SUMMARY:

Digital Methods is a preparatory course that will introduce 3-dimensional modeling and visualization techniques from the basic level to the complex form making while exploring the innovative use of the computer to aid in generative experiments within one's defined design language. Using an established set of rules, Rhinoceros 3D, the VRay Rendering Engine, Visual Basic Scripting, and Grasshopper (a graphical algorithm editor), students will develop design projects and explore experimental derivatives of one's initial design.

PREMISE:

All designers create within a set of constraints and whether designers realize it or not, every move that is made during the design process is based on a set of rules or strategies to inform the outcome of their design. Just as all architectural projects start with a program to set the limits or parameters of the design; computers require a set of instructions whether scripted or by user input in order to perform an ordered and random set of tasks. Using the computer for more than a digital drafting board, scripted programming and graphical algorithm editors allow digital designers to experiment within an iterative process producing parametric form, space, and tectonics beyond the initial option. Working within a digital environment requires the skill of 3-dimensional modeling, computer programming, and the knowledge of visualization techniques to present the iterative process and final design.