What if robots were increasingly in need of us? Archizoom and the CRCL laboratory at EPFL propse an exhibition to invite visitors to rethink the automation of construction sites, exploring robotic arms, recycled timber and the confidence to co-create with increasingly intelligent machines.Despite decades of technological promises, construction remains one of the least automated sectors — and one where the physical demands of the work remain the most intense. In light of this, the CRCL – Lab for Creative Computation, led by Professor Stefana Parascho, is exploring a different approach. Rather than opposing robots and workers, this research views machines as a support and an extension of human capabilities: a way of transforming manual and physically demanding tasks to reinvent a more inclusive form of work.Concrete projects and speculative scenariosThe exhibition combines robotic demonstrations, full-scale prototypes, videos and interactive displays. Among the projects on show are robots that semi-autonomously assemble structures from reclaimed timber, others that adapt to collaborative construction workflows, and scanning and analysis systems that enable a robotic arm to handle irregularly shaped reused materials. These projects may be directly applicable or offer more speculative scenarios regarding the future of work on construction sites.Do Robots Dream of Construction Sites? Photo: Solène HoffmannA dialogue between engineering, architecture and artistic contributionsA programme of events surrounding the exhibition brings together researchers, artists and the public. At the opening, a discussion between Stefana Parascho and Aude Billard, director of LASA-EPFL and a pioneer in human-robot interaction, will be moderated by Pier Vittorio Aureli, director of the EPFL Institute of Architecture. Museum Night on 26 September offers the chance to discover Contrat social 4.0, an interactive installation by artist Madeline Gannon — the woman who whispers in robots’ ears — exploring what it means to gain the trust of a machine that has become curious and autonomous. In October, the Les Culturelles festival will host the inaugural concert of the monumental installation NO/NC (Normally Open, Normally Closed), a work by the duo AATB – Practice for Non-Industrial Robotics, featuring a swarm of walls that constantly shift in response to the people present in the space and their movements — a reflection on who controls borders, and how these borders in turn affect us, whether they are static or automated.An invitation to rethink the building siteBy bringing together robotics research, artistic experimentation and reflections on work, the exhibition “Do Robots Dream of Construction Sites?” offers more than just a glimpse into the technologies of tomorrow: it is an invitation to imagine more inclusive and sustainable building sites, and to rethink the role of humans in the face of machines that are, paradoxically, becoming increasingly autonomous yet dependent.Practical informationExhibition from 9 September to 5 December 2026 Opening and talk on Tuesday 8 September at 6.30 pmFree admission, Archizoom EPFL, SG Building, Place Ada Lovelace, Lausanne. Open Monday to Friday, 9.30 am–5 pm (Tuesdays until 8 pm). Closed at weekends.