Generative Design

Research focus

The Peer review has evaluated this group as Average

The research is organized in two main themes: Generative Design and Town Identity Design. These are organized as Generative Design, established in 1996 by Celestino Soddu and Enrica Colabella as one of the Research Labs in DIAP, Politecnico di Milano University. Generative Design: The research activities are focused on Generative Art and Design, tracing a new advanced design philosophy based on Italian Renaissance that is experimented with an artificial life software ®Argenia, designed by C.Soddu, able to running creative design paths and generating unique and unpredictable 3D models recognizable as following the same idea, the same style, a strong and identifiable cultural identity. The technical aspects of this design approach are in generating 3d outputs directly usable in shaping town environments, in architectural design production and in industrial production equipments like numerical control machines and rapid prototyping 3dprinters. This topic is annually developed organizing the Generative Art International conference that arrived to the 10th event and is, at now, the world main reference in the topic of Generative approach to Art, Architecture, Design and Music. Town Identity design: The research activity focuses one of the most important field of Town design approach: how to identify, manage and design the peculiar identity of a town environment, defining and using the more advanced approach coming from Artificial Life and Dynamical Complex System management. The research process delineates, through peculiar codes, the rules of dynamic transformations of identified town systems for giving a support to reconstruct and manage the increasing complexity of these complex environments. The main aim is to preserve and to redesign their peculiar uniqueness recognizable quality. This theme was developed organizing workshops in Europe and Asia and two international conferences in 2004, “De Identitate” at CRUI, Rome and “Identity&Design” at the Italian Embassy in Beijing with European and Asian speakers. Starting from 2004, The Lab, under the supervision of E.Colabella, has organized annually the International Competitions for Students and young artists “Idea as a code” and “Fractals in my own town”. Generative Design Lab of Politecnico di Milano has established other Generative Design Labs in Kassel University, Tech. University of Eindhoven, Tongji University in Shanghai and Tianjin University that are the base of G.D.Labs international Network, linked to the Generative Art Network created from 1998 with the annual G.A. conferences, exhibitions and performances. Following that the Lab has permanent relationships with people of other universities that work together with the Lab staff for realizing events, communications and results. Enrica Colabella is a permanent researcher of the Lab, working at all the Lab activities. The Emeritus Professor Nathan Shapira, of UCLA is from 5 years one of the most important external reference. Quinsan Ciao, Ball State Univ. was for 2 years (2002-2004) 27 5 part of the permanent staff. Other people, like Marco Longatti, Architect, Siddharth, PhD Student, INDIA, Gianfranco Moltedo, Roma La Sapienza, Marco Melino, Architect have permanent collaborations with the Lab. In the last 4 years the research work of the Lab involved Hans Dehlinger, Kassel University, Bauke De Vries, Tech. Univ. Eindhoven, Karina Moares Zarzar, Tech. Univ. Delft, Chang Ming Yang, Tianjin University, Zhao, BLCU, Beijing, Gabriel Maldonado, Musician, Rome, Sandro Violi, artist, Los Angeles, Heng Feng Zuo, Solent University, UK, Daniele Gugelmo, Univ. Of Campinas, Brazil, Aleksandra Shalova, Daugavpils University, Latvia, and a lot of Postgraduate, Master and PhD students from Chinese Universities (Thinghua, BLCU, Tianjin, Tongji in Shanghai, Shanghai Univ., HongKong PolyU, Macau Univ. Xi’an Univ., Changsha Hunan Univ.) The Generative Design Lab communicated its research results also with international exhibition like: - “Generative Visionary Variations of Washington D.C.”, by C.Soddu at IDB Cultural Center, Washington DC, 2003 - “Generative Art; Design of transFORMation”, by Celestino Soddu, Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, 2003. Curator Nathan Shapira. - “Variazioni Visionarie Morfogenesi e Design Generativo per l’Architettura, la Citta’ e l’Oggetto industriale” by Celestino Soddu with Enrica Colabella, Gallery of 1st School of Architecture “Ludovico Quaroni”, Rome University “La Sapienza”, 2004. - “Visionary Variations” by Celestino Soddu, at Italian Embassy, Beijing, China, 2004. Visionary Variations of Milano by Celestino Soddu: - Exhibition of Visionary Generative Design by C. Soddu at IFC Mall, International Finance Centre, Hong Kong, 16-27 June 2004 - “Variazioni Visionarie di Milano”, by Celestino Soddu, generative architectural and industrial design for the future of Milan. Exhibition at Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, Milano, supported by Camera di Commercio, 2005.

Dipartimento di afferenza

Dipartimento di Architettura e Pianificazione (DIAP)

Docenti afferenti

Associate Professor
Celestino Soddu