Webinar | Tech Shaping Architecture

How is technology reshaping architectural practice today? In the latest edition of Architecture Hunter’s webinar series, “Tech Shaping Architecture”, two visionary architects - Sean Gallagher from Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Michel Rojkind from Rojkind Arquitectos - shared their perspectives on the evolving intersections of digital tools, creative process, and social engagement. The session invited viewers into a layered conversation on how technology, far from being a threat to architecture’s humanistic core, is a powerful enabler of experimentation, inclusivity, and emotion.

Sean Gallagher, Principal at Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), opened with reflections on the firm’s multidisciplinary DNA. Known for projects that defy conventional boundaries-blending architecture, performance, and public space - DS+R leverages technology not just for efficiency, but as a storytelling device. Sean described digital tools as "instruments" that enable the layering of narratives and the creation of hybrid spatial experiences. Citing projects like The Shed in New York and The Broad in Los Angeles, he emphasized the value of collaboration across fields, noting that “technology helps us break silos. It gives form to cultural complexity.” For DS+R, BIM, parametric modeling, and fabrication tools are seamlessly integrated into broader conversations around civic engagement, accessibility, and memory.

Michel Rojkind brought a contrasting but complementary lens. Speaking from Mexico City, he highlighted the importance of emotion in architecture-and the role of digital tools in amplifying it. “Technology is not just about precision,” he explained. “It’s about creating experiences that touch people’s lives.” His projects, including the Foro Boca, are grounded in public life and cultural identity. Michel stressed the value of craft, community, and listening-while embracing digital tools not as ends in themselves, but as mediums for deeper social connection. “I use technology to dismantle hierarchies,” he said. “To listen more, to connect more.”

What emerged from the conversation was a shared belief that the future of architecture is not just high-tech - it’s high-touch. Sean and Michel both argued for a hybrid practice where analog and digital methods coexist, where architects are not just builders but translators of collective desires. Questions from the audience touched on AI, remote collaboration, and the education of future architects. Both speakers agreed: adaptability, curiosity, and critical thinking are the true constants in a fast-evolving field. “Teach students how to think, not just how to draw,” Michel insisted.

As digital tools grow more powerful and pervasive, the architects of Tech Shaping Architecture remind us that design must remain rooted in people, place, and purpose. Technology is not a shortcut to creativity - it is a companion to craft, a catalyst for connection. In an age of accelerated change, this conversation offered a compelling message: it is not about choosing between the digital and the human, but about weaving them together into richer, more meaningful forms of practice.

_article written by Daniela Moreira da Silva
_speaker 01: Sean Gallagher - Partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R)
_speaker 02: Michel Rojkind - Founder of Rojkind Arquitectos