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40 537 ACDL: Architectural design, computation & time
Emnenavn på Norwegian Bokmål:
ACDL: Architectural design, computation & time
Course code:
40 537
Level of study:
Master
Teaching semester:
2020 Autumn
Assessment semester:
2020 Autumn
Language of instruction:
English
Year:
2020
Maximum number of students:
15
Person in charge
Søren S. Sørensen
Required prerequisite knowledge
Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).
Preliminary skills in computational design is advisory.
Course content
The Advanced Computational Design Laboratory (ACDL) studio will in the fall semester of 2020 focus on Time, following the present studio on Space and the previous on Place.
Our ambition is to investigate fundamental architectural topics by means of analog and computational tools in an iterative way. Time, space and place can fuse together to allow for great architecture and deep human experiences.
Architects and other designers are beginning to move away from seeking permanence and a finished discrete object that resists the test of time, towards a more open, creative use of what time has to offer. The traditional values of architecture associated with its monumental and enduring qualities seem to be changing. Architecture is challenged to allow for a continuous state of reinvention.
The studio aim is the development of experimental building structures that explore the concept of “Time-Based Architecture”. An architecture that is not finished when the design is materialized. This would be an architecture in which adaptability and transformation is just as important as form. This architecture would adopt the process of becoming as part of its meaning.
The studio is also concerned with the influence of space on the experience of time passage and the importance of time for the subjective experience of architecture. The aim is to create an architectural project that creates the right atmosphere and conditions for fostering deep meaningful experiences.
The ACDL studio foregrounds research by design with strong emphasis on computational design.
As such the students will use computational tools to explore the “experienced time” through time-related process tools:
- simulations and analysis
- associative modeling
- real-time rendering
- animation
- virtual reality
The topics of the studio narrow the focus, while allowing the students to do in-depth investigations simultaneously. The intention is to help the students to develop their own design methodology while bridging analog processes and digital tools. While architects traditionally rely on intuition and experience to solve design problems, computational design aims to enhance that process. Our aim is to equip the students with the knowledge, skills and tools to achieve their architectural design.
Studio description:
The studio is project-based and the assignment is to design a medium-scale public structure.
Following a series of workshops and short assignments exploring concepts of time in architecture, the students are encouraged to formalize the programmatic focus of the design.
The studio will focus on an iterative design process to test and evaluate performative aspects of designs in relation to changing spatial and functional demands. This is done through a range of computational methods and tools based on the focus of each design project in the studio.
Pedagogy:
The learning approach is project-based. The students develop architectural projects, with tasks given and advised by the staff through studio supervision. Lectures and workshops focusing on selected themes and computational tools will contribute to knowledge and skills relevant for the project.
The ACDL studio places a strong emphasis on the computational tools as part of the design process and communication of ideas. Therefore, all material produced by the students during the semester will be considered in the final evaluation. This focus on process and methodology throughout the semester allows the analogue and digital to be considered together as part of a holistic approach.
In the studio, students will work independently and at times in small teams through workshops to enable lateral exchange of knowledge and skills.
Learning outcome
Knowledge:
- of the architectural and computational design themes pursued by the studio.
- of associative modelling.
- of tools for analysis and simulation relating to building performance.
- of successful built examples of equivalent projects.
- of advanced architectural visualization.
Skills:
- in computational design in architecture.
- in utilizing associative modelling systems for architectural design.
- in using simulations, analysis tools and advanced visualization as part of the design process.
- Reflective thinking and evaluation as a tool for developing design ideas within the design process.
Competence:
- The ability to develop designs based on specific performative criteria in an integrated manner from the conceptual stage to the material articulation through computational design.
- The ability to set up and follow through a design process that leads to the desired result.
- The ability to utilize design as a method of research in architecture that facilitates the conception of novel architectural designs.
Working and learning activities
The studio will be organized in five main phases:
- 1st Phase: Introduction to computational tools through workshops and short tasks.
- 2nd Phase: Formulation of the design idea (concept). To be presented in delivery 1 to the teachers.
- 3rd Phase: Development of the design; Iterative process in which spatial solutions, materials and technical aspects are considered and evaluated. Analysis of the project performance. To be presented in delivery 2 to the teachers and external guest. This delivery is equivalent to the mid-term delivery in a competition process.
- 4th Phase: Consolidation; Finalizing the design and development of details. To be presented in delivery 3 to the teachers.
- 5th Phase: There will be a final period for quality check of the project material to be delivered for final exhibition and presented in the final critique to an external sensor.
| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks required | Presence required | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presence required | Required |
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project assignment | Individual | Pass / fail | Final delivery; architectural project: Deliverables: Research and analysis - Research report - Site analysis Design process - Process journal including hand sketches - Physical models: work models and rapid prototypes - Screenshot documentation of the design development Digital presentations - Program diagrams - Concept diagrams - Site plan (level of detail: 1/500) - Landscape plan (level of detail: 1/200) - Plans of the building (level of detail: 1/100) - Sections with or without surroundings (level of detail: 1/100) - Elevations with surroundings (level of detail: 1/100) - Typical construction details (1:50 / 1:20 – dependent on each project: type, number and scale of the details) - Structural diagrams (if applicable) - Materiality - Renderings and animations - Other axo drawings and diagrams - Standalone executable VR visualization Printed delivery - Presentation boards to include most relevant drawings, diagrams, renderings and project description. - Booklet with additional information to complement the boards. - Process book Individual, graded as pass or fail. Exchange students will be given ECTS-grades. |
| Oral presentation | Individual | Pass / fail | Students are expected to present their projects at the 3 interim deliveries during the semester. Deliveries are mandatory. |
| Workload activity | Comment |
|---|---|
| Attendance | Attendance and participation in announced reviews, desk-crits, lectures, meetings, seminars, workshops and the 3 interim deliveries and presentations is mandatory. It is recommended that all work be done in the studio on a daily basis. |