Spontaneous Mutations, Genetic Deletions, Adaptive Environments and Assistive Technology in the Compression of Developmental Time, or Crawling Sticks and Other Architectural Accoutrements, Actants and Apparatus situates agendas and acts of making that explore the relational mechanics between genomics, architecture, and urbanism for extending the operative range of the body regardless of ability. The project objective is to revise cultural codes. Through making devices and environments that produce a more actionable architecture, responsive to a wider range of sensations and forms of urban euphoria, the project moves beyond current lowest-order engineering solutions to accommodate people with disabilities.

Robert Adams is an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where he teaches and coordinates graduate courses in design and construction. In 2005, Adams developed and directed TCAUP's first study abroad program in Beijing, P.R. China. In 2006, through this initiative, TCAUP became one of the founding member institutions at B.A.S.E., Beijing Architectural Studio Enterprise, a global partner alliance academy and practice for the furtherance of architecture, design, engineering advancements, and dialogue. Adams holds an MArch from Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles (SCI-Arc), and a BA in visual arts from St. John's University. His current academic research interests and creative work focus on contemporary forms of urbanism and architecture in the rapid urbanization in China and its effects on design, construction, and material culture in the United States, with an emphasis on accessibility.