ARC3104H F
Instructor: Paul Howard Harrison
Meeting Section: L9101
Synchronous
Thursday, 6:00PM - 9:00PM

Simulation is always wrong - and that’s okay.

Consider the towers that twist to find an ideal sun angle, or the façade that undulates to optimize solar gain. These approaches often use simulation as justification, deferring architectural authorship for a kind of performance-based certainty. By claiming that a particular outcome is the natural — perhaps inevitable — outcome of a system that aims to mimic the real world, the simulated work can circumvent messy discussions about taste and aesthetics.

These simulations are, of course, inaccurate. Despite efforts to the contrary, the complexity of the material world is well beyond our computational grasp. This is not to say that inaccuracy is a problem: even simple mathematical models have the possibility of radically clarifying our understanding of complexity, and the imperfect tools of simulation are a vital component in fighting our intersecting climate, pandemic & inequality emergencies.

What’s at issue here is the conflation of simulation with objectivity. The bias inherent in algorithms is well-documented; while this is frequently problematic, algorithmic bias in architectural simulation can be benign or even beneficial – when deployed with care. Designers are celebrated for their discernment, after all, so an algorithm that adopts those preferences can be considered as a kind of like-minded collaborator. Instead of using simulation as a tool for downplaying authorship, this seminar advocates for an inclusive approach. We aim to adopt simulation for what it is: an essential tool — necessarily burdened with inaccuracy and bias — that can help to deepen and complicate authorship beyond an all-or-nothing approach.

This course seeks to encourage a nuanced view of simulation and computation in general; students are asked to make new design work that applies simulation in a conceptual and critical manner. The course will provide both direct instruction in simulation and a forum to discuss precedent and new work in a critical, collaborative forum.