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EPFL Lausanne & Fribourg, Switzerland
Conference: 10. — 12. September 2026
Conference Schedule

DMS26 SWITZERLAND – CARE TO DECIDE (?)
the art of designing with the uncontrollable.

 

The Design Modelling Symposium is moving to Switzerland, to EPFL Lausanne & Fribourg, for its 10th edition in 2026.

The process of designing — and what it means to design — is undergoing profound change. As the scale of the construction industry’s impact on the environment and social structures becomes increasingly palpable, the boundaries of ethical responsibility are being redrawn. At the same time, the growing integration of machine-learned knowledge into everyday decision-making processes is reshaping the scope of human agency. Meanwhile, moves toward greater care for the existing built environment call for renewed attention to materials — not as passive means of action, but as active agents shaping societal change.

These disruptive factors compel us, the DMS community, to reassess the very role of building designers today. Who decides what? What decides for whom? How can we control the impact of these decisions? What is not to be decided — and why?

The DMS26 Switzerland is dedicated to exploring these questions through the shifting relationship between the designer, architect or structural engineer and the intelligent machine. Across three thematic lenses, we will investigate how this relationship is reshaping our practices:

Area A: Designing with Materials … and the Machine >

Integrating materials’ properties and histories into the design process is essential for achieving sustainable and innovative construction practices. In an era defined by Artificial Intelligence and rapid computational advancements, we ask: What role shall we give to computational approaches in processes driven by the imposed, latent properties of low-carbon, energy-efficient materials?

Area B: Designing with People … and the Machine >

Working with machines in design and construction requires negotiation, thoughtful evaluation, and effective interfaces. Representation and accessibility are essential for fair and inclusive processes. How can we bridge human needs and experiences with data-driven approaches while ensuring informed and accessible decision-making?

Area C: Designing with Responsibility ... and the Machine >

Living in an era of unprecedented reliance on artificial models calls for active, ongoing reflection on responsibility, bias, and authorship – and, beyond that, on their broader implications for our surrounding world. We ask: How shall we handle future-proof care, responsibility, and limits in a design world increasingly shaped by intelligent systems and environmental shifts?

While technological advances continue to expand the boundaries of what is possible, the urgency of climate and social crises compels us to pick our actions wisely. Being able to do almost anything does not mean we should do everything. How can we take (non-)decisions with care and reflection?