Product of a research cooperation between three Swiss universities - the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne's School of Architecture, the School of Architecture and Technology in Fribourg, and the University of Fribourg - the Smart Living Lab is a research and development centre for the built environment of the future. This high-tech structure also serves as an emblem of the cooperation's aim to translate academic research into actual buildings. A new series of books, entitled Towards 2050 will be showcasing the ambitious undertaking at various stages.

The series' inaugural volume, Thinking: Visions for Architectural Design highlights preliminary research for the smart living lab and considers visions for sustainable buildings. The book features essays by Sophie Lufkin, Emilie Nault, MArilyne Andersen, and Emmanuel Rey as well as interviews with leading experts such as Tatiana Bilbao, Paula Cadima, Lionel Devlieger, Herbert Girardet, Alistair Guthrie, Kengo Kuma, Ali Malkawi, Edward Ng, Susan Parnell, Antoine Picon, Carlo Ratti, and Koen Steemers. It lays out the myriad challenges and opportunities the project is likely to face, as well as its considerable potential to drive change.