Paper

Learning Through Lightness

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Abstract

This paper documents the methods and results of a one-semester design-build seminar that synthesized sensor technology, computational design, digital fabrication methods, and construction practices in the design and construction of a light-weight interactive installation. Asking the question “how can the concept of lightness serve as a pedagogical tool for framing small-scale design-build projects?” students in this course wrote custom software for evaluating the thermal performance of lightweight material choices. The result is a novel and disassemblable accessory dwelling unit (ADU) prototype that eliminates active systems and reduces material excess through digital intelligence. An overview of Buckminster Fuller’s early work on geodesic structures with students at Black Mountain College in the summers of 1948 and 1949 serve to ground the research and frame lightness as a framework for teaching students the complexities of construction through experiential learning within an academic context.

Keywords: Design Pedagogy, Design-Build, Digital Fabrication, Computational Design, Interactive Architecture

How to Cite:

Imai, N. & Conway, M., (2023) “Learning Through Lightness”, Building Technology Educators’ Society 2023(1), 101–106. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/btes.1940