The Co-Lab

THE CO-LAB
Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building, Washington, D.C.
On View: November 20, 2021 – July 6, 2022

Visitors of the Smithsonian FUTURES exhibition at the historic Arts and Industries Building (AIB) were able to pilot an experimental new way to design sustainable, inclusive future cities—by building them from the ground up, together.The Co-Lab, a first-of-its-kind collaborative design experience developed with Autodesk, a leading provider of 3D design software, invited the public to bring their creativity and sense of play to co-design better, greener communities in real time, introducing a powerful generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) as their new design partner.

As AIB’s Special Projects Curator, Helen Bechtel initiated the partnership with Autodesk’s research teams, leading a rigorous design-thinking process to create a new, digital interactive experience. To house the interactive game, Bechtel managed a partnership between Autodesk Research Studio and exhibition designers, The Rockwell Group, to design The Co-Lab, a unique installation within the FUTURES exhibition.

Inspired by future-thinking projects like Buckminster Fuller’s 1946 Dymaxion House and the utopian visions of Yona Friedman and Constant Nieuwenhuys, The Co-Lab, took the form of a cantilevered, modular structure. Autodesk Research Studio used A.I. to generate numerous designs within weight, strength, size, and material constraints. Despite its visual complexity, the final design was built with just 60 wood beams, 25 joints and minimal construction waste.