Innovators Antoine Picon and Carlo Ratti to Keynote ACSA Conference at Wentworth
Carlo Ratti (left) and Antoine Picon will provide the respective keynote speeches for the ACSA Conference at Wentworth next month
Two of the world’s leading thinkers on technology and the built environment, Antoine Picon and Carlo Ratti, have been selected as the keynote speakers for the upcoming 2025 Intersections Research Conference, themed "AI Design Practices."
The conference, hosted by the Wentworth School of Architecture & Design and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), will take place from September 25-27 on Wentworth’s Boston campus. Wentworth Architecture Professors Tatjana Crossley and Antonio Furgiuele are co-chairing the conference.
The event aims to bring together faculty, practitioners, and students to explore the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in architectural design, education, and research.
Opening Keynote: Antoine Picon
Kicking off the event will be Antoine Picon, the G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). Picon, trained as an engineer, architect, and historian, provides a crucial historical and theoretical lens through which to understand our current technological moment.
His research focuses on the complex relationships between technology, society, and architectural space. Picon's work is directly relevant to the conference theme, with current investigations centered on how AI and digital tools are fundamentally transforming the materiality of architecture. He is the author of numerous influential books, including Digital Culture in Architecture and The Materiality of Architecture. As a member of both the French Académie des Technologies and Académie d’Architecture, Picon’s opening address is poised to frame the critical questions and historical contexts surrounding AI's integration into design.
Closing Keynote: Carlo Ratti
The conference will feature a closing keynote from Carlo Ratti, an acclaimed architect, engineer, and inventor. A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he directs the Senseable City Lab, and at the Politecnico di Milano, Ratti is a globally recognized authority on the future of cities. His work merges the physical and digital worlds, exploring how technology can improve urban life.
Ratti is a founding partner of the design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, which has been featured on TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of the Year” list three times. A highly cited scholar with over 750 publications, his influence extends across academia, design, and policy. He was recently named the Curator of the 2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture, one of the most prestigious appointments in the field. His perspective as a hands-on innovator and "Sensory City Philosopher," as dubbed by Bloomberg, will provide a forward-looking conclusion to the conference discussions.
About the Conference
The 2025 Intersections Research Conference, focused on the theme of "AI Design Practices," represents a vital partnership between the ACSA and Wentworth. It is designed to foster an increased awareness of cutting-edge research and create opportunities for new partnerships, funding, and critical collaborations between academia and professional practice. Attendees will engage in a series of sessions, workshops, and networking events aimed at shaping the future of AI in the architectural world.
For more information on the conference, including a full schedule and submission guidelines, please visit the official ACSA conference page.