Design Poetics: Michael Scott Silver, Assistant Professor of Architecture
Six Questions with Michael Scott Silver, Assistant Professor of Architecture
My work focuses on the relationship between existing cultures of labor and the effects new automation technologies will have on the built environment.
What brought you to the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture?
I came to CAPLA because I felt I would be able to contribute to the success of a dynamic and evolving design program. The mountain views, desert light, fresh air, diverse population and top-tier research facilities at the University of Arizona also influenced my decision to come here.
What is your current research and what most excites you about this work?
I’m interested in the relationship between artificial intelligence, emerging co-robotic technologies, sustainable design and building construction. My work specifically focuses on the relationship between existing cultures of labor and the effects new automation technologies will have on the built environment.
Brick sorting, transport and staking robot created by Michael Scott Silver shown without wiring or sensors in its folded position. Image courtesy Michael Scott Silver.
Tell us about your role in envisioning the future of CAPLA's Materials Labs.
I’m participating in the hiring committee responsible for shaping the vision and finding staff for the Materials Labs. It is my hope to contribute to the evolution of the shop and how it can better support the educational mission of CAPLA as a whole.
Tell us about your current architectural practice.
I am the co-founder and lead researcher for Critical Systems, Inc., an interdisciplinary design laboratory with experience in the production of furniture, interiors, consumer products and buildings. Critical Systems is currently pursuing innovative research in the field of sustainable design, digital cartography, green manufacturing, high-performance computing, mobile apps for construction, numerically controlled fiber-placement technology and AI and leg-based robotics. As an experimental collaborative, CrS is deeply committed to the precise alignment of advanced technology, design poetics and building construction.
Artist's rendering of Michael Scott Silver's robot prototype transitioning between stowed, bipedal and quadrupedal configurations. Image courtesy Michael Scott Silver.
What are you teaching this semester, and what do you most enjoy about teaching?
I am teaching second-year Bachelor of Architecture studio and Techne III. Teaching is a service dedicated to the evolution of human intelligence. I can’t think of a more important job. I take joy in the fact that what I’m doing helps people at the most fundamental level.
How do you bring your research into your teaching?
I always combine the questions asked in my research work with studios and seminars. I find the students’ fresh approach to problems I’m working on both surprising and infinitely helpful. I am hoping to bring more students into my new research work at CAPLA.
