Design Technologies, Robotics and Sustainability

Lecture and panel discussion at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra), Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

November 4th, 2023

Herwig Baumgartner was invited to lecture at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where he was presenting a selection of his ongoing projects that deploy design technologies, robotics and sustainable materials. He illustrated how his practice leverages advanced fabrication techniques and ecological strategies to engage meaningfully with local culture, context and environmental resilience. Baumgartner’s presentation emphasized the unique position of architecture as both cultural expression and climate-responsive infrastructure.
Following the lecture, he joined an international panel of architects and designers exploring the evolving role of robotic research in architecture and design practice—sharing insights from practice, automation workflows and material innovation, and discussing how design professionals are rethinking architectural production in response to future challenges.