Department of Architecture Lecture
University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
26/09/2024
Carlo Ratti 0 loves cities and the built environment. Ranked as one of the top ten most-cited scholars in urban planning and one of the leading designers in America, he focuses on intelligent systems and the convergence between the natural and artificial worlds. Recently nominated curator of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, he aims to foster a public conversation 1 on our urban habitat, starting from his work at the intersection between academic research 2, innovative design 3, and start-up entrepreneurship 4.
Public conversation
Carlo’s opinions on cities, technology, and the future are contributing to a global conversation. Follow his hottest takes across the pages of his books, opinion essays, interviews, and social media.
(1.1) Latest OP–EDs
(1.2) Latest Books
Atlas of the Senseable City
Read it Now
The City of Tomorrow: Sensors, Networks, Hackers, and the Future of Urban Life
Read it Now
Open Source Architecture
Read it Now
Decoding the City: Urbanism in the Age of Big Data
Read it Now
Architettura Open Source
Read it Now
Senseable City Guide
Read it Now(1.4) Social Media
🌿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 🌿
Do you remember The Greenary? This extraordinary home in Parma, designed by CRA and Italo Rota, embodies our vision of blending the artificial and natural worlds.
At its heart stands a majestic 10-meter-tall tree, shaping a living space where architecture and nature intertwine in perfect harmony. The Greenary redefines the balance between design, technology, and sustainability.
Inspired by the Raumplan principle, this house unfolds as a symphony of interconnected spaces—where every step brings you closer to nature’s rhythm.
#CarloRatti #Mutti #CRAssociati #Architecture #Design #Sustainability
Open
#Biophilia refers to the benefits that contact with #nature brings to humans.
But, do we all value nature the same way across the globe? 🌎
Feeling Nature explores this question. We trained a visual AI model on street view imagery and survey responses from eight cities across different biomes—revealing how people perceive and prioritize nature in their environments.
#urbandata #feelingnature #urbanstudies #visualAI
Open
🗣️ Calling all Dutch Students‼️
We are redefining summer school! 😎 MIT Senseable City Amsterdam Lab invites you to attend our 3-day event exploring new ways to perceive and plan for urban ecology.
Who: Dutch Students (BSc, Mac, PhD)
When: August 25–27, 2025
Location: AMS Institute, Amsterdam
Registration: This is a ✨FREE💫 event. Register by June 10, 2025—first-come, first-served.
Open
Where a landmark building defines the future of work. ✨
CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati has reimagined a historic building in Turin, turning it into Sella Group’s Open Innovation Center—a workspace inspired by the vibrant energy of an Italian piazza. Highlights include:
🔹 A dynamic layout designed to foster spontaneous collaboration
🔹 Flexible workstations & shared creative spaces
🔹 Smart climate control for a healthier work environment
A new era of work calls for new office models—this is our vision. 🌱💡
📍Turin, Italy
👀 Swipe to see how we’re reshaping workspaces for innovation!
@italorota #INGEMPBP @projema_engineering #ARCHING @dsl__studio
#CRA #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceDesign #InnovationHub
Open
🌿 A canteen like no other! 🌿
Welcome to Quisimangia, the new dining hall designed by CRA for Mutti, nestled in Italy’s Food Valley. This space blends nature and architecture, with a green roof made from compacted earth and a floor crafted from recycled tomato skins. By day, it serves Mutti employees, and by night, it transforms into a Michelin-starred restaurant by @vicookcerea.
Would you dine under the grass?
#DesignInnovation #SustainableArchitecture #FoodValley @muttipomodoroit @primatsrl @terracruda
Open
🔥 A warm heart for Helsinki! 🔥
Imagine an archipelago of floating basins that not only store thermal energy to heat the city but also provide unique public spaces, such as tropical forests accessible to everyone.
This innovative system converts renewable energy into heat, significantly reducing carbon emissions while creating spaces for leisure and connection with nature.
A step forward towards a more sustainable future and a testament to how architecture can harmonize with the environment. 🌍
Discover more on our website and get inspired by this revolutionary vision.
@crassociati #Green #Transition #HotHeart #climatechange #architecture #design #future #carloratti
Open
Academic research
How can we use new tools to uncover our cities’ hidden secrets? Our team at the MIT Senseable City Lab is publishing new findings all the time. Read on for some of our latest discoveries…
(2.1) Latest papers
npj Urban Sustainability
Scientific Reports
Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science
Martin Beech (ed.) Geoengineering and Climate Change: Methods, Risks, and Governance (Scrivener), Martin Beech (ed.) Geoengineering and Climate Change: Methods, Risks, and Governance (Scrivener)
Building and Environment
(2.2) Teaching roles
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2007-present
Professor of the Practice of Urban Technologies
MIT International Science andTechnology Initiatives (MISTI) 2009-present
Director
Politecnico di Milano 2022-present
Distinguished Professor
TTUP Tashkent 2023-present
Honorary Professor
University of Cambridge 2017-2019
Visiting Research Fellow
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 2017-2019
Visiting Professor
Cambridge, United States
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Innovative design
A pavilion with walls of water. A skyscraper covered in plants. A renewable energy battery that doubles as a sauna. Carlo’s design firm, CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, is designing the city of tomorrow and bringing the natural and artificial worlds together.
Start–up entrepreneurship
Carlo believes that innovation has to make it into the real world – and we have created an ecosystem of startups. We have received more than 500 million dollars to fund multiple projects internationally, in the field of micro-mobility, leisure, and construction.
