Environmental Adaptions / Adaptive Environments
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How do we design spaces that evolve with us—shaping, shifting, and adapting to the conditions, behaviors, and needs of those who inhabit them? Adaptive Environments explores how architecture can move beyond the static, making adaptability a core principle in creating resilient, future-ready environments that respond dynamically to their users and surroundings.
This symposium, bringing together leading voices in architecture and design—including keynote speaker Kjetil Thorsen, Founding Partner of Snøhetta—delves into the dynamic interplay between people, nature, and built environments. We will examine how architectural concepts rooted in an understanding of spatial and material knowledge from the past, combined with emerging technologies, can enable environments that enhance inhabitants’ well-being, extend longevity, and support sustainability by responding intelligently to their surroundings.
Discussions will focus on design principles that engage with outdoor conditions, prioritize environmental responsibility, and foster spaces that adapt intuitively to changing needs. We will explore how emerging technologies—IoT, AI, and automation—can enhance scalability and real-time adaptability, creating more efficient, responsive, and human-centered spaces across diverse contexts.
Join us as we reimagine the built environment—not as something fixed, but as something that learns, reacts, and transforms to support both people and the planet.
Register for the event
KEYNOTE
Environmental Adaptions
Thurs., April 24, 6:30-7:30PM
Open to the public
Kjetil Trædal Thorsen
Founding Partner, Architect
Snøhetta
For more information & access to the keynote livestream, click here.
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM
Adaptive Environments
Fri., April 25, 2025, 1:00-5:00PM
Harvard affiliates only
Welcome
Sarah Whiting, Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, Harvard GSD
Introduction & Background
Ali Malkawi, Professor of Architectural Technology, Director of the Doctor of Design Studies Program, and Founding Director, Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities
Historical Context
Erika Naginski, Robert P. Hubbard Professor of Architectural History, Harvard GSD
Case Studies: HouseZero & Vertikal Nydalen
Architectural Concepts
Tine Hegli, Professor, The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
Technological Concepts and Emissions/Materials of HouseZero & Vertikal Nydalen
Tor Helge Dokka, Chief Advisor, Energy and Building Physics, Skanska
Kristian Edwards, Architect and Project Advisor, FutureBuilt
Post-Occupancy Findings and Performance Evaluations
Niels Lassen, Chief Advisor, Energy and Indoor Climate, Skanska
Arnkell Petersen, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Professor II, Oslo School of Architecture and Design
Material Innovations and Adaptability
Martin Bechthold, Kumagai Professor of Architectural Technology, Harvard GSD
Jonathan Grinham, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Harvard GSD
AI and Its Possibilities in Adaptable Environments
Ali Malkawi
Vijay Janapa Reddi, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard
Design Explorations
Elizabeth Christoforetti, Assistant Professor in Practice of Architecture, Harvard GSD
Scaling Up: Theoretical Foundations
Antoine Picon, G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology, Harvard GSD
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Speakers: Kjetil Thorsen, Tor Helge Dokka, Elisa Iturbe, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Harvard GSD; & Elizabeth Christoforetti
Moderator: Grace La, Professor of Architecture, Chair of the Department of Architecture, Harvard GSD