Classes

Introduces advanced topics in building simulation for design and control of envelope and thermal systems for architects, engineers, environmental consultants, and beyond. Students will gain conceptual knowledge and technical skills to drive design decisions based on environmental performance. The focus of final design projects will be to reduce operational energy usage and carbon intensity. Course format will include a combination of traditional lectures, hands-on exercises, and design project development.

Considers the multiple trade-offs at various abstraction levels and scales when designing complex, multi-component systems. Covers topics from foundational principles to advanced applications, emphasizing the role of compositional thinking in engineering. Introduces category theory as a mathematical framework for abstraction and composition, enabling a unified and modular approach to modeling, analyzing, and designing interconnected systems. Showcases successful applications in areas such as dynamical systems and automated system design optimization, with a focus on autonomous robotics and mobility. Offers students the opportunity to work on their own application through a dedicated project in the second half of the term. 

Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

In this multi-day workshop participants will learn about the basics of rope splicing and the role of this craft method in the work of artist Janet Echelman. The workshop will begin with a talk from artist Janet Echelman followed by a tutorial on rope splicing techniques. The remainder of the workshop will be focused on constructing a full-scale prototype of a fragment of a site-specific sculpture that is scheduled to be installed in the MIT Museum in the fall of 2025. The workshop will end with a test fit of the fragment on site in the MIT Museum.