CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Produced by nature… with a little help from A.I. CRA’s latest startup Maestro prototypes “A.I. Timber”, an innovative construction material that reduces waste by preserving the original shapes of the trees. Instead of sawing unique logs into standardized boards, Maestro uses A.I. to fit them together like puzzle pieces. The project’s first prototype is on display at an exhibition in Shanghai, China.

CRA breathes new life into a crumbling monastery within a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Italy. The project employs 3D scanners to convert the decaying ruin into a digital point-cloud. Then prefab timber skin is fitted into the old structure, preserving the trees and ivies that have grown amid the bricks. The design proposes a new framework for restoration, bridging the natural and artificial worlds.

CRA and Italo Rota unveil “Feeling the Energy”, a project that turns Milan’s Botanical Garden into an energy park, exploring multiple forms of energy production and consumption.

International design and innovation practice CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati launches a collaboration with financial company Sella Group