conference

 

15 May 2023, h 15

Terese, aula A

 

Nof Nathansohn Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem

keynote Angelo Maggi

 

organised by Dipartimento di Culture del progetto, corso di laurea magistrale MA in Architecture

 

poster >>

 

 

 

Architects design buildings. Allegedly, they enjoy creative freedom, and the designs limits are the limits of their imagination. In practice, our hands as architects are tied. We are bound not only to the programme, the budget and the clients wishes; we are also confined to machines and materials. At best, a creative design that exceeds the norms involves heavy costs, due to the customization of the means of production and construction. At worst, it remains a nice dream.

 

But what if we could be given real creative freedom?

What if instead of adapting the design to the machines, the machines can be adapted to the design?

 

In recent years we have witnessed the second phase of the digital revolution. If in the first stage the computer replaced the pencil, and architects received innovative tools for designing, then in the second stage we received innovative tools for production. It's not about convenience; This is a fundamental liberation of architectural thinking. Not only that 3D printers and robotic arms are now available to everyone; Every day researchers are learning more and more ways to "hack" these machines - to re-code them and change their original purpose. These are architectural machines that serve as flexible means of production in the hands of the designer.

 

This revolution marks a turning point in the architectural discipline. The new tools expand the boundaries of the profession, and allow architects to appropriate and control the entire process. Along the way, designers are given unprecedented creative choices. -

 

Nof Nathansohn is an architect, lecturer and researcher. She holds a master's degree (SMArchS) in Architectural Design and Computation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a bachelor's degree in architecture (BArch) from Tel Aviv University. Nathansohn is also a partner in Fonma Oniva Architects, she is the head of digital fabrication at the Negev School of Architecture, and a lecturer in the department of architecture in Bezalel. Nathansohn's research deals with the possibilities of incorporating innovative materials in the construction industry, and their applications through computer-controlled digital manufacturing. It focuses on the adaptation and construction of smart machines, customized and self-produced, in favor of digital production such as 3D printing and computer-controlled milling. Nathansohn is also a journalist, and previously served as the editor-in-chief of Time Out Tel Aviv. Her works have been published in IJAC (International Journal of Architectural Computing), Archdaily, Designboom, Fast Company and more.