2024 International Conference | Conferencia Internacional

Historically characterized by its cautious pace and adherence to convention, architecture pedagogy faces a pivotal moment, an inflection point, that demands decisive action and openness to radical change. The advent of artificial intelligence questions the public perception of our core competencies, while the aspirations of new generations challenge traditional organizational models, hierarchies, and business practices. Furthermore, the discipline must confront urgent societal and environmental issues that have proven impossible to resolve through conventional processes, methodologies, and modes of practice.

Panelists will articulate their perspectives on what are and should remain core disciplinary values, identify others that need to be questioned and necessitate immediate transformation, and debate the feasibility of incremental versus radical reconception of architectural education and practice. This discussion intends to ignite a sense of urgency among educators, practitioners, and future professionals, compelling them to reevaluate and adapt their approaches to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

The City Initiative of the School of Architecture, Art, and Design of the Technological Institute of Monterrey is an ecosystem that integrates knowledge, methodologies, tools and data to address the challenges of urbanization in Mexico. Its goal is to enable regenerative processes in the territory, creating healthy, just and resilient cities. The components of the ecosystem are: (1) Urban Observatory, (2) Research Group, (3) C+Lab Cities Laboratory (practical application of knowledge) and (4) Academic programs related to urban and territorial studies, including Bachelor in Urbanism, Bachelor in Architecture and Masters in Architecture and Urban Design. The panelists will showcase projects developed by the City Initiative to demonstrate how the ecosystem networks and tackles challenges, driving and inspiring the transformation of cities and territories in Mexico, focusing on: (1) contextual approach, emphasizing a deep understanding of specific local conditions as a foundation for design, (2) articulation of a cohesive narrative spanning across the diverse Mexican territories; (3) research by design, knowledge based governance, and education and capacity building; (4) upscaling and interscalar approach: creating connected systems from landscape to architecture; and (5) systemic approach and interdisciplinary collaborations. This discussion will highlight the uniqueness of this national school and how it enables the City Initiative to identify extraordinary opportunities and take systemic actions to more effectively confront the complex challenges faced in territories providing students and stakeholders with powerful tools for a better future.