Thematic area 1:
Architecture and Digital Technology (AN)

The Architecture and Digital axis is the historical axis of the Evcau laboratory which, since its creation, has been investing in methods and models of architectural design in the era of digital processes and generative models driven by data.

At all scales, from the body to the home to the city, data supports interpretations and models of human organizations, enriching experimental and theoretical research methodologies. The use of data raises fundamental ethical, political, and creative questions, which this research axis critically examines within the field of architectural research.

Researchers in this area are also experimenting with tools and methods derived from new models of biological organization, as well as artificial analytical and generative approaches developed by data science and artificial intelligence. This work allows us to consider new design “models,” rather than a single project model: analytical models, simulation models, and generational models.
These developments generate various factors of transformation, including the acquisition and modeling of information, the management and sharing of data, the association of data, calculations and simulations, as well as exchanges and collaboration between actors.
These diverse approaches create a problematized context that aligns with an epistemological continuity, resonating with the issues addressed by the other research areas of the EVCAU laboratory. This research draws upon multiple disciplines and shared or complementary methodologies, combining fundamental quantitative and qualitative approaches to study the design and perception of generated spaces. It encompasses applied research aimed at enriching professional practices, as well as research that contributes to theoretical knowledge related to project approaches and inventive processes.
Researchers within this research area have initiated several partnership agreements with educational and research institutions in their immediate environment, as well as at the regional, national, and international levels. It is within this context that the research area has been able to develop its research, particularly within the framework of the ARCHITECTURE & INTELLIGENCES partnership chair, dedicated to research and the promotion of architectural and urban design models.