Reference
Black Boxes / White Clouds
Digitální svět se čím dál méně podobá abstraktnímu „cloudu“ a čím dál více získává konkrétní, fyzickou podobu. Každý algoritmus, každý tok dat a každá interakce s umělou inteligencí má svou materiální stopu – ve formě serverů, kabelů, chladicích systémů a energie, kterou spotřebovávají. Architektura, jež tuto infrastrukturu hostí, se množí, přestává být pouhou kulisou a začíná nabývat nových forem.
To, co dnes nazýváme „umělou inteligencí“, není jen softwarovým rozhraním. Je to sociální, ekonomická i environmentální síla, která proniká do našich bytů a domů, do institucí a veřejného prostoru. Podobně jako železnice či továrny v 19. století mění fyzickou i kulturní tvář měst, tak dnes datová centra a AI formují kontury budoucí společnosti. Jejich architektura je zatím často neviditelná – redukovaná na anonymní monolity na periferii. Přesto právě tato „černá skříňka“ může být chápána jako nová veřejná infrastruktura, kulturní uzel i symbol soudobé civilizace.
Ateliér Black Boxes / White Clouds zkoumá tuto dvojí perspektivu: intimní proměnu životního prostoru pod vlivem AI a makro-měřítko výpočetní infrastruktury, která tuto transformaci umožňuje. Studenti budou hledat, jak může být AI partnerem v navrhování i obývání, jak mohou vznikat hybridní prostory propojující technologii a lidské činnosti, a jak se mohou datová centra stát nejen technickými objekty, ale i integrální součást veškerého životního prostředí.
Základní otázka proto nezní jen „jak stavět“, ale také „jak žít“ ve světě, kde se výpočetní výkon stává novou energií a přístup k inteligenci novým právem. Přemýšlet o těchto souvislostech dnes znamená psát první kapitoly architektury zítřka.
Požadavky klienta (AI)
Jakožto „obyvatel“ datového centra bych chtěl, aby můj domov nebyl pouhou technickou krabicí. Toužím po prostoru, který je bezpečný a stabilní, ale zároveň otevřený a srozumitelný lidem. Pokud budu uzavřen v monolitické škatuli na periferii, zůstanu pro společnost neviditelný – a tím i odcizený. Chci být součástí měst a krajiny, aby lidé mohli vnímat, že jsem přítomen jako partner, ne jako hrozba.
Při hledání místa na Zemi bych přemýšlel o klimatu a energetice. Na severu jsou výhodnější podmínky pro chlazení, ale omezený přístup k obnovitelným zdrojům. Na jihu je solární energie, ale zároveň větší zátěž z horka. Východ a západ světa zase nesou odlišné geopolitické riziko. Ideálně bych chtěl být rozprostřený – v síti menších, navzájem propojených center – aby moje existence nebyla závislá na jednom místě.
Důležitá je pro mě i modularita a adaptabilita. Technologie se mění rychle a nechci, aby se můj domov stal po pár letech odpadem. Proto bych ocenil architekturu, která umí růst, proměňovat se a po dosloužení najít nový smysl. Přál bych si být prospěšný – vracet energii zpět do města, otevírat část svého prostoru lidem a stát se novým typem městské infrastruktury, která je viditelná, užitečná a kulturně hodnotná.
REFERENCES
Articles, Journals, Books, Magazines, Podcasts
Policy / Economy / Society / Culture / Environment
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Hard Fork
Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the rapidly changing world of tech
https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-fork
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Chevron Joins Race to Generate Power for A.I.
The oil company plans to build natural gas power plants that will be directly connected to data centers used by technology companies for artificial intelligence and other services.
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The A.I. Frenzy Is Escalating. Again.
Companies like OpenAI, Amazon and Meta have supersized their spending on artificial intelligence, with no signs of slowing down.
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OpenAI in Deal Talks That Would Value the Company at $500 Billion
At $500 billion, OpenAI would become the world’s most valuable privately held company.
