Architectural Cases

Samsung's Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, recently outlined a compelling vision for integrating human values and emotional intelligence into technological innovation, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence. Speaking at Milan Design Week, Porcini underscored the profound responsibility that designers bear in steering the trajectory of technology. He articulated a future where AI serves to enhance human capabilities and well-being, moving beyond a purely tech-driven approach to foster deeper, more meaningful engagement with the world. This philosophy aims to counter the potential for technology to create instability or disconnect, instead leveraging its power to build a more human-centered future.

This forward-looking perspective forms the bedrock of Samsung's evolving design strategy, encapsulated in four key themes: 'live longer, live better, live loud, and live on.' These themes are designed to bridge the gap between technological progress and fundamental human requirements, encompassing everything from physical health and personal productivity to creative expression and the preservation of memories. Porcini envisions a future where advancements in AI and automation redefine our relationship with work and leisure, freeing individuals from mundane tasks to pursue more enriching activities. He champions a shift from technology dictating our lives to becoming a liberating force, allowing for deeper connections with family, community, and personal passions. Ultimately, this approach seeks to re-establish design's core purpose: to genuinely serve people and improve their lives.

Reclaiming Humanity in AI-Driven Design

In an increasingly digital world, Mauro Porcini, Samsung's chief design officer, calls for a paradigm shift in technological innovation, emphasizing human values and emotional intelligence over mere technical prowess. During his talk at Milan Design Week, Porcini highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence as both an immense opportunity and a significant responsibility. He warned against the risk of technology outpacing our moral frameworks, asserting that AI must always augment humanity rather than replace it. This vision positions design as a crucial discipline for reconnecting technology with emotion, ensuring that products and services enhance human experiences and address genuine societal needs, rather than contributing to instability or detachment.

Porcini's insights were central to Samsung's 'Design is an Act of Love' exhibition, which explored the synergy between AI and design in creating more human-centric experiences. He described the exhibition as a clarion call for the creative community to return to design's foundational purpose: serving people and fostering communities. Drawing on his personal reflections as a parent, Porcini expressed concerns about the potential for future generations to be immersed in a digital environment filled with negativity. He stressed that designers are actively shaping the world for tomorrow's inhabitants, highlighting the immense opportunity and grave responsibility that comes with this role. This perspective urges designers to imbue technology with ethical considerations, ensuring it contributes positively to societal well-being.

Designing for a Meaningful Future: Beyond Uniformity and Towards Purpose

Samsung's design strategy, articulated by Mauro Porcini, is structured around four interconnected themes: 'live longer, live better, live loud, and live on.' These principles aim to align technological advancements with core human needs, spanning from enhancing health and productivity to fostering creativity and preserving personal memories. Porcini posits that the proliferation of AI and automation has the potential to fundamentally alter how individuals allocate their time and perceive their purpose. He challenges the ingrained societal notion that identity is inextricably linked to work, envisioning a future where technology optimizes daily tasks, thereby liberating people to engage in more fulfilling endeavors, such as spending quality time with loved ones or pursuing creative and social passions.

This transformative outlook represents a deliberate pivot from current behaviors, where many feel enslaved by their digital devices. Porcini advocates for technology as a tool for liberation, empowering individuals to disengage from screens and immerse themselves more fully in life experiences. He critiques the prevailing minimalist aesthetic in contemporary technology design, arguing that it has led to a loss of innovation's original intent. In a world characterized by diverse human beings, he observes a pervasive uniformity in product design, urging a return to more expressive and emotionally resonant creations. Porcini suggests that design should evolve beyond the 'form follows function' dictum to 'form and function follow meaning,' with products being shaped by their role in people's lives rather than a monolithic, universal aesthetic. The exhibition showcased conceptual and commercial projects, including AI companions, illustrating how design can seamlessly integrate into daily life, amplifying human capabilities and fostering emotional intelligence. Ultimately, the profound impact of AI, according to Porcini, hinges on human intention and the harmonious integration of artificial and emotional intelligence.

Global architectural practice SOM has undertaken a significant refurbishment of the Corso Italia 23 complex in Milan, originally constructed in the 1960s. This project involved a comprehensive update of its modernist framework and previously disjointed internal spaces, bringing them into alignment with contemporary architectural and functional expectations. The sprawling 46,500-square-meter development, which spans an entire city block, is composed of three distinct buildings initially conceived by renowned Italian architects Gio Ponti and Piero Portaluppi.

A core aspect of SOM's intervention was to enhance the overall interconnectedness of the site. They transformed the former enclosed layout into an accessible 'urban campus,' meticulously preserving its intrinsic architectural integrity. This involved converting a vast central parking area into a communal garden and introducing new pedestrian pathways and interior staircases. Kent Jackson, a design partner at the studio, highlighted their aim to strategically re-inhabit a mid-century icon, reinterpreting its campus typology from a secluded block to an open and green urban environment, thereby maintaining the essence of its 1960s architecture while promoting openness and transparency.

In a respectful nod to the original design, SOM implemented a strategy centered on material reclamation, retaining 70 percent of the existing structural elements and foundations. A particularly damaged building saw its red granite exterior replaced with a glass-fiber-reinforced concrete system that mirrored its initial color. Furthermore, the buildings were upgraded to meet current energy efficiency benchmarks, all while safeguarding their original proportions and geometric precision. Jackson elaborated on this circular approach, noting that by treating the existing complex as a material resource rather than a demolition site, they substantially reduced embodied carbon and preserved the original building's material legacy, achieving modern performance standards.

New glass-encased entryways now punctuate the buildings, fostering a sense of permeability and offering clear sightlines into the shared courtyard, which features newly planted seating areas. Internally, alterations to the floor plates allowed for the integration of impressive spiral staircases, enhancing connectivity between levels. Jackson pointed out that the main challenge was to reinstate the architectural clarity of the initial campus design, as internal links had previously deteriorated and the central courtyard had become impersonal. The refurbished complex also includes a conference center with a 200-seat auditorium, alongside lounges, breakout zones, and rooftop terraces that provide panoramic views of Milan.