Data as an Architectural Material

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This brainstorming session is a central component of our Data Fluency project, an initiative stemming from the university's recent Entwicklungsplan (see page 21); we are looking to experiment extensively with data-driven processes and enhance our capacity for action within both individual disciplines and interdisciplinary contexts. This involves exploring new formats of teaching and exchange, as well as implementing new research fields to establish "Data Fluencies" as a cross-disciplinary concept in the sense of Future Literacy. Through collaborative mapping, we aim to expand upon current architectural knowledge and reflect on how it can further develop artistic approaches. Specifically, we want to address: What are the prevailing perspectives on digitality and data in architecture? Where do we identify opportunities, and what are our reservations or critical questions? How is the landscape changing, and how can we actively shape these shifts emerging from the arts, rather than merely serving as passive users of these technologies? We aim to treat data as material: to develop a foundational literacy in computation, data, and algorithmic thinking — rather than simply relying on pre-packaged AI tools. We see this session as the beginning of an ongoing dialogue that brings existing knowledge and diverse perspectives to light through a collaborative exchange.

Lecturer