Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD)

The Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) is dedicated to the teaching and research of computational design and computer-aided manufacturing processes in architecture. The ICD’s goal is to prepare students for the continuing advancement of computational processes in architecture, as they merge the fields of design, engineering, planning and construction. The interrelation of such topics is exposed as both a technical and intellectual venture of formal, spatial, constructional and ecological potentials. Through teaching, the ICD establishes a practical foundation in the fundamentals of parametric and algorithmic design strategies. This provides a platform for further exploration into the integrative use of computational processes in architectural design, with a particular focus on integrative methods for the generation, simulation and evaluation of comprehensive information-based and performance oriented models. There are two primary research fields at the ICD: the theoretical and practical development of generative computational design processes, and the integral use of computer-controlled manufacturing processes with a particular focus on robotic fabrication. These topics are examined through the development of computational methods which balance the reciprocities of form, material, structure and environment, and integrate technological advancements in manufacturing for the production of performative material and building systems.