In parallel to the rapid evolution of digital technologies, and the advent artificial intelligence tools, architectural practice is undergoing unprecedented, rapid transitional changes. New design tools, techniques and methodologies are being developed that are shifting the design processes from individual to collaborative, from disciplinary to interdisciplinary, and from implicit to explicit. The tools are becoming more adaptable, the processes are becoming more iterative and flexible, and the traditional form-based models are being abandoned in favour of data-rich and performative models.
This module will introduce students to a diversity of computational design methods, such as performative design, generative and algorithmic design, parametric design, and digital fabrication. In addition, students will be introduced to Grasshopper 3D as a visual programming environment for parametric and algorithmic design, through which they will experiment with rule-based modelling, data-driven form generation, and performance-informed design strategies. In parallel, the module will introduce Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools and methods, enabling students to explore and critically scrutinise their emerging role in architectural design, from concept generation and form exploration to design optimisation and decision support.
Through design-based experimentation, students will work with both parametric design and GenAI tools, reflecting on how these technologies augment, challenge, and transform conventional design thinking and processes. These explorations will be explicitly related to design theory, allowing students to critically evaluate the nature, structure, and methods of the traditional design process in comparison with computational and AI-driven approaches.
Students will also be able to critically and profoundly investigate the true potential of computational design and GenAI in real practice through conducting case study research for an existing architectural project.