David Dick-Agnew stands at the intersection of architectural heritage and digital innovation. As a senior writer for Azure Magazine, he chronicles how computational tools transform design practice while advocating for preserving their historical roots. His work consistently highlights underrecognized pioneers and global perspectives in tech-driven architecture.
We’ve followed David Dick-Agnew’s evolution from architecture critic to digital design chronicler with keen interest. His career spans over a decade of documenting tectonic shifts in how technology reshapes built environments. Starting as a contributor to Designlines Magazine, Dick-Agnew developed a signature approach that pairs technical analysis with cultural commentary, later becoming a senior writer at Azure Magazine where he now anchors their coverage of computational design revolutions.
This 2013 deep dive into the Canadian Centre for Architecture’s landmark exhibition remains essential reading for understanding digital design’s formative years. Dick-Agnew meticulously analyzes four case studies – from Frank Gehry’s early CAD experiments to Chuck Hoberman’s transformable structures – while making a compelling case for preserving digital artifacts. His 1,200-word examination of Shoei Yoh’s photoelasticity testing diagrams reveals how architects first learned to “speak computer,” blending engineering rigor with poetic observations about technology becoming architecture’s “silent co-author.”
In this 2015 piece, Dick-Agnew challenges Eurocentric design narratives by spotlighting mid-century Brazilian and Venezuelan architects who reinterpreted modernism through tropical landscapes. His profile of Lina Bo Bardi’s glass-and-concrete São Paulo Museum of Art demonstrates his ability to connect structural innovations to sociopolitical contexts, particularly how open plazas beneath raised galleries democratized cultural access. The article’s viral spread across Latin American architecture schools cemented his reputation as a bridge builder between design hemispheres.
This 2013 grantee profile for the Graham Foundation showcases Dick-Agnew’s advocacy for digital preservation. By interviewing curators about challenges in archiving software-dependent projects, he exposes the fragility of our computational heritage. His analysis of file format obsolescence in Peter Eisenman’s Biozentrum blueprints remains a wake-up call for institutions, arguing that “saving pixels requires as much care as preserving stone.”
Dick-Agnew consistently prioritizes stories that fill historical gaps in tech-driven design. His Archaeology of the Digital coverage demonstrates particular interest in preserving institutional knowledge about early CAD adoption. Pitches should highlight undiscovered pioneers or unarchived projects from the 1980s-90s digital transition period. For example, a story about Zaha Hadid’s first algorithmic sketches would align with his mission to “rescue design history from floppy disks.”
While many journalists focus on Western tech hubs, Dick-Agnew’s work emphasizes Latin American and Asian innovations. His Latin American modernism article proves he seeks stories challenging the notion that digital design evolved primarily in Europe and North America. Successful pitches might explore how African architects are using AI for climate-responsive structures or Southeast Asia’s open-source BIM communities.
A recurring theme in Dick-Agnew’s writing is the tangible impact of intangible tools. The Hoberman Sphere analysis in his Archaeology piece exemplifies his fascination with how digital models become physical innovations. Pitches should bridge virtual and real worlds – perhaps examining how VR sculpting tools influence furniture manufacturing or 3D-printed ceramics derived from algorithm-generated patterns.
His selection as a judge for North America’s premier design awards underscores industry respect for his critical eye. Dick-Agnew helped evaluate 700+ entries across 11 categories, bringing architectural rigor to product design assessment. This role positions him as a gatekeeper for emerging design trends.
“Only the computer can display, from beginning to end, the forces coming in and going out. That means, dead or alive, the computer decides.”
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