Charles Linn, FAIA

The editors of Architectural Record start planning our Innovation Conference more than a year in advance. We attend conferences, exhibitions and lectures; read everything in sight; and visit offices across the country and world to get a firsthand look at the kind of work people are doing.

Through our research, we’ve come to understand that environmental pressures and rapid technological advancements are changing the way we design and build. Because of this, it would have been a mistake to tie the conference to a single subject. So instead, we gave it a name that describes this dynamic moment time: “Architecture in an Age of Transformation.”

Through the eyes of our presenters, this conference explores topics such as software that simulates building performance; digitally enabled fabrication; parametric modeling; daylighting; new kinds of glass, metal alloys and ceramics; even architecture that can transform itself, changing shape in response to the environment. Our opening keynote speaker, William Mitchell, the director of MIT’s Media Lab, discusses technology’s relationship to sustainability, while Sir Nicholas Grimshaw talks about “embedded intelligence” in architecture.

By presenting their research and case studies, our world-class speakers give our audience a look at disruptive, game-changing technologies, many of which are already altering the way we design and build. We hope that those who come to the conference, and those who cannot, will enjoy our online recap of this very important event.