2023
Next Project
Sketch: Gen. Arch. Platform
Southern California Institute of Technology (SCI-Arc)


2023
Big Tree: AI Worldbuilding
Client
18th Venice Architecture Biennale – CityX Venice Virtual Pavilion
Production
Bruno Marsino
Advisors
M. Casey Rehm, Eli Joteva
A worldbuilding project that combines data analysis and form generation to create an underground city integrated with natural topography. Located in the Cajon Pass valley, the design minimizes environmental disruption by identifying low points within creeks and anchoring construction around these features.
A drone-scanned 300x300-meter site provided the topological canvas. These low points were identified as terraced-like extraction points to create flat areas for over 70 residential and public spaces. Early AI tools, such as the Pix2Pix GAN framework, automated the generation of architectural plans, including walls, corridors, and open spaces, laying the groundwork for the city.
The canopy roof was generated and supported by a network of individual agents, which grew into a tree-like structure connecting the roofs of each building. This network supports thousands of solar panels that provide energy, shade, and improved thermal conditions for the underground spaces, showcasing the integration of sustainability into design.