Abrupt shifts due to the global pandemic have precipitated myriad experiments in remoteness, improvised virtual communities, and rapid retooling to address novel urgencies. These circumstances provide an opportunity to reflect upon practices and priorities, to recognize the interdependent coevolutionary nature of our planet, society, and built environment, and to collectively re-imagine alternate futures.
Acknowledging the volatile disruptions of normal routines, Distributed Proximities (October 24–30) aims to explore the complex contours of the moment by privileging operative modalities and their (re)organizational logics. The term “distributed computing” refers to any parallel computation process that partitions a complicated task into discrete quanta. Originally relying upon an operating system architecture with physically separated processing nodes, the system’s connected array structure is the source of its robustness. In the current state of forced semi-autonomy, a remarkable simulacrum has emerged: diverse, ad hoc adaptations—academia fragmented, distributed research, bottom-up fabrication—that demonstrate the resilience and ingenuity of the computational design community in the face of crisis.
With this reality as a point of departure, Distributed Proximities invites contributions of recent and emerging work in computational design innovation and culture. In addition to completed research, this year we encourage the submission of work that is in-process, behind-the-scenes, recently initiated, and in-formation.
ACADIA 2020 will be an entirely virtual event, featuring peer-reviewed, juried, and curated content, published proceedings, as well as live discussions and activities that aim to radically open up the conversation around computational design and its critical dialogues.
About ACADIA
ACADIA was formed for the purpose of facilitating communication and critical thinking regarding the use of computers in architecture, planning and building science. The organization is committed to the research and development of computational methods that enhance design creativity, rather than simply production, and that aim at contributing to the construction of humane physical environments. A particular focus is education and the software, hardware and pedagogy involved in education. Visit the main ACADIA website for more information.
View this link for the full schedule for Acadia 2020.
