Design computation explores the theoretical and practical basis of design as a computational premise. The possibility of design is viewed through the lens of the history and theoretical foundations of fields as diverse as computer science, mathematics, AI, logic, and cybernetics. 

Our program is one of the leading institutions in the study of Shape Grammars – an area of study that views architectural drawing as a formal logic of geometric shapes. The Shape Computation Lab within the School of Architecture is one of the leading institutions in the study of Shape Grammars – an area of study that views architectural drawing as a formal logic of geometric shapes -  and conducts research in defining the language languages of diverse historical and contemporary architecture, from classical through modernist architects to hospitals and courthouