ZHA has implemented advanced computer technologies to assist our design process since the practice’s early years. ZHA CODE, an acronym for computation and design and a reference to programming script, develops bespoke computer design frameworks that enable us to optimise interaction, experience, focus, and deployment of resources through collaborative and field-tested research. 

Our research has been applied in diverse processes and projects. The Thallus sculpture project utilised robotic hot-wire cutting; the Striatus bridge installed at the 2021 Venice Biennale was formed by 3D printed concrete, minimising material use and reducing embodied carbon. Other projects have explored digital timber fabrication and ruled geometries, building on the work of architects and engineers Frei Otto, Antoni Gaudi, and Félix Candela. The KnitCandela installation consisted of a thin concrete shell built on knitted formwork, so light that it was carried from Switzerland to Mexico in a suitcase.

Our research also encompasses artificial intelligence, using computers to supplement human intuition, improve speed, assimilate data, and discover novel possibilities. Our recent explorations of cyber-physical architecture links real-world projects to digital models, grounding virtual environments in physical reality.