Skylar Tibbits


Skylar Tibbits is an American designer and computer scientist. He is best known for his work on self-assembly and pioneering the field of 4D Printing, having coined the term in his 2013 TED talk. He currently teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture where he has founded the Self-Assembly Laboratory. Tibbits is also the founder of SJET.
Skylar Tibbits graduated from Philadelphia University with a Bachelor of Architecture and received a Master of Science in Computer Science as well as a Master of Science in Design and Computation from MIT.

Work and exhibits

Tibbits’ work has been exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Frac Center’s 2014 Archilab Exhibition and the 2008 Beijing Biennale.
Tibbits also co-curated the 2007 ScriptedbyPurpose exhibition in Philadelphia with Marc Fornes.

Awards

Tibbits' work has won awards including a 2014 WIRED Inaugural Fellowship, 2014 Gifted Citizen Initiative, the 2013 Architectural League NYC Prize, 2013 Next Idea in Art and Technology Award at Ars Electronica, 2012 TED Senior Fellowship, 2011 TED Fellowship and named a “Revolutionary Mind” in SEED Magazines 2008 Design Issue.

Publications

Tibbits has appeared on numerous television and documentary episodes, including BBC Click, Fox Business Network, This Old House and BBC World News Live. His work has been featured in various print and media outlets including New York Times, Wired, CNN, the Smithsonian Institution and Fast Company.