Maria Smigielska is an architect and researcher based in Zurich, Switzerland, oscilating between architecture, arts and technology. Graduated from Architecture department at TU Poznan (Poland, 2009) and the postgraduate program at the chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design at ETH Zurich (Switzerland, 2013). 

Balancing between research and the applied world, joined Baierbischofberger Architects, Zurich in 2014 to implement computational design methods and rationalize complex geometries, specially facades of art-oriented buildings, as well as  assisted in various innovative academic project of smaller scale (Digital Grotesque, ETH).

 Independently explores varied computational design and developes robotic processes for fabrication (f.ex. robotic rod bending – bendilicious.com) in order to simpify over constrained industrial systems in architectural production. 

Continuously shares professional experience and knowledge by building collaborations (AREA Institute Paris, AAn1, The Object), organizing workshops ( ENSA Paris Malaquais 2017), meetups ( Fablab Zurich) and exhibiting/presenting during conferences and Biennales (Tallinn Architecture Bienale 2017, Design Modelling Symposium 2017, Paris, Ars Electronica Linz 2018). 

 Maria is currently a researcher at HGK, FHNW Basel and runs her design practice in Zurich.

Paper presentations:

 18.09.2017, ENSA V, Paris, Design Modelling Symposium,  ‘Application of Machine Learning Within the Integrative Design and Fabrication of Robotic Rod Bending Processes’ 

Publications:

2019.04 “Automation in design’, Places of Design, FHNW, Industrial Design

2018.05 chapter “The future is now” from Czapski Art Foundation publication ‘Akademia Rynku Sztuki #2’

2017.09 paper publication ”Application of Machine Learning within the integrative design and fabrication of robotic rod bending processes” during Design Modelling Symposium 2017 conference

Talks: 

 2019.10, ZHdK, Interaction Design ,students lecture, Zurich, Switzerland

 2019.10, AIAAF conference talk, Cottbus, Germany

 2019.04, “Automation in design” IXDM, FHNW, colloqium talk

 2018.10, “Robots, creativity and the need of fiction” ZHdK, Zurich, “Expanding Immersive Design” conference talk

 2018.10, “Robots, creativity and the need of fiction” HKB, FHNW, Basel, Switzerland

 2018.06, “The art uneasy to collect” Czapsky Art Foundation, Poznan, Poland

 2018.05,  “Robots, creativity and the need of fiction” Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland

 2017.09, ENSA V, Paris, Design Modelling Symposium,  ‘Application of Machine Learning Within the Integrative Design and Fabrication of Robotic Rod Bending Processes’ 

 2017.03, TU Graz, Open Lecture at the Institute of Architecture and Media in Graz / link

 2017.06,  Zurich, maker talk @Fablab Zurich

 2017.03, AREA Institute, Paris PLEXUS PARIS #02

Exhibitions:

  2019.10, Augsburg Media Festival, Augsburg Germany

 2019.05, Design Festival Bern, Switzerland

 2018.11, exhibition at Czapsky Art Foundation, Poznan, Poland

 2018.10, ‘The first dance’ , performance, ZhDK Digital Tag, Zurich

 2018.10, ‘The first dance’ , performance, Kulturfolger, Zurich 

 2018.09, Bits bots and brains, Tetem gallery, The Netherlands / link/ duo exhibition with P. Cutellic

 2018.09  ‘Proteus 2.0’ Ars Electronica Festival, Linz / author with P. Cutellic / group exhibition

 2018.05  ‘The Means’ project with Mateusz Zwierzycki, Ars Electronica / link 

 2018.05 ‘Proteus’ project, with Pierre Cutellic, Creative Robotics exhibition ( curated by Johannes Braumann and Kristina Maurer) , Ars Electronica Linz / link

 2017.10  ‘drawN’ project, DRAWBOT exhibition (curated by Emmanuelle Chiappone-Piriou, Leslie Ware), ART[n+1] gallery Paris / link

 2017.09  ‘The Means’ project with Mateusz Zwierzycki, Tallinn Architecture Biennale ( curated by Claudia Pasquero) / link