Teaching Design Sensitivity

In a post-digital era, students have a preexisting understanding of digital tools and methods when starting their architectural education. At the same time increasing computational capacities enlarge the potentials of modelling and simulation software and the sizes of solution spaces. Consequently, the focus in teaching digital design strategies shifts to a more reflective and integrated approach. The authors discuss two experimental vertical prototypes developed with first year students in research-led design courses. The courses’ briefs aimed at enabling an immediate feedback through material-based design processes. Students are trained in how to articulate individual design criteria and make them productive within digital set ups, develop and navigate a design solution space and gain design-sensitive control of structural processes. Consequently, they become aware of the reciprocal relations between deign intentions, digital set ups, structure, material performance and constraints of fabrication.