Experimental Architecture. Computational Design and Digital Fabrication (Summer School)

Academic Study Board of the Faculty of Engineering

Teaching language: English
EKA: T900027102
Censorship: Second examiner: Internal
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Summer school (spring)
Level: Bachelor

Course ID: T900027101
ECTS value: 5

Date of Approval: 17-12-2019


Duration: Intensive course

Version: Archive

Course ID

T900027101

Course Title

Experimental Architecture. Computational Design and Digital Fabrication (Summer School)

ECTS value

5

Internal Course Code

SX-BXC3D

Responsible study board

Academic Study Board of the Faculty of Engineering

Date of Approval

17-12-2019

Course Responsible

Name Email Department
Helle Gad hgad@tek.sdu.dk TEK Uddannelse, Det Tekniske Fakultet
Martin Haselbach maha@iti.sdu.dk SDU Civil and Architectural Engineering, Institut for Teknologi

Teachers

Name Email Department City
Roberto Naboni ron@iti.sdu.dk SDU Civil and Architectural Engineering, Institut for Teknologi

Programme Secretary

Name Email Department City
Karen Hempler Andreasen karn@tek.sdu.dk TEK Studieadministration, Det Tekniske Fakultet

Offered in

Odense

Level

Bachelor

Offered in

Summer school (spring)

Duration

Intensive course

Mandatory prerequisites

Complesion of at least two academic years in the fields of Architecture, Engineering and Design.

Recommended prerequisites

Students should be interested in or curious about digital design and innovative fabrication methods.

Learning objectives - Knowledge

  • The emerging digital technologies of fabrication, such as Additive Manufacturing (AM), robotics and CNC Machinery, their characteristics, possibilities and limitations
  • The potential enabled by the use of digital fabrication technologies in the context of design and construction
  • Computational tools for design, engineering and fabrication that allow the integration of material, manufacturing, and performance

Learning objectives - Skills

  • Design through visual programming and parametric modelling
  • Use digital tools for early-stage analysis and optimization of material, geometrical and mechanical performance within the design process
  • Manufacture construction systems through digital fabrication processes
  • Fabricate and build full scale prototypes

Learning objectives - Competences

  • Evaluate the possible uses of various digital fabrication techniques in the exploration of new design solutions for architectural systems and structures
  • Involve the use of computational workflows to manage the process from design to fabrication of custom construction systems

Content

Digital Fabrication technologies have the disruptive potential to revolutionize the way we conceive and shape our environment. Through the use of novel fabrication techniques designers and engineers are challenged to explore innovative structures that benefit from the capacity to produce performative and sustainable architecture with, up to now, unreached levels of complexity and strategic material organization.

The Summer School will focus on exploring ideas and producing design artifacts as answer to some fundamental driving questions: what kind of tectonic configurations can be enabled by means of digital fabrication such as additive and robotic manufacturing? How do we realize high-performance architecture with it? How can we build bespoke architecture in a sustainable way?

Adopting a design/make approach, catalyzed through tailored computational techniques, various structural configurations will be investigated. The school outcomes will be contributing to the creation of an atlas of digitally fabricated tectonic prototypes: experimental architectural configurations where material/form/structure are developed in a coherent design approach which takes full advantage of the potential of emergent fabrication techniques.

URL for Skemaplan

Teaching Method

The course is conceived as a highly engaging design to fabrication activity, where students will develop experimental prototypes related to specific design/research topics.

Multiple forms of instruction will be involved:

•    Lectures on the role of digital fabrication in experimental construction
•    Guided tutorials on parametric modelling notions related to a specific course project
•    Introduction and exercises for specific digital fabrication techniques
•    Supervision of group-based design activities
•    Collaborative fabrication of prototypes by students with tutors’ coordination
•    Final review on the projects development and output with invited guests

Time of classes: 2 weeks in August.

Number of lessons

hours per week

Teaching language

English

Examination regulations

Examination

Name

Examination

Examination is held

In the end of the course

Tests

Examination

EKA

T900027102

Name

Examination

Description

Examination condition:

Participating in class (80 %)

Examination:
The grade is meant to reflect ideas, involvement, and execution. The evaluation will be based on all the aspects of the course, including: completing successfully tutorials on digital design, participating actively to group and team work, documenting design options with graphic work and physical models, building physical prototypes through digital fabrication, presenting and discussing experimental design proposals.

    Form of examination

    Portfolio

    Censorship

    Second examiner: Internal

    Grading

    7-point grading scale

    Identification

    Student Identification Card

    Language

    English

    ECTS value

    5

    Additional information

    The enrollment is limited to 15 students. 

    If more applicants than places, applicants who meet the mandatory requirements are prioritised according to the below selection criteria:

    • International applicants (bachelor level, third year or higher)
      • Exchange students (partner universities)
      • Guest students
    • International applicants (master level)
      • Exchange students (partner universities)
      • Guest students
    • Applicants from other Danish educational institution (bachelor level)
    • Applicants from other Danish educational institution (master level)
    • International applicants (PhD level)
      • Exchange students (partner universities)
      • Guest students
    • Applicants not enrolled on an educational institution
    • Other students


    Note: Applicants from engineering or natural sciences will take priority. If remaining places, applicants with another academic background will be assessed according to the same selection criteria.

    Courses offered

    Offer period Offer type Profile Education Semester

    Studieforløb

    Profile Education Semester Offer period