This is a vertical studio combining students in their second and third year of the MArch program with students in the MAAD program, and those in the final semesters of the undergraduate architecture program. The students may choose from a diverse range of options of study proposed by different faculty members. In general the studio options are grounded in a conceptual basis that invites theoretical and/or programmatic innovation. These studio options may vary from year to year.Section Description:In architecture, the relationship between conception and production has undergone substantial evolution. The advent of digital fabrication has marked a notable progression, yet a considerable gap persists between the realm of design imagination and the tangible realities of construction. Despite the advancements made in digital technologies, creating complex architectural forms remains a multifaceted challenge. At this pivotal juncture, the process of translating intricate designs into physical structures remains not only relatively expensive and time-consuming but, more crucially, often leads to substantial wastage of resources. The construction industry is a major contributor to global waste, with a significant portion of materials ending up in landfills. Moreover, the traditional methods of construction contribute substantially to carbon emissions (around 39% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions), intensifying the environmental impact of architectural projects. Bridging this gap between the conceptualization of architectural ideas and their practical realization has become an ongoing pursuit, necessitating innovative approaches to harmonize the digital and physical aspects of architectural creation. The intersection of artistic vision and the technical feasibility of construction requires a refined understanding of the evolving landscape of architectural production, urging architects and designers to explore novel methodologies that not only mitigate costs and streamline processes but also address the urgent need to reduce environmental impact, waste, and carbon emissions associated with construction practices. EMBEDDED INTELLIGENCEThis course is built upon the idea of intelligence embedded in tools and materials. We aim to establish a design system grounded in the intrinsic capabilities of tools, relying on the inherent properties of materials. This semester, our design strategy focuses on exploring ways to exploit these characteristics in the nested fabrication method. NESTED FABRICATIONThe studio will challenge you to expand your tectonic proficiencies in developing design principles for nested fabrication. Here, you will explore the main parameters involved in dividing the global geometry of a complex volume into stackable components. By converting different formal, material, and technical restrictions into geometric constraints, the stacked components are divided in a way that the first component gives shape to the second. PROJECTS OVERVIEWIn three interrelated projects, we will explore a zero-waste design system for constructing complex buildings in a nested fashion. In developing this nested fabrication system, we will not only deal with very advanced fabrication techniques (such as robotics) but also consider the transportation, storage, assembly, and even disassembly of building components. Keeping the principles of embedded intelligence and nested fabrication in mind, you will go through the following projects:PROJECT 1: A Fluid Architectural Element- Learn the design principles for 2D nested fabrication using a subtractive method (CNC machining).- Investigate a method that generates 3D volumes out of a series of 2D pieces, capable of producing almost no waste.-Use the least number of plywood sheets to design an architectural system for an interior space. PROJECT 2: cityTREE, Salesforce Tower Plaza (San Francisco)- Explore the fundamentals of 3D nested construction to create 3D-printed stackable towers (Print in Print).- Design a tower as an engineered biome named cityTREE, addressing the global problem of air pollution in urban areas by recreating the environmental benefits of an actual tree.- Learn the basics of robotic 3D printing as an additive method. PROJECT 3: A Transportable Expo Pavilion, EXPO 2026 (Barcelona)- Explore a nesting technique to establish a form-finding method for tessellating a freeform shell structure into stackable components.- Design a transportable expo pavilion to be fabricated in the US and assembled in Barcelona.- Utilize both additive/subtractive tools to produce the least possible construction waste.

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