MSCI-400P Geometric Structures

3 Credits

A structure is an arrangement of multiple related elements. This course will study spatial structures according to the logic of geometry. Students will learn how to make geometric models of spaces in two and three dimensions while exploring the potential that geometric methods bring to the task of form finding. Structures will range from simple to complex, discrete to continuous, explicit to parametric, and ancient to modern. Case studies will present students with an opportunity to examine in depth a geometric structure of their choosing. We will use a visual programming language within a parametric modeling environment to construct, visualize, and manipulate the geometric structures under investigation. Course readings drawn from the mathematics and design literature will provide context for discussions about geometric structures, their uses and abuses, past and present. This course aims to support advanced undergraduate and graduate students in all fields of design. No particular mathematical or coding experience is required.