We are pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the 16th international, interdisciplinary conference “Nexus 2027: Relationships Between Architecture and Mathematics”. The conference will take place 1 ‒ 4 June 2027 in Madrid, Spain, hosted by the School of Architecture of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Kim Williams Books.

This sixteenth edition continues the tradition of high-quality, multifaceted research that began with the first Nexus conference three decades ago, in 1996. The series include conferences hold in 1996 (Fucecchio, Florence, Italy), 1998 (Mantua, Italy), 2000 (Ferrara, Italy), 2002 (Óbidos, Portugal), 2004 (Mexico City), 2006 (Genoa, Italy), 2008 (San Diego, USA), 2010 (Porto, Portugal), 2012 (Milan, Italy), 2014 (Ankara, Turkey), 2016 (San Sebastián – Donostia, Spain), 2018 (Pisa, Italy), 2020/2021 (Kaiserslautern, Germany, held online), 2023 (Torino, Italy) and 2025 (Vicenza, Italy).

The Nexus conferences are dedicated to explorations of the relationships between architecture and mathematics through a broad panorama of topics. Over the years since the Nexus conferences began in 1996, conference participants have presented studies of buildings both large and small, as well as entire cities and neighborhoods, designed by great architects of the past such as Leon Battista Alberti and Andrea Palladio, and by modern masters such as Xenakis, Le Corbusier, Frei Otto and Frank Lloyd Wright, and contemporary architects such as Kazunari Sakamoto and Greg Lynn. These works are studied from the viewpoint of mathematical notions: symmetry, descriptive and projective geometry, proportion, statics, grammars, computer science, topology, algebra, fractals, parametrical analysis, and many more.

Selection Process

Speakers at the Nexus 2027 conference will be selected by the Scientific Committee on the basis of abstracts submitted in response to the present Call for Proposals. Acceptance will be based on the adherence to the call, the originality of topic, methodology of the research and clarity of written presentation.

All accepted abstracts will be published by Kim Williams Books in a conference proceedings book that will be distributed in Madrid.

Following their presentation at the conference, selected speakers will be invited to develop their work into full research papers for publication in the Nexus Network Journal by Springer. The selection will be made by the Scientific Committee after the presentations at the conference. Papers not presented in person at the conference will not be considered for this publication.

The following conditions apply:

• Submission of an abstract is not a guarantee of acceptance at the conference or publication in the Nexus Network Journal.
• Papers that have been presented at other meetings and/or previously published as chapters of books or as journal articles will not be considered.
• The author submitting an abstract automatically grants permission for that abstract to circulate among members of the Scientific Committee. The conference chairs guarantee that the abstract will not be used for any purpose other than review and selection.
• Authors of accepted abstracts must guarantee their participation at the conference. No accepted abstract will be eligible for the publication in the Nexus Network Journal if the author does not present the research at the conference in person.
• Authors of accepted abstracts are expected to cover their own travel expenses to the conference venue and pay the conference participation fee. Publication of the accepted abstract in the conference book is contingent on payment of the conference participation fee before or on the established date (see Registration below).
• After acceptance authors may be expected to re-format their abstracts for publication as instructed.
• Thanks to the agreement and partnership between the Nexus-Architecture and Mathematics association and Springer-Nature publishing company there are no publication fees for publication in the Nexus Network Journal.

Special Note for Ph.D. Candidates and Recent Ph.D. Graduates

There will be a dedicated Ph.D. Day at Nexus 2027. If you are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program or have received your Ph.D. degree within the two years before the conference (2025-2027), please submit your abstract to the 2027 Ph.D. Day (see its specific Call for Ph. D. Day Proposals below).

For the inclusion in the main conference sessions, papers co-authored by professors and Ph.D. candidates must be submitted for consideration by the professor, and if accepted, presented by the professor.

What to Submit

• Cover sheet that includes the following information:
  • Full name and surname
  • Title or profession (Professor, Doctor, Architect, Independent Scholar, etc.)
  • Affiliation (if applicable)
  • Country of residence
  • Email address
  • Title of the proposed presentation
  • Category of research (see below)
  • Five keywords
• Abstract.
  Blind text in English, no more than 1,600 words.The abstract should comprise the following sections: Introduction (ca. 150 words); the Research (ca. 1300 words); Conclusion (ca. 150 words); References (no more than 10).
  2 pages (DIN/A4) of images, with a minimum resolution of 600 pixels per inch.
• Curriculum vitae. Please be brief: no more than one page, including significant publications.
• The corresponding author must fill out this form.

Where to Submit

Submissions are to be sent via e-mail to the Secretary of the Scientific Committee at this address: nexusconference2027.arquitectura@upm.es

If the size of the email is larger than 25 MB, please split it into several emails.

When to Submit

Submissions will be accepted from 1 September 2026 to 1 November 2026. No abstracts will be acknowledged before 1 September or accepted after 1 November, unless an extension of the deadline is specifically announced.

Categories of Research
The following categories of research are intended to facilitate the review work of the Scientific Committee. Research in all categories must be dedicated to exploring the relationships between architecture and mathematics. Please indicate the category that you believe best describes your research:

• Design theory: mathematics as a design tool.
• Design analysis: mathematics used to analyze an existing monument or site.
• Geometry: Applications of geometry (descriptive, projective, fractal, etc.) to architecture.
• Topology: Applications of topology to architecture.
• Rule-based Design: Shape grammars; parametric design.
• Representation of architecture: perspective; modelling.
• Structures: architectural engineering application; statics related to form.
• Computer applications: morphogenesis, digital fabrication, virtual reality.
• Didactics: methods, approaches and projects in the classroom, at all levels of education.
• Artificial intelligence: design and analysis tools.
• Other ___ (please provide 2 keywords).