The June 9 webinar will focus on adaptive architecture research, a critical component in the pursuit of the sustainable, equitable and resource-efficient future of the built environment. IMAGE: PEDRO LASTRA ON UNSPLASH
June 9 webinar to focus on adaptive architecture research, collaboration
5/6/2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems (LiMC2) announced a webinar titled “Future Directions in Adaptive Architecture.” The webinar will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 9. Registration is required.
This webinar is intended to further strengthen research collaborations between the University of Freiburg and Penn State. To this end all faculty members and researchers from both institutions as well as any interested industrial collaborators are welcome to attend the webinar. This event has been designed to be an interactive webinar where attendees can share, collaborate and ideate new research ventures in preparation of the next Living Multifunctional Materials Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program.
According to Juan Pablo Gevaudan, a researcher in LiMC2 and an affiliate professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering, adaptive architecture research is critically important to realize the sustainable, equitable and resource-efficient future of the built environment and, therefore, addressing global climate change challenges.
“Adaptive architecture encompasses much more than dynamic architecture building or façade designs, it establishes a comprehensive view of adaptation throughout all building systems,” Gevaudan said. “This means that adaptive architecture includes how building materials adapt to serve whole-building functions as well as how whole-building elements can kinetically or intelligently respond to various external factors.”
Today, adaptive architecture is making its impact in various realms of research in the building industry.
“We have seen the advent of metamaterials to enable dynamic façade systems and even living materials that have the potential to respond to global climate change by becoming active CO2 sinks,” Gevaudan said. “The advances in the areas of multi-functional materials, kinetic architectures, and smart sensors/devices are enabling a complete re-envisioning of our cities.”
Gevaudan said that in the future, adaptive architecture will enable buildings to not only repair themselves, respond to lighting conditions and regulate the internal environmental quality for their inhabitants, but also adapt, communicate and respond to user information.
“Adaptive architecture is the research theme we need to ensure that smart cities are the reality that promotes the sustainability of our built environments,” he said.
Questions about the webinar can be sent to Juan Pablo Gevaudan at j.p.gevaudan@psu.edu, or Rebecca Napolitano, nap@psu.edu, who is the co-organizer of the webinar and also a LiMC2 researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering.
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