For a century, industrial modernity has been characterised by mass production, with architects and designers striving for efficiency through standardisation. In Beyond Digital (MIT Press, 2023), Mario Carpo, the inaugural Reyner Banham Professor of Architectural History and Theory at The Bartlett School of Architecture, examines how this era is coming to an end. By delving into the evolution of computational production, he highlights how the integration of robotic automation and AI is redefining the quest for scale. Modern technology enables the use of diverse, nonstandard materials, assembled in unique and intelligent ways. This shift heralds a future where automated microfactories function as the artisan workshops of tomorrow.
Addressing the theoretical and technical origins of computational manufacturing, Carpo reveals how it has been influenced by antimodern ideologies. However, the urgency of the climate crisis and global pandemic have validated its principles, offering fresh impetus for its application. Through examining the innovative work of new designers and technologists, Beyond Digital charts a visionary path for our post-industrial future.
Celebrated architect and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Kengo Kuma, commends Carpo's contribution, asserting,
Thanks to Beyond Digital, architecture is at last back in the hands of the people."