After radically transforming the world of design and production in sectors such as automotive and aerospace, robotics is now entering the construction sector. That is why École des Ponts ParisTech, a leading French engineering school founded in 1747, preparing future leaders, civil engineers and researchers, has developed a new training curriculum.
Currently recruiting, the Digital Building Design Executive Master (known as Mastère Spécialisé® in France) provides attendees with a cross disciplinary culture of computational design and comprehensive knowledge of cutting-edge technologies in the fields of parametric architecture, advanced geometry, robotics and digital manufacturing for the construction industry. The program is designed for a select group of architects, engineers, designers and digital artists and offers a variety of courses, fabrication and prototyping workshops, conferences, digital talks and networking events. It is a real opportunity to enter an international ecosystem of architectural innovation.
The DBD executive master’s main goals are to provide attendees with a solid knowledge of parametric generative design and computer-aided manufacturing, give students a broad set of expertise to take advantage of digital manufacturing technologies (3D printing, Robotics, CNC prototyping, etc.) and finally encourage a process-oriented approach to design, based on optimization approaches and the use of environmental data in architecture.
At the end of the 16-month training, graduates have the know-how to innovate their design workflow using a computational and collaborative approach towards architecture and engineering. The cohort comprises of Project Managers, Computational Designers, Facade Consultants, Structural Engineer Experts in complex geometry, Chief Design Officers, Interaction Designers, Robot and Drone Designers.
The program requires an architect or master’s degree as well as professional experience with a good knowledge of 3D modeling.
Another option for architects or companies’ employees is to select an innovative 5 week-long module combining Construction Robotics with either Computer-Aided Manufacturing or Computer-Aided Design. The goal is to have a complete understanding of tools for digital design or robotic manufacturing and to design or build non-standard objects and complex geometries.
Computer-Aided Manufacturing includes workshops on large-scale 3D printing, a cutting edge technology involving robotics, material design and building system innovation. Digital wood manufacturing, discrete assembly - which is especially relevant in a context of ecological crisis where reuse becomes a necessity - and quality control using digital tools such as six-axis robots, laser scanner, photogrammetry and machine vision are also deeply studied.
On the other hand, the Computer-Aided elective focuses on advanced architectural geometry, a discipline at the intersection of engineering, architecture and discrete differential geometry. It includes courses on how the latest advances in machine learning are used in the construction industry, multi criteria environmental optimization and, last but not least, form finding, a module exploring the concepts and algorithms of structural form-finding, especially for funicular structures (e.g. force density method), flexural structures (e.g. gridshells) as well as semi-continuous methods (iso geometric analysis).
At École des Ponts ParisTech, students have access to makerspace, robots such as 3D printers, professors, researchers of the renowned Navier laboratory and experts in the field.
Upon completion of this course, students will have a general understanding of the implications of this cutting-edge technology in construction and design to make informed decisions for projects that require the use of robotic processes.
For more information and to apply, visit the Digital Building Design website at École des Ponts ParisTech, or its LinkedIn profile. Applications are open and the last selection committee is coming. Submit your application before June 30th to be considered.
An open house of the makerspace is scheduled on May 17th at noon at the École des Ponts ParisTech’s campus: 6 ave Blaise Pascal – Cité Descartes - Champs-sur-Marne, France.
RSVP: info-ms@enpc.fr
More information available at the links below:
https://www.ecoledesponts.fr/
https://www.linkedin.com/
