This one-year design and research master’s program provides a theoretical and practical consideration of technology’s role in architecture and its associated spatial practices. We consider “informatics” to be the investigation of Information Technology, along with its social, cultural, and political implications. By framing informatics within the scope of architectural design, this program addresses research and teaching in many areas, from computer-assisted design to spatial simulation, data analysis, and the development of computer-mediated environments. The School of Architecture opens this program to students with any background, as the thoughtful investigation of this new discipline requires the interactions of many research and design disciplines. In particular, the program encourages research work to cross the technical/non-technical divide which often separates the disciplines of cultural studies and information technology.

Providing a strong foundation in both theory and practice, a degree in Informatics and Architecture prepares students for advancement in both academic research and professional development. Graduates develop an informed and critical knowledge of a variety of software and hardware media as well as relevant theoretical frameworks and cultural analyses that connect design to information technology development. Students, using this knowledge, will be empowered to advance themselves and their profession together both technically and theoretically.

The program is designed to support the interests of professionals who cannot enter into a multiyear design program as well as academics who want a focused time to perform research. Courses span two standard academic terms (a fall and spring term), and the research project extends into a third term. This additional term encourages the incorporation of the research project into the student’s professional and extracurricular interests.

Curriculum

The program is a 30-credit program, with 18 credits taken from the School of Architecture course offerings. An additional concentration of 12 credits is to be taken from any institute courses approved by the adviser upon entering the program, and are generally taken from course offerings in other disciplines. The general categories for concentrations in the program include the following.

Architectural Technologies investigates the interrelationship of computing and building technologies and focuses on advanced developments in manufacturing technology, architectural systems modeling, and related areas. Concentration courses are drawn from the CAD, Building Technologies, and Environmental Systems offerings of the School of Architecture.

Spatial Technologies is a technical track that investigates the relationship of advanced technological developments which often fall outside of architectural and urban practices to the development of cities, buildings, and landscapes. Concentration courses are drawn from the School of Management, the School of Engineering, and the department of Science and Technology Studies.

Spatio-Cultural Studies is a philosophical and theoretical track that investigates the role of technological development on spatial representation and design. Concentration courses are drawn from the School of Architecture, the department of Science and Technology Studies, and the department of Information Technology.
Within these general categories, possible concentrations might include, but are not limited to: Architectural Representation, Urban Informatics, Spatial Simulation, or Cultural Studies in Architectural Informatics.

Research

Students’ thesis work is aligned with research tracks that are broad enough to encourage a diversity of individual research projects but at the same time are focused enough to establish a clear research agenda and provide academic support by our faculty. Each student develops a unique thesis project within this framework during the first semester and carries out the research during the ensuing year. These research tracks represent our interests in contributing to the computing, design, and theory culture beyond Rensselaer. Our current tracks include synthetic space environment design, computer-mediated design process, and simulation, data, and design.

Synthetic Space Environment Design is concerned with the exploration of immersive and augmented electronic environments and their relationship to physical space. A guiding principle of the research is to focus on complementarity rather than substitution, the latter suggested by the popular understanding of “virtual reality” as something outside our physical reality. The research revolves around a social inquiry into the perceptive impacts that immersive and augmented environments have on an individual’s relation to his or her spatial environments.

Computer-Mediated Design Process is primarily concerned with computer-aided design and the redefinition of the design process through the medium of computing. Rather than simply a tool for performing well-known tasks faster and cheaper, the computer is envisioned as a medium opening up new possibilities for architectural and urban design. Fundamental work extending the breadth or scope of CAD software while at the same time providing ease of access to increasingly advanced functionality is essential to this effort. New design algorithms, new roles of computing in the client-designer-builder network, or new design processes are at the core of our research in this area.

Simulation, Data, and Design provides challenging research areas in data mining, simulation methods, and artificially intelligent design methods, among others. Rensselaer’s unique approach in this area encourages research projects to be sensitive to the complex social, cultural, and political concerns are not easily codified into a simulation algorithm. Data and formulae are not necessarily the most useful determinants of a simulation’s importance, even though most current simulation efforts suggest this is the case. Our research into simulation is focused on the development of new simulation methods which provide creative, legible, and interactive feedback to designers, planners, and others involved in the general practice of architecture and urban design. These efforts in simulation design are concerned with issues of cultural context, availability of information, and a better understanding of data mining strategies and related simulation techniques that play an increasingly important role in shaping policies and informing design decisions.

The degree requires 30 credit hours.