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.