Introduction to Computational Design

#GSD6338 is an introductory course on Computational Design, with particular focus on architecture, landscape, and urbanism.

In this course, we will understand “Computational Design” as the set of methods borrowed from fields such as computer science, mathematics, and geometry, applied to solving design problems. Chances are that a significant portion of your typical design workflow is mediated by digital tools and, in particular, computer software that has been designed and created by a third party, and therefore, your creativity is partially biased by someone else’s opinions. However, the real craftsman is the one who understands their tools so well that they can change, improve, and adapt them to their own desires. In this course, you will learn how to think algorithmically, and how to understand and create computer software, so that you will be able to explore new creative opportunities and relate them to your personal interests.

The course will offer students the possibility of becoming familiar with the process of programming in a creative context, as the power of computational media will be revealed through examination of code and data as a medium for creative expression.

This course is the first installment of a three-part course series on Computational Design followed by SCI-6483: Procedural Fields, Functional Design of Discrete Hyperdimensional Spaces (Spring), and SCI-6365: Enactive Design, Creative Applications Through Concurrent Human-Machine Interaction (Fall), taught by the same instructor.

Note regarding the Fall 2025 GSD academic calendar: The first day of classes, Tuesday, September 2nd, is held as a MONDAY schedule at the GSD. Courses that meet only on Tuesdays will meet for the first time on September 9th. Courses meet regularly otherwise. Please refer to the GSD academic calendar for additional details.