Designing with environmental sensibility is evolving as a vital subject in architecture on both professional and academic level. We are at a critical moment wherein environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important in the design process. As the demand for green energy is increasing, buildings are expected to reduce their energy demand, as well as consumption. However, the current trend in education tends to separate architectural design courses from sustainable design. While the first treats architecture as a form of art that is devoid from any environmental responsibility, the second emphasises the importance of the technical aspect as a separate specialised design layer. Blending the two layers, art and science, in a holistic integrated manner is a new challenge that is facing architecture on both educational as well as professional level.

The presentation will introduce the conceptual framework of some of the latest projects at AmorphouStudio that were designed in response to Dubai environmental data - http://www.amorphoustudio.com. It will also demonstrate some of the design and fabrication workshops that were conducted at d-NAT (Dubai Network for Art, Architecture and Technology), and were inspired by the complex self-organising systems found in natural organic formations and patterns - http://www.d-nat.net. Using a hybrid process of analogue tools and algorithmic codes, these projects aim to investigate the symbiotic relationship amid nature and technology to bridge the gap between aesthetic and performance.