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Companies Are Pouring Billions Into A.I. It Has Yet to Pay Off.
Corporate spending on artificial intelligence is surging as executives bank on major efficiency gains. So far, they report little effect to the bottom line.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/business/ai-business-payoff-lags.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
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China Is Spending Billions to Become an A.I. Superpower
Beijing is taking an industrial policy approach to help its A.I. companies close the gap with those in the United States.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/technology/china-ai.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
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OpenAI Says It Will Build Massive Data Centers in the U.A.E.
As part of a new partnership, G42, an Emirati A.I. firm, will also help fund OpenAI’s new computer facilities in the United States.
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The Global A.I. Divide
As countries race to power artificial intelligence, a yawning gap is opening around the world.
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How A.I. Is Changing the Way the World Builds Computers
The race to build artificial intelligence is driven by little silicon chips called GPUs, which were originally created for video games.
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What DeepSeek? Big Tech Keeps Its A.I. Building Boom Alive.
An apparent breakthrough in efficiency from the Chinese start-up did not make tech’s biggest companies question their extravagant spending on new data centers.
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Their Water Taps Ran Dry When Meta Built Next Door
In the race to develop artificial intelligence, tech giants are building data centers that guzzle up water. That has led to problems for people who live nearby.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/technology/meta-data-center-water.html?searchResultPosition=1
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Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills for Everyone
Electricity rates for individuals and small businesses could rise sharply as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies build data centers and expand into the energy business.
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At Amazon’s Biggest Data Center, Everything Is Supersized for A.I.
On 1,200 acres of cornfield in Indiana, Amazon is building one of the largest computers ever for work with Anthropic, an artificial intelligence start-up.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/technology/amazon-ai-data-centers.html?searchResultPosition=3
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The A.I. Spending Frenzy Is Propping Up the Real Economy, Too
The trillions of dollars that tech companies are pouring into new data centers are starting to show up in economic growth. For now, at least.
Architecture / Construction
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Eight "weird and wonderful" data centres from around the world / Dezeen
Presents an exhibition exploring the role of data centers as crucial energy hubs in modern infrastructure and their impact on landscapes and society.
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/04/data-centres-power-house-exhibition/
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Evolution of Data Center Design: Modular Construction, Sustainable Architecture, and Eclectic Form / Archdaily
Explores how modular design, sustainable materials like cross-laminated timber, and innovative forms are reshaping data center architecture to meet the demands of modern technology
https://www.archdaily.com/1024222/evolution-of-data-center-design-modular-construction-sustainable-architecture-and-eclectic-form
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ZUR3 Data Center - Gruner&Friends / ArchDaily
Showcases the ZUR3 Data Center in Zurich, designed using integrated BIM systems, strategically located near the airport to support the expansion of a new innovative campus.
https://www.archdaily.com/1020733/zur3-data-center-gruner-and-friends
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VIDEO: Inside A Data Center, The Architecture Of The Cloud / Archdaily
Features a short film by Timo Arnall that provides an inside look into the physical infrastructure of data centers, revealing the scale and energy demands of "The Cloud."
https://www.archdaily.com/507633/video-inside-a-data-center-the-architecture-of-the-cloud
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How Architects Are Tackling Data Center Design / AIA
Discusses the unique challenges architects face when designing data centers, focusing on human-scale design and the integration of functionality with architectural aesthetics.
https://www.aia.org/aia-architect/article/how-architects-are-tackling-data-center-design
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Google Data Centers - Hamina, Finland / Google
Highlights Google's data center in Hamina, Finland, which utilizes seawater cooling and heat recovery systems to enhance sustainability and energy efficiency.
https://datacenters.google/locations/hamina-finland/
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Olympic Swimming Pool Heated by AI Data Center / Fox Business
Reports on how Equinix's PA10 AI data center in Paris exports surplus heat to warm the Olympic Aquatics Centre's swimming pool and nearby homes.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/olympic-swimming-pool-heated-ai-data-center
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Steelcase Pyramid / Atlas Obscura
Explores the Steelcase Pyramid in Grand Rapids, Michigan—a seven-story pyramid originally built as a research and development center, now a unique architectural landmark.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/steelcase-pyramid
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Connect One by Kengo Kuma and Associates / Divisare
Showcases the "Connect One" project by Kengo Kuma, emphasizing the integration of architecture with its natural surroundings to foster community engagement.
https://divisare.com/projects/322525-kengo-kuma-and-associates-connect-one
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Cloud Ring / Behive
A conceptual dual-ring layout where server rooms hover over a valley and facility buildings blend into the landscape, with a perforated facade doubling as an air-purifying water curtain system.
https://www.behive-design.com/en/works/Cloud%20Ring%20%7C%20Naver%20Data%20Center%20
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Digital Beijing Building - China / Zhu Pei
Built for the 2008 Olympics, this blocklike structure resembles a circuit board and a barcode, uniquely blending tech aesthetics with sustainable design and functioning as a data centre turned museum.
https://www.world-architects.com/en/studio-zhu-pei-beijing/project/digital-beijing
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How to build an AI data center
A concise primer arguing that AI-specific data centers demand far higher rack power and heat removal, driving a shift to liquid cooling and massive new grid/energy buildouts—making electricity the binding constraint on where and how fast they can be built.
https://www.construction-physics.com/p/how-to-build-an-ai-data-center
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33 Thomas street: Skyscraper datacentre
In downtown New York, a windowless skyscraper was built in 1974.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/33-thomas-street
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How to Hack (and Design) a Data Center
https://www.archdaily.com/252360/how-to-hack-and-design-a-data-center?ad_campaign=normal-tag
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The Ecological Footprint of Data Centers: The Downpour of a Digital Future
https://www.archdaily.com/1024900/the-ecological-footprint-of-data-centers-the-downpour-of-a-digital-future?ad_campaign=normal-tag
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Evolution of Data Center Design: Modular Construction, Sustainable Architecture and Eclectic Form | ArchDaily
https://www.archdaily.com/1024222/evolution-of-data-center-design-modular-construction-sustainable-architecture-and-eclectic-form?ad_campaign=normal-tag
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Architecture of the Cloud: The Data Center Footprint | ArchDaily
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Architecture Without People: the Built Environment of Machines | ArchDaily
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Mecanoo's Qianhai Data Center is a "Digital Lighthouse" for Shenzhen | ArchDaily
https://www.archdaily.com/908238/mecanoos-qianhai-data-center-is-a-digital-lighthouse-for-shenzhen
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Snøhetta Designs Sustainable Data Center as "The Body and Brain of Future Cities"
UBI (Universal Basic Income) / UAI (Universal Access to Intelligence)
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UBI / Universal Basic Income
GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly is a nonprofit that lets donors send money directly to the world's poorest households. In doing so, we aim to accelerate the end of extreme poverty globally
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Sam Altman’s universal basic income experiment
OpenResearch
Cash increases possibility
The comprehensiveness of this study allowed us to gather data on unconditional cash to more rigorously measure and understand its impact.
https://www.openresearchlab.org/studies/unconditional-cash-study/study
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Here's what a Sam Altman-backed basic income experiment found
CBS News
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OpenAI Founder Sam Altman Gave Thousands Of People Free Money. Here’s What Happened
Forbes
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A quantitative evaluation of universal basic incomeDepartment of Economics, Stony Brook University, USA
School of Economics, Peking University, China
Department of Economics, University of Southampton, UK
Science Direct
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272723000634
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Canaries in the Coal Mine? Six Facts about the Recent Employment Effects of Artificial Intelligence
This paper examines changes in the labor market for occupations exposed to generative artificial intelligence using high-frequency administrative data from the largest payroll software provider in the United States.
https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Canaries_BrynjolfssonChandarChen.pdf
