This is a vertical elective combining students in their fourth and fifth year of the BArch program with students from the architecture graduate programs. The content of the elective options varies from year to year, and covers advanced topics that invite innovation in the areas of design media and digital craft.Section Description:This Fall 2025 CCA elective seminar explores the fundamentals of computational design and robotics with a focus on creative expression, using robotic drawing, painting and artistic machine design as key examples. Students will learn the introductory level parametric design, robot kinematics, toolpath planning and the basics of simulation and control, all within the context of art and architectural production. Through hands-on projects involving personalized robotic drawing, painting and material deposition (3d printing), students will gain practical experience with various control strategies and examine the creative potential of machines and artificial intelligence. The seminar will be structured around a series of topic-based workshops culminating in the creation and exhibition of a final physical artifact created with robots. Upon completion of the course students will have acquired knowledge of robotics and software including Rhino, Grasshopper and various plug-ins.The state-of-the-art robotic fabrication facilities housed within CCA’s Digital Fabrication Studio and the Digital Craft Lab provide a robust infrastructure for critically engaging with the architectural potentials of robotic fabrication. These advanced resources facilitate the development of integrated digital design-to-fabrication workflows, enabling a reexamination of conventional modes of art and architectural production.The seminar is open to upper-level B.Arch and M.Arch students. Non architecture students should contact the instructor (jjohnson2@cca.edu) to discuss potential enrollment. This course assumes basic knowledge of Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper 3D. Students should expect to bring their laptops to all class sessions.

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