About DST

About

The Anthropocene era represents a time where nature and human beings (culture, technology, society) are closely intertwined, influencing everything from global climate change to nanotechnologies. To navigate these complexities, it’s crucial to reevaluate our approach to designing technology and infrastructure with an emphasis on justice, diversity, sustainability, and equitability.

Vision

This requires a blend of humanistic inquiry and scientific experimentation to address the vast scale and intricacy of the Anthropocene. The center’s philosophy is influenced by the most recent concept of „wissenschaft,“ which seeks to create new knowledge models beyond immediate functionality and encourages the convergence of sciences and humanities. The focus lies on speculative design practices, model building, and simulation, emphasizing the importance of imagination and representation in understanding and reshaping the world. The center aims to link natural sciences and humanities in order to foster new design and engineering models, asserting the vitality and interplay of both ideas and materials.

Why us

Activities

Explore our Activities section for a comprehensive overview of our department’s work, including projects, seminars, workshops, field research, and recommended events. We critically examine and challenge paradigms at the intersection of technology, humans, society, and the environment. Join us in fostering diverse perspectives and understanding speculative transformation.

News

Welcome to the News Section of the Department of Speculative Transformation! In this special section, we present the latest updates, discoveries and findings from our research center. Stay updated on our interdisciplinary research hub’s latest advancements and explore a future where technology fosters positive global change.

People over profit

Through our research, we aim to promote forward-thinking and imaginative approaches that aspire to a future where technology and its collaborative development serves as a driver for change that positively impacts the entire planet. 

Orit Halpern
⎯ Co Director of DST, Professor and Chair of DIgital Cultures
Angela Mensing-de Jong
⎯ Professor Chair of Urban Design
Gianaurelio Cuniberti
⎯ Professor Chair of Materials Science and Nanotechnology
Travis Waller
⎯ Professor and Chair of Transport Modelling and Simulation

Our latest publications

We dive deep into our clients‘ needs, delivering consumer insights that resonate with evolving culture and crafting data-driven marketing plans and cohesive narratives, often preempting their requests.