About

2️⃣ Beyond Facades – Breaking the Grid & Embracing Non-Linearity (Ft. Sushant Verma //rat[LAB]; Patrik Schumacher // Zaha Hadid Architects ; Theodore Spyropoulos // AADRL ; Arushee Vohra // BCP)

Episode Overview:

Welcome to Episode 2 of Breaking Complexity Podcast – Season 0: Flirting with Design Technologies! ️

️ Architecture is no longer about rigid grids and predictable forms. Today, non-linearity, parametric design, and computational techniques are breaking conventional norms, allowing architects and designers to push beyond facades—beyond the grid.

This episode explores how technology is revolutionizing facades, curvilinear geometries, and architectural fluidity, transforming static structures into adaptive, intelligent surfaces.

What to Expect in This Episode?

️ Breaking the grid – How computation enables non-linear design thinking

️ Beyond aesthetics – Why facades are becoming performative, not just decorative

️ Curves vs. Constraints – The role of parametric tools in creating free-flowing architecture

️ Material intelligence & digital fabrication – Making complex geometries buildable

️ Global perspectives – Insights from computational designers shaping the future

Featuring snippets from global dialogues in 2020 & 2022 in London, this episode includes conversations with experts in parametric facades, adaptive structures, and cutting-edge material innovation.

Are facades just skins, or are they the future of intelligent, interactive architecture?

This season is a mix of fresh recordings and exclusive excerpts from TEDx talks & candid conversations with pioneers from Zaha Hadid Architects, Mamou-Mani Architects, Heatherwick Studio, Foster + Partners, Architectural Association (AADRL), Bartlett UCL, and more. (Watch / Listen to see/hear who featured in this episode!)

Watch, Subscribe & Stay Tuned!

Follow @BreakingComplexityPodcast for updates!

About the Curator – Sushant Verma

Architect | Design Technologist | Educator with 15+ years of experience in cutting-edge architecture & computational design.

Four-time TEDx Speaker – sharing insights on computational design, AI in architecture & the future of design education.

Published Author – currently working on new publications focused on design, technology & innovation.

Educator & Mentor – upskilled 3,000+ architects & designers across India and led 7 Global Visiting Schools in the UK, USA, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Egypt, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Belarus.

️ Founder of rat[LAB] Studio – pioneering parametric & computational design, creating futuristic facades, urban interventions, art installations & algorithm-driven spaces. Making every project iconic, no matter the size or scale! (www.rat-lab.org // https://www.instagram.com/ratlabarch/)

️ Host of Breaking Complexity Podcast – engaging with leaders & innovators across industries who are redefining the future.

Avid Photographer – capturing different genres for many years as a creative passion.

Passionate about entrepreneurship, meaningful conversations & smart networking – always up for discussing design, creativity, technology & the future of architecture.

Check out some of Sushant Verma’s TEDx talks & global features here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6m1ibrWIfXZtHqnSZ5voK3Yx-ety_k0Z

About Breaking Complexity Podcast

Breaking Complexity Podcast is a platform where we unravel the intricate, the abstract, and the unconventional across design, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Each episode explores how complexity is broken down into innovation, strategy, and creative breakthroughs, sparking engaging discussions that are thought-provoking, insightful, and fun.

️Streaming on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Podcast Website

Season 0 is the prelude to Breaking Complexity Podcast, a playful yet profound look at how technology has become an integral part of design, architecture, and creative processes. It brings together insights from Sushant Verma’s past TEDx talks, public discussions, and design dialogues with global pioneers.

Season 0 is centered around Sushant Verma, unfolding his journey, the evolution of rat[LAB] Studio, and his experiences with design technology. It also includes glimpses from his interviews with pioneers conducted for his upcoming book, Filling the Void: Rise of Design Technologies in Architecture.

Episode Highlights (Season 0)

1️⃣ Flirting with Design Technologies – An Unfinished Love Story ️

2️⃣ Beyond Facades – Breaking the Grid & Embracing Nonlinearity

3️⃣ When AI and Architecture Went on a Date ️

4️⃣ Smart Education – Teaching Machines or Teaching Minds?

5️⃣ The Struggles of Dating Technology – Love, Hate & Innovation

6️⃣ Digital Fabrication – Building the Future, One Algorithm at a Time ️️

7️⃣ The Art of Complexity – Parametric Art & Algorithmic Aesthetics

8️⃣ Collaborative Flirting – When Disciplines Merge