Architecture II: Computer Design

Terms: 1 (not offered every term)
Grades: 10, 11, 12, PG
Prerequisite: Architecture I

Computer technology has taken the art of architecture to a new level of possibilities. Architects can now design bigger, stronger and more beautiful buildings faster than ever before. Taking Barbara Isenberg€™s book €˜Conversations with Frank Gehry€™ as a starting point, we will learn how to design buildings, from the first sketches through using both AutoCAD and Inventor programs to proficient model€making and operating laser and router cutter machines. Besides several short exercises, students will work on two major projects; one of which will be a community service design for a local service agency. Additionally, we will explore a brief history of remarkable buildings created with computer technology, from I.M. Pei to Frank Gehry and from Santiago Calatrava to Dubai€™s skyscrapers. Anyone who has ever been to the Sydney Opera House, or dreamed of it, or read about the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, should find this course fascinating.