Instructor: Ellen Yi-Luen Do, Wed 6 - 9:00 @ Arch Hall 043, SLN 9314

Course Description

Recently we have seen the pervailing use of the digital computer as a tool in architectural design practice and education. The use of information technologies are revolutionizing the practice of design process and the resulting design artifacts.

This course, Design Computing Theory can be looked at as Design Theory for Computing and Computing Theory for Design. It examines the theory of design practice from various viewpoints. The focus of the course is to recognize the relationship between design theory and computational tools to explore what future design software may become. Topics to be discussed and examined include: the study of designing and designers, design methods, case studies and design precedents, artificial intelligence and cognitive studies, and other approaches to designing that form the basis of current and future design software.

As appropriate for a course on "theory", participants will be responsible for reading and discussing selected texts. Where possible, specific software prototypes and products will be explored. Each participant will also engage a term project examining in more detail processes for designing and current or possible computational support. Topics will be individual choice of the themes and material covered in the class or a particular insight and vision of a future design computing software. Emphasis will be on original work.