Computational Design I

Catalog description

ARCH 781, is the first course in Computational Design offered in the Master of Science of Architecture, Computational Technologies program. The objective of this course is for students to learn and apply computation in relation to architectural design. Students learn, develop skills and apply critical computational thinking and design through architecture exercises and projects. The objective of the two consecutive courses (ARCH 781, ARCH 782) is for students to analyze, research, displace and eventually investigate new paradigms in computer-based systems of representation applied to architecture design. Aiming to develop algorithms applied to architecture design, the seminar will teach existing informational structures, focusing on specific issues ranging from binary information, algorithmic structures, flow diagrams, code syntax, scripting, programming languages, and visual algorithms. Students will learn to develop skills in visual algorithms through Rhinoceros 3D Grasshopper plugin, Unity 3D, Python programming language, and ML activating AI through frameworks such as TensorFlow, MATLAB, Wolfram Mathematica or others. First, the seminar will address Data Science gathering and processing data, Big Data and developing data sets through crowdsourcing, web scraping and API using Python Programming Language. Second, the course will teach students basic computer programming skills through simple scripts in Rhinoceros 3D Grasshopper plugin building up knowledge to develop more complex algorithms activating emergent geometry in computational design (Rhinoceros 3d Grasshopper parametric design, computational design and others). Students will learn to develop scripts, algorithms, and code their own programs. Third, the course will study and apply Machine Learning, ANN, GAN’s and other neural nets activating Artificial Intelligence. Prerequisite Course(s): Corequisites:…