In July, Autodesk acquired the experimental New York design firm The Living, led by architect David Benjamin, in order to enhance its research capabilities. This union is just one effort by the software leader to engage in wide-reaching discussions about the future of design. Last year it opened Autodesk Workshop at San Francisco’s Pier 9, a 27,000-square-foot playground for employees and partners to explore advanced manufacturing resources. And, more recently, a summer-residency program charged participants with writing science fiction. “We have an extraordinary talent base that can make stuff,” says Jeff Kowalski (left), “but we also need those folks who can will new things into existence by virtue of talking and sharing stories about them.” Kowalski, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Autodesk, is involved in each of these initiatives: “I figure out how the technical components fit together, and where they’re heading.”
Your career at Autodesk dates to 1993.
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