adjaye has been named the recipient of the 2016 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, writes Mark Shanahan for The Boston Globe. The prize “includes an artist residency at MIT next spring during which Adjaye will participate in four programs open to the public.”
Erin Baldassari writes for The Cambridge Chronicle about MIT’s plans for six new buildings in Kendall Square. “As a bold new gateway to MIT, Kendall Square opens a new frontier for us to reimagine the relationship between town and gown,” said Hashim Sarkis, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning.