Computational Design Pedagogy for the Cognitive Age

This paper explores and reflects on an integrative computational design thinking approach, which requires the melding of computation, design and theory as a conceptual framework, to be implemented in architectural education. Until now, digital design education is typically based on the introduction of digital tools and plugins at university courses and the subsequent application of these tools to design tasks of limited architectural complexity. At this time, technological advancement has not been matched by a comparable advancement in computational design thinking. The paper describes in detail a novel conceptual framework for course setup that illustrates the using of computational design as a manner of thinking in patterns of interaction across various scales, reaching from building design to regional planning. This approach was subsequently tested in a series of master-level studios, the results of which will be presented as case studies in this paper.