From November 1 to 5, 2025, Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) co-hosted the third Construction Futures Lab international workshop at Venice’s Arsenale during Biennale Architettura 2025. Collaborating with MIT, ETH Zurich, and Politecnico di Torino, the event underscored Tongji’s leadership in advancing global architectural education through cutting-edge research and cross-cultural collaboration.

Representing Tongji, graduate students Liu Jiyu, Zhu Yalei, and Feng Yunning showcased their pioneering work on humanoid robotics for architectural data acquisition. Leveraging the self-developed FURobot platform, the team demonstrated how robots equipped with RealSense depth cameras and YOLOv8 algorithms could autonomously identify irregular timber, optimize scanning paths via SLAM-assisted navigation, and generate high-precision 3D models using 3DGS technology. Rooted in the CO-POIESIS project—a sustainable design paradigm integrating AI-driven robotics with upcycled typhoon-felled timber—the research exemplified Tongji’s commitment to merging ecological responsibility with technological innovation.

At the workshop’s academic forum, Liu and Zhu presented their findings, emphasizing robots’ transition from task execution to spatial comprehension. Their work sparked discussions with peers from MIT, ETH Zurich, and PoliTo, who shared insights on adaptive materials, multi-robot construction, and generative design algorithms. Such exchanges highlighted Tongji’s role as a catalyst for interdisciplinary dialogue, fostering ideas that redefine human-machine collaboration in architecture.

This initiative builds on CAUP’s legacy of international engagement, including prior workshops where doctoral students from Shanghai’s Autonomous Intelligent Unmanned Systems Center led discussions on robotic fabrication and spatial cognition. By bridging scientific rigor with artistic creativity, Tongji continues to shape the future of intelligent architecture, positioning its scholars as global pioneers in sustainable, tech-driven design.