Thinking

Smart Living Lab: a unique collaborative project of three Swiss universities, combining scientific research with concrete building design

Product of a research cooperation between three Swiss universitiesthe École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne's School of Architecture, the School of Architecture and Technology in Fribourg, and the University of Fribourgthe Smart Living Lab is a research and development center for the built environment of the future. This high-tech structure also serves as an emblem of the cooperation's aim to translate academic research into actual buildings. A new series of books, entitled Towards 2050 will be showcasing the ambitious undertaking at various stages.

The series' inaugural volume, Thinking: Visions for Architectural Design highlights preliminary research for the smart living lab and considers visions for sustainable buildings. The book features essays by Sophie Lufkin, Emilie Nault, MArilyne Andersen, and Emmanuel Rey as well as interviews with leading experts such as Tatiana Bilbao, Paula Cadima, Lionel Devlieger, Herbert Girardet, Alistair Guthrie, Kengo Kuma, Ali Malkawi, Edward Ng, Susan Parnell, Antoine Picon, Carlo Ratti, and Koen Steemers. It lays out the myriad challenges and opportunities the project is likely to face, as well as its considerable potential to drive change.

• smart living lab takes a uniquely holistic approach to improve energy and carbon performance of buildings

• The new Towards 2050 series collects, organizes, and evaluates the knowledge gained throughout the course of smart living lab's research

  Autorentext

Marilyne Andersen is a professor of sustainable construction technologies and Dean of EPFL's School of Architecture in Lausanne.

Emmanuel Rey is a professor of architecture and sustainable construction technologies and head of the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) at EPFL's School of Architecture in Lausanne, and a partner with Swiss architecture and urban design firm Bauart.