An algorithm is a finite sequence of explicit, elementary instructions described in an exact and complete, yet general manner. The application and execution of algorithms on a computer happens through programming languages, which enable computing procedures. This is a fundamental property of computation as a technical achievement, but also as a theoretical framework for design. Computation has a profound impact on a contemporary understanding of architectural form, space and structure. It shifts the way one perceives form, the way in which form is purposed, and the way in which form is produced.
The fundamental concepts which underlie computational theory and techniques expose form as a subsidiary component of environment, and environment as a complex web of influences.
This seminar investigates the potentials of algorithmic procedures for architectural design. It provides an opportunity for the students to enhance their knowledge of algorithms by developing practical scripting skills, understanding theoretically relevant aspects of form generation and exploring mathematical principles and underlying patterns in the physical world. Based on the investigation of related mathematics, relatively simple algorithms will be developed to produce complex systems within an architectural context.
Menges, A., and Ahlquist S., eds. 2011. Computational Design Thinking. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Burry, M. 2011. Scripting cultures: Architectural design and programming. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Coate, P.S. 2010. Programming Architecture. London: Routledge.
Flake, G.W. 1998. The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer Explorations of Fractals, Chaos, Complex Systems, and Adaptation. Cambridge: MIT Press.