BUILDing Forward exhibition explores innovation around ‘making’

Autodesk’s BUILD Space

Boston — BUILDing Forward, an exhibition sponsored by the Autodesk BUILD Space, explores the innovation around “making” in the building and infrastructure industries — both material fabrication and larger construction. The exhibition opens July 24, 2017, and runs through October 6, 2017.

The exhibition demonstrates the future of making and the radical changes in the way things are designed, made, and used in the architecture, engineering, and construction fields. BUILDing Forward introduces this future as an opportunity to craft a new collective understanding of what’s possible in our built environment: how people design, make, and work together.

Through a series of artifacts from timber fabrication prototypes to studies on the form and function of glass created in the Autodesk BUILD Space, as well as programs and events, BUILDing Forward addresses three key themes: the shift experienced by the design industry, the blurring line between architect and builder, and how technology is helping designers to create buildings and infrastructure that are socially and physically connected, sustainable, resilient, and beautiful.

Rick Rundell AIA, technology and innovation strategist, and senior director at Autodesk, says, “BUILDing Forward offers a glimpse into the future of building through the experiences of the Autodesk BUILD Space research, project, and startup teams as they design, build, and test prototypes. We are pleased to partner with the BSA Foundation to share this vision of the future of the built world around us.”

Laura Wernick FAIA, chair of the BSA Foundation, says, “The Foundation is delighted to host an exhibition that encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and presents an innovative approach to the technologies and processes that will contribute to the creation of  more impactful architecture.”

The list of exhibits and projects, many created by architecture firms based in Boston, include:

• Tact(AL) — Marnfah Kanjanavanit, Anthony Nitche, Dyani Robarge, Rachel Sung, Jeremy Ficca, Carnegie Mellon University – School of Architecture
• Design By Making: Nail Laminated Timber Panel — Jeremy Luebker, Yehia Madkour, Andrew Tsay Jacobs, Perkins+Will
• Emerson College Little Building — Thomas C. Carrier, Edward Schelleng, Kate Ford, Jenna Carolan, Nick Nigro, Elkus Manfredi Architects and Suffolk
• Digital Glass Fabrication — Lucy Yip, Stefanie Pender, Autodesk BUILD Space
• WinterLight Pavilion for The Rose Kennedy Greenway — Autodesk BUILD Space, The Rose Kennedy Greenway, Studio NYL Structural Engineers, Tocci Construction and PennState University, Sasaki
• Lumii Display — Tom Baran, Matt Hirsch, Daniel Lethinger, Ryan Marten, Olivia Mitchell, Lumii
• Digital Steel: Complex Stud Geometries— Autodesk BUILD Space, Howick, Ltd.
• MetaComb Material — Seva Tsodokov, MetaComb

Exhibition visitors are encouraged to examine the future of building via exhibition artifacts and project examples from Autodesk’s BUILD Space. Interactive workshops featuring simple robotics offer visitors the opportunity to experience new fabrication methods and design options.

The opening reception for BUILDing Forward  will be held on Thursday, July 27, 2017 at 6:00 pm. This special event, free and open to the public, is an opportunity to explore the exhibition while enjoying complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. To RSVP, visit https://architects.org/programs-and-events/opening-reception-building-forward.

Additional programs include networking receptions, talks from industry innovators, and opportunities to learn first-hand the processes that shape our design decisions.

For more information about BUILDing Forward, visit https://www.architects.org/bsaspace/exhibitions/building-forward