Summer D_Lab 2011

Summer DLab experiments with digital design tools and rapid prototyping techniques as integrated systems of design development. Taking advantage of its unique location within the AA premises in the heart of the London, the workshop will create a vibrant atmosphere not only through its rigorous studio work, but also by its public lecture programme that will share the diverse expertise of professionals from London's leading offices in the areas of digital design and fabrication techniques. As a consequence, the interaction between DLab and professional practices will be integral to creating an understanding of the dynamic workflow between the digital and the physical domains of architecture.

Experimentation with digital tools and physical assembly techniques will be demonstrated through projects that explore a workflow between computational software, engineering-related analysis and digital assembly procedures leading to physical fabrication. The range of software implemented will include Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, Maya, AutoCAD, 3DStudio Max, scripting languages (VB, C++, Python), engineering simulation software (Ansys) and BIM software. The main emphasis in the execution of these programmes will be an awareness of the correlation between various kinds of platforms according to specific goals, as well as an understanding of how computational tools are shifting in relation to changing requirements in architectural design.

Participants will have full access to the AA Digital Prototyping Lab for the fabrication of prototypes and models in various mediums and materials, such as 2D milling (laser cutting), 3D milling (CNC), 3D printing and other forms of physical production. Additionally, participants will have access to London's leading fabrication workshops for the assembly of larger-scale models.

The course is structured as a unit-based system in which each unit will concentrate on a specific brief set by the workshop's tutors. Participants will be expected to organise themselves into teams of three to four, while the interaction between different units will be ensured by the constant exchange of information and through the lecture programme. This setup will provide a new approach whereby the course moves away from performing as an isolated studio unit and acts as a simulation of the dynamic professional environments encountered in contemporary practice.

Place : London
Duration : 18-29 July 2011
Deadline for applications :The deadline for applications is 27 June. A late deadline of 11 July is also in effect, but this will incur a £50 surcharge.
Fees: The AA Visiting School requires a fee of £1945 per participant, which includes a £50 Visiting Student Membership. Fees do not include flights or accommodation.

Info : HERE