This project, Urban Wilds, is a visionary biotech facility designed as an urban center for ecological change and a catalyst for sparking imagination and conversation.

 

Utilizing architectural design, 3D visualization, creative design, renders, and meticulously detailed plans and structural diagrams, the proposal explores innovative approaches to combating climate change.

 

Inspired by James Lovelock’s GAIA Hypothesis—which theorizes that living organisms and the inorganic environment form a synergistic, self-regulating system that sustains life on Earth—the project questions humanity’s influence on the planet’s ecology. Using artificial intelligence as a theoretical tool, the design proposes a Dronehouse, a structure intended to recalibrate humanity’s relationship with Earth, as framed by Bruno Latour’s concept of “landing on Earth.”

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The project further draws inspiration from The AI Gambit, an article by Oxford University professors, hypothesizing the potential for AI to address ecological challenges. By weaving these theories into the design process, the facility not only envisions the future applications of AI in environmental stewardship but also serves as a platform for critical discussions on our responsibility to the planet.

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Teammates: Kaustubh Kulkarni, Jack Freedman, Mohammed Rezk, Wei-Hung Chen, James Chidiac, Abhishek Kadian, Aleksandra Lapshina, Lexin Liu