ADAPTIVE City

Studio Shajay Bhooshan

Tutors Henry Louth, Jayanaveenaa Periyasamy

Team Worawee Buasai, Longyu Yan, Weijie Tao

In an era of rapid urbanization and societal change, the Adaptive City project proposes a revolutionary approach to urban development. By 2050, urban areas are projected to house 68% of the global population, adding 2.2 billion urban dwellers, predominantly in Africa and Asia. This unprecedented growth intensifies challenges such as outdated infrastructure, over construction, environmental degradation, and abandonment. Cities such as Detroit, Ordos, Varosha and many others, exemplify these issues, underscoring the urgent need for adaptable urban systems. Drawing inspiration from Tokyo’s dynamic urban fabric, the Adaptive City envisions cities as living organisms with interconnected subsystems. Tokyo’s approach—marked by temporal building cycles and multi-functional structures like Zakkyo—demonstrates how adaptability can align urban growth with evolving needs. At the core of the Adaptive City is urban AI, inspired by natural homeostasis—a dynamic equilibrium observed in living organisms. Urban AI employs feedback loops and self-organization, enabling city blocks, treated as dynamic cells, to grow, split, or merge in response to real-time needs. This continuous adjustment ensures a balance between growth, functionality, and sustainability, fostering resilient environments with reduced abandonment risks. The city flow system, a visible 3D curve network carved into urban geometry, enhances this adaptability. These flow lines guide movement and connectivity, functioning as intuitive pathways while fostering community identity. Architecturally, the project balances permanent with temporary structures. A mega truss system provides a stable backbone, while lightweight structures, inspired by Frei Otto’s efficiency studies, can be added or removed as needs change. Buildings employ asymptotic curve networks to assemble carved surfaces efficiently, ensuring seamless integration with the city’s flow lines and long-term adaptability. By merging urban AI and building systems, the Adaptive City presents a sustainable urban design model. This approach suggests how architecture and cities can evolve with their inhabitants, creating vibrant, connected, and resilient environments.