The assignment is to design a restaurant, approx. 600 m2, with outdoor areas and landscaping. Site: Hukodden, Oslo. The studio is project-based and the ACDL studio (advanced computational design laboratory) places a strong emphasis on computational tools as part of the design process and communication of ideas. The studio is not about the tools per se, rather about an experimental approach to architectural design, design processes and methodologies.Our ambition is to investigate fundamental architectural topics by means of analog and computational tools in an iterative way. This focus on process and methodology throughout the semester allows the analogue and digital to be considered together as part of a holistic approach. Therefore, all material produced by the students during the semester will be considered in the final evaluation.

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.

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.