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.