COURSE DESCRIPTION

This seven-week course will focus on digital animation as a primary tool for developing and exploring spatial relationships in architecture. Starting with basic three-dimensional modeling and digital diagramming skills, students will develop a series of animations and diagrams that create, modify, and combine different arrangements of volume and massing studies – exploring thickness, thinness, intersecting geometries, carving, addition, and subtraction. Animation techniques allow designers to develop a choreographic approach to architectural design, to track iterations through a series of movements or sequences, and to effectively alter common spatial language.  Students will learn techniques such as camera movement, lighting, and the use of animated sections to showcase their design outcomes.

This is a 3-credit course, offered with an optional additional credit of directed study for a total of 4-credits. The directed study will consist of an extra project in which students will apply animation techniques to a personal project.

The course will use Autodesk Maya, Rhino3D, and multiple Adobe programs to create the animations and diagrams. All software will be available to students for free through educational licenses. Students are not required to have prior knowledge of these programs, though some experience with 3D modeling is preferred. Students will also need a laptop that can run this software – please reach out to the Department of Technical Services for their recommended computer specs at https://wit.edu/tech-services.  

Course Syllabus

Click above to download the attached syllabus.