Recent Experimental Architecture From AutoCAD to Ziggurat

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2023

Andrew J. Holder (Harvard Graduate School of Design)
First-Year Seminar 64Z 4 credits (fall term) Enrollment: Limited to 12

There is a paradox in contemporary architecture. It is designed using tools of astounding digital sophistication by architects grappling with a world of social inequities and impending environmental catastrophe. And yet, surveying the work of these architects, you would be forgiven for thinking it looks, well, ancient: ziggurats, stacks, rock piles, and even dirt mounds. What explains this phenomenon? Why is it that digital tools and progressive cultural ambitions have sponsored the creation of seemingly anachronistic forms? To answer this question, the seminar will explore contemporary design in both the format of seminar and as design studio. We’ll critically analyze the work of contemporary practices, then design our own speculative buildings using digital modeling software, physics simulation engines, and 3D printing.

Note: No prior design experience is necessary; students will learn everything they need to know in a series of in-class tutorials.

See also: Fall 2023