ARC3201HF
Instructor: Brady Peters
Meeting Section: LEC0101
Thursdays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

In contemporary architectural practice, design is mediated by digital technology. The computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modelling (BIM) software that architects use to communicate greatly influences what architects design and how these buildings get built. Architects who have greater fluency using digital tools are less influenced by limitations and biases of computer software and better able to follow their own inspirations and fulfil their concepts in built form. 

This course builds on computational design techniques students have learned in previous courses. It teaches students technical software skills, how to think algorithmically, and how to develop computational tools within the context of real architectural problems. While workshops will use the Rhino CAD software, Grasshopper to develop parametric concepts, and a bit of Python to write custom computer scripts, the concepts are universal and can be applied to almost any software platform. 

The course will explore areas of: architectural geometry, algorithmic design, computer programming, data management, performance analysis, and software interoperability. The applicability of the techniques learned in this course are not limited to building type or design approach, and can be broadly applied within the context of any design project. This course teaches computational design as a useful and creative method within the context of contemporary architectural practice. Guest lectures from computational designers in practice will augment weekly workshops and in-class discussions.