The Joint Master of Science Program on Computational Design and Fabrication Technologies

Developments in information and communication technology have an impact throughout the entire life cycle of a building, not only from a process and technical point of view but also from a creative design and materialization point of view. The rise of spatial modeling and form creation techniques enables architects to deal with forms that previously could barely be drawn or built, and that require non-standard engineering and construction methods for their materialization. Therefore, the exploration and adoption of new techniques and methods for design and manufacturing, including parametric design approaches, performance-based design approaches and digital manufacturing techniques, are necessary.

Parametric design enables the exploration of alternative designs within a single representation using parameters and associative relationships to control geometric and constructive aspects of the design. In performance-based design, performance goals with respect to various aspects, such as comfort and structure, are explicitly developed and updated during the design, and assessed and guarded throughout the design process. Digital manufacturing enables innovative design exploration through physical prototyping during the design process, and mass-customization of non-standard architecture towards industrialization in a cost-effective manner.

Hence, the Joint Master of Science Program on Computational Design and Fabrication Technologies developed by the Faculty of Architecture of TU Delft and the Department of Architecture of METU aims to set a well-structured collaboration between these universities in the graduate program ending with a double Master of Science degree. The Joint Program focuses on Computational Design and Fabrication Technologies with the goal of teaching cutting-edge design technologies and new design tools as well as new design paradigms in architecture. Students are expected to be fully adequate in research and have a background to follow up new design technologies and to enrich research and design in the field of architecture.

The emphasis on both design and research is one of the main advantages of the Joint program, combining as part of the graduation project both a research thesis, as common in the M.Arch. in Design program at METU, and a design project, as common in the Architectural track of the M.Sc. program at TU Delft. Students in this Joint Program can also benefit from the emphasis on design theory in the M.Arch. in Design program at METU and the emphasis on design practice in the Architectural track of the M.Sc. program at TU Delft. This interaction and integration between the Joint Program and the respective Master programs at METU and TU delft is especially achieved by including and relying upon existing courses from these Master programs in the Joint Program, such that students not only learn from each other within the Joint Program but also from exchanges and possible collaborations with students from the respective Master programs. In this way, not only the students of the Joint Program, but other students too may benefit from the collaboration and exchange between both partner universities.

Program Structure