This year at the 47th Yapı – Turkeybuild Istanbul Fair, Parametric Architecture (PA) brought together some of the most dynamic minds in design and technology for a bold three-part panel series that challenged conventional thinking and spotlighted the future of architecture. Moderated by PA founder Hamid Hassanzadeh, with visionary speakers like Melike Altınışık, Elif Erdine, Harlen Miller, Giuseppe Fallacara, Ila Colombo, Jiri Uran Vitek, and Manuel Jimenez Garcia, each session ignited essential conversations on how code, robotics, AI, and materials are reshaping our built environment.
Over the course of three sessions, attendees were immersed in the future of architecture through:
SESSION 1 – Drawing with Codes: The Future of Parametric Modeling and Computational Design
In the opening panel, PA founder Hamid Hassanzadeh was joined by pioneers in computational design, including Elif Erdine (Architectural Association), Harlen Miller (UNStudio), and Melike Altınışık (MAA).
Together, they discussed the evolving logic behind parametric modeling and computational workflows. Erdine emphasized the importance of design education in scripting and algorithmic thinking. Miller discussed the computational strategies and challenges behind the Wasl Tower in Dubai, while Altınışık expanded on her firm’s approach to the Seoul Robot & AI Museum in South Korea.
The session set the tone for how code has become a foundational medium of design, enabling architects to iterate, simulate, and optimize their visions with unprecedented precision.
SESSION 2 – The Age of Digital Production: 3D Printing, Robotics, and Emerging Building Technologies
In the second session, the spotlight turned to emerging fabrication technologies. Jiri Uran Vitek from Studio Uran and ICE, and Manuel Jimenez Garcia from Nagami Design led the conversation.
Jiri Vitek discussed the evolution of DCP (Digital Concrete Printing) technology, developed over four years to enable fast, optimized 3D printing of concrete structures, from defense systems to housing and public spaces. Manuel, on the other hand, showcased how large-scale robotic 3D printing is revolutionizing architecture through sustainable, personalized, and rapid fabrication. From recycled plastic furniture to architectural facades, his studio merges design and technology to bring imaginative, zero-waste structures to life.
This session revealed how digital fabrication is no longer experimental but increasingly scalable and essential to addressing global housing and sustainability challenges.
SESSION 3 – From Digital to Material: New Design and Fabrication Approaches in Architecture
The final panel bridged digital design with material intelligence. Prof. Giuseppe Fallacara, a world expert in stereotomy, shared his cutting-edge research on stone architecture, showing how robotics and 3D printing are reinventing ancient construction logics.
Ila Colombo of DEOND discussed her interdisciplinary work that fuses AI, fashion, product design, and architecture. Her presentation highlighted how generative tools are transforming not just aesthetics but the entire workflow, from ideation to real-world prototyping.
This session illuminated how materiality and digital thinking are not opposites but collaborators in contemporary architectural practice.
Towards an Integrated Future of Design and Fabrication
These sessions hosted by Parametric Architecture at Yapı Fair 2025 made it clear that we are entering an era where design intelligence is both computational and material. From scripting parametric forms to printing buildings and rethinking ancient materials with new tools, the conversation is no longer about what’s possible, but how fast we can adapt.
This event underscored PA and PAACADEMY‘s continued role as global platforms for cutting-edge ideas in architecture and design technology.
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