At this panel discussion, experts explore the evolving relationship between culture and sustainability in the Intelligent Age. Bringing together leading voices from architecture, climate, culture, and artificial intelligence, the event revisits sustainability not merely as a technical challenge, but as a deeply cultural and place-based practice. This panel proposes a renewed inquiry into sustainability as a cultural project. Drawing on Bernard Rudofsky’s seminal Architecture Without Architects (1964) and contemporary research such as HABITAT: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate, the discussion reconsiders how vernacular knowledge and environmental intelligence can inform present and future design practices. A central focus of the conversation is the role of Artificial Intelligence in shaping physical environments. The panel will critically examine whether AI can operate across scales, while fostering more integrated, ecological, and culturally grounded approaches. Can AI reconnect fragmented systems? Can it amplify, rather than erase, cultural specificity?
New York City, NY; NYC