Undergraduate Course: Design Thinking and Digital Crafting (ARCH08038)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course represents an introduction to computational design and digital fabrication. You will explore how these two fields interact and complement each other. The technological possibilities to transform the digital into the physical by different means will be explored. The focus will be set on parametric/algorithmic design approaches and the related digital crafting techniques. You will be introduced to the digital work flow, managing data sets related to design and fabrication. |
| Course description |
The course will offer an introduction to digital computation and digital fabrication techniques and strategies on two levels of discourse: a theoretical and an applied one. You will be introduced to the methodology of the digital work flow. You will be educated in developing a critical and analytical approach to computational design and digital fabrication by introducing you to basic strategies in terms of digital computation and fabrication and offering an insight to the current theoretical debate regarding the 'Digital Turn' in architecture.
The first four weeks will comprise an introduction to the theoretical approaches behind the Digital Turn. You will be required to complete an individual analysis of a given case study and to present the reached conclusions.
Simultaneously to this stage you will be offered a set of tutorial hours for the dedicated software packages, and an introduction to a diverse range of digital fabrication techniques. You will be required to apply the newly gained knowledge in terms of form generation and digital fabrication by developing physical models according to the earlier mentioned digital crafting techniques.
There will be two critical reviews of work where you will present your developed projects. You will be expected to read key literature and to maintain your reading throughout the study period.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This course is NOT available to Visiting Students |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 5,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 15,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 11,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 16,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
149 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
There is a single component of assessment. This is a curated portfolio of your work. That contributes 100% of your final mark. The portfolio will document the project outline, methodology, process of investigation, articulate the findings and include a written critical reflection. The summative portfolio submission is based on all of the Learning Outcomes for this Course.
The portfolio may be of scripts digital and physical, models, drawings, paintings, installations. The assessment criteria for the course is the demonstration of achieving the requirements described in the learning outcomes.
Your final grade for this course is based entirely on your portfolio submission at the end of the semester. The portfolio assessment is based on all of the learning outcomes that are weighted equally. |
| Feedback |
There will be formative reviews after the end of every exercise, including the presentation of the prepared case study.
Summative feedback will be provided following submission of the final portfolio and all models.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Research and develop structured digital design and fabrication strategies using a digital methodology appropriate to the area of study, thus showing an urstanding of the digital workflow methodology.
- Demonstrate an ability to understand and interpret algorithmic/parametric architecture by comprehending the underlying digital logic.
- Demonstrate an ability to individually create a coherent specific computational workflow and to apply it on a self-developed project.
- Produce reflective documentation recording an investigative process.
- Communicate the aims, method, findings and conclusions through a carefully considered and crafted portfolio of work.
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Reading List
Agkathidis, A. (2010). Digital manufacturing in design and architecture. Amsterdam: Bis.
Carpo, M. (2011). The alphabet and the algorithm (Writing architecture). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
De Landa, M. (1997). A thousand years of nonlinear history (Swerve editions). New York: Zone Books.
Gramazio, F., & Kohler, M. (2008). Digital materiality in architecture. Baden: Lars Muller.
Frazer, J. (1995). An evolutionary architecture (Themes ; 7). London: Architectural Association.
Knippers, J., Peters, Brady, & De Kestelier, Xavier. (2013). From Model Thinking to Process Design. Architectural Design, 83(2), 74-81.
Menges, A. (2012). Biomimetic design processes in architecture: Morphogenetic and evolutionary computational design. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 7(1), 10.
Pinho, E. (2013). Jane Burry and Mark Burry The New Mathematics of Architecture. Nexus Network Journal, 15(3), 583-584.
Sakamoto, T., & Ferre, A. (2008). From control to design : Parametric/algorithmic architecture. Barcelona: Actar-D.
Tedeschi, A., Wirz, F., & Andreani, S. (2014). AAD, Algorithms-aided design : Parametric strategies using Grasshopper (First ed.).
Terzidis, K. (2006). Algorithmic architecture. Amsterdam ; London: Architectural Press.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- You will be able to understand and apply the fundamental principles of digital tools: skills in computational design and digital fabrication.
- You will have skills to research and develop structured digital design and fabrication strategies using a digital methodology appropriate to the area o study.
- You will acquire the ability to link crafting and digital techniques through a series of largely investigations.
- You will be able to organise a complex digital workflow: from design to manufacturing.
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| Keywords | Computational Design,Digital Fabrication,Digital Crafting,Design Thinking |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ioanna Cristina Nan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5790
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Jason Andreas
Tel: (0131 6)50 2309
Email: |
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