Andrew John Wit

Andrew John Wit is a co-founder of the interdisciplinary research group WITO*, Laboratory for Intelligent Environments, a co-editor of the recent book "Towards a Robotic Architecture" with Mahesh Daas and holds the position of associate professor within Temple University’s School of Art + Architecture where he leads research and teaching focused on novel building systems generated through the integration of light-weight composites, digital tools/fabrication + robotics. Additionally, Wit serves on the board of directors and has chaired the scientific technical committee/elections committee for the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA), is an associate editor for the journal for Construction Robotics, has been a elected editor for the International Journal of Architectural Computing (IJAC), served as Technical Co-Chair for the 2018 ACADIA conference in Mexico City, and was an invited guest co-editor for a recent volume of the Architectural Science Review Journal.

Prior to his appointment at Temple University, Wit taught courses and led workshops in design, urbanism and robotics in the United States and Japan within institutions such as the University of Texas at San Antonio, MIT, Meiji University in Tokyo and as the international practitioner in residence fellow at Ball State University where he initiated the school’s research program in industrial robotics in architecture.

Wit’s projects and avant-garde research have been recognized with a 2007 AIA Best of Practice recognition for UTenSAils design-build project, a 2007 IFAI Outstanding Achievement Award for the Advanced Fabrics Exhibition structure, the 2013 Guangzhou Vanke Project of the Year for the Guangzhou Vanke Marketing Center completed with TDStudio. Wit has also received numerous research/production grants and sponsorships.

His research has also been published in academic forums including ACSA, SIGRADI, ACADIA, eCAADe, CAADRIA and the AAG, as well as in journals and trade magazines such as The Plan Journal, 3DP+, Interior Design Magazine and Texas Architect.

Wit’s research investigates the fecund intersection between intelligent machines, light-weight materials and novel design methodologies that result in the formulation of new processes for design, innovatively constructed artifacts and buildings with the ability to adapt both computationally and physically to their surrounding environments. Through experimentations with computational systems, digital production tools and hand and robotically placed composites such as pre-impregnated carbon fiber reinforced polymers, his research questions our current methods of building and material systems, while reimagining built structures capable of being easily robotically or hand fabricated in factories, on-site or in unknown environments. Through the lens of the One Day House initiative for intelligent housing, his research redefines our known conception of buildings and their roles within our society, economy and environment.

Professionally, Wit has practiced in renowned offices such as Atelier Bow-Wow in Tokyo, Poteet Architects in San Antonio, TDStudio in Tokyo, and with the Pritzker prize winning architect Toyo Ito also in Tokyo.

Wit earned a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s in architecture from MIT.