The 2026 Future of Construction symposium explored how technology shapes the way we design and build. The main topic was the accelerating convergence of technological domains in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) and how they invite us to rethink human capability, skill, and agency. At this intersection, AI, extended reality, and robotics are transforming digital fabrication and augmented design into active sites of experimentation. The “Construction of Future/s” 2026 edition discussed how these technologies are reshaping modes of practice and which futures they might construct. Text by Future of Construction 2026.

The workshop program brought together nine teams, comprising 32 tutors and 119 participants. Each workshop explored a distinct topic related to the symposium’s overarching questions:

(1) Why does technological convergence matter?

(2) Why collaborate with machines?

(3) What, where, and how should we build?

(4) Why change how we practice?