How are artificial intelligence, robotics, and other new technologies transforming architecture, and how can we prepare the next generation of architects for these changes? Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV and visiting professor at ARCHIP, and Regina Loukotová, rector of ARCHIP, addressed these questions at the Innovation Week 2026 conference in Prague. 

Architecture between the lab and the construction site 

In his keynote address, “No Innovation, No Future: Architecture Between the Lab and the Building Site,” Winy Maas presented how artificial intelligence, robotics, digital tools, and new materials are changing the way buildings are designed and constructed. He demonstrated how these innovations open up new possibilities in architectural design and how experimental approaches from the laboratory can be translated into real-world construction practice. It is precisely this connection between technological development and specific projects and implementations that is essential for finding new paths in architecture. 

Technology is changing the rules of the game 

The lecture was followed by a discussion with Regina Loukotová on the role of the academic environment in the future of architecture and on what knowledge and skills future architects will need in an era of rapid technological development. 

“Our task is to prepare future architects not only to work with new technologies, but also to understand them in a broader context, think critically about them, and use them to find new solutions,” says Regina Loukotová. 

How to prepare architects for the future 

Innovation Week 2026 took place from October 1 to 3 at the ČSOB Campus in Radlice, Prague. It brought together experts in the fields of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship and provided a forum for discussion on how new technologies are influencing various disciplines. The participation of ARCHIP representatives contributed to the debate on the interconnection of architectural education, research, and practice.