The summer school is intended for Master’s students and PhD candidates in structural engineering, civil engineering, architecture, computational design and related fields. A basic familiarity with architectural or structural design is recommended. Previous experience with Python, Grasshopper or parametric modelling is useful but not strictly required.

Let’s Shape! Artificial Intelligence and Parametric Design for Shells and Spatial Structures is an intensive six-day Summer School dedicated to the integration of artificial intelligence, computational design and structural engineering, with a specific focus on shells and spatial structures.

Organized in collaboration with AI4I – Italian Institute for Artificial Intelligence for Industry, the ARtIStE International Association and Politecnico di Torino, and supported by leading institutions in the field of spatial structures, the Summer School brings together graduate students, PhD candidates, researchers and professionals interested in advanced design and engineering workflows.

The programme combines lectures, hands-on coding sessions, applied workshops and collaborative studio work. Participants will engage with both foundational concepts and advanced methodologies, including computational design, machine learning for structural systems, generative modelling, neural networks, evolutionary optimization and AI-driven parametric design.

Across the six days, the Summer School will move from theoretical frameworks to practical applications, allowing participants to test AI-based methods through coding exercises, parametric workflows and design-oriented case studies. Applications will address architecture, structural engineering, advanced spatial systems and space-related design scenarios.

The aim is to provide participants with a critical and operational understanding of how AI can support the design, analysis, optimization and exploration of complex structural forms, moving beyond purely generative approaches toward informed, performance-based and constructible design processes.

Join leading international experts to explore how artificial intelligence, computational design, and structural engineering converge in the design of shells and spatial structures.

The program is structured as an intensive six-day experience combining lectures, hands-on sessions, and collaborative studio work. Each day is organized into morning and afternoon blocks, integrating theoretical foundations with practical applications and interactive discussions.

Participants will engage with key topics including machine learning for structural systems, generative modeling, neural networks, evolutionary optimization, and AI-driven parametric design. The format emphasizes active learning through coding sessions, design workflows, and real-world case studies.

The program also includes a guided visit to the OGR Tech innovation hub, offering exposure to cutting-edge research and industry practices.

By the end of the Summer School, participants will have developed a solid understanding of how AI can support the design and optimization of complex structures, and will be equipped to apply these methods in both research and professional contexts.

• Sigrid Adriaenssens — Princeton University
• Pierluigi D’Acunto — Technical University of Munich
• Mark Tam — The University of Hong Kong
• Robert Otani — Thornton Tomasetti
• Giuseppe Carlo Marano — ARtIStE Internationa Association, Politecnico di Torino
• Amedeo Manuello Bertetto — ARtIStE Internationa Association, Politecnico di Torino
• Valentina Sumini — Politecnico di Torino / MIT
• Paolo Pagliuca — CNR Rome
• Daniel Bichara — NP-AI
• Marco Maurizi — AI4I
• Sebastiano Panichella — AI4I
• Simone Gallivanone — AI4I
• Leonel Rozo — AI4I
• Simone Betteti — AI4I
• Raffaele Cucuzza — ARtIStE Internationa Association, Politecnico di Torino
• Federica Joe Gardella — Politecnico di Torino
• Marta Rossi — Politecnico di Torino