AA DLAB London - September 1-18, 2022

AA DLAB London
September 1-18, 2022

In its 17th year, DLAB is a three-week programme in the AA London HQ’s unique atmosphere.

DLAB experiments with the integration of advanced computational design, analysis, and large-scale prototyping techniques. The programme continues to build on its expertise in complex architectural design and fabrication processes, relying heavily on materiality and performance. DLAB brings together a range of experts – tutors and lecturers – from internationally acclaimed academic institutions and practices, Architectural Association, Zaha Hadid Architects, amongst others.

The research generated at DLAB has been published in international media— ArchDaily, Archinect, Bustler—and peer-reviewed conference papers, including SimAUD (Simulation in Architecture and Urban Design), eCAADe (Education and research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe).

DLAB investigates the correlations between form, material, and structure through the rigorous implementation of computational methods for design, analysis, and fabrication, coupled with analog modes of physical experimentation and prototype making. Each cycle of the programme devises custom-made architectural processes by creating novel associations between conventional and contemporary design and fabrication techniques. The research culminates in the design and fabrication of a one-to-one scale prototype realized by the use of robotic fabrication techniques with to integrate form-finding, material computation, and structural performance.

The programme is structured in two stages:

Part 1 – Participants are introduced to core concepts of material processes, computational methods, and digital fabrication techniques. Basic and advanced tutorials on computational design and analysis tools are provided. The programme performs as a team-based workshop promoting collaboration, research, and learning-by-experimentation.

Part 2 – Participants propose design interventions based on the skills and knowledge gained during phase 1, supported by scaled study models and prototypes. The fabrication and assembly of a full-scale architectural intervention with robotic fabrication techniques will then unify the design goals of the programme.

Complete details and registration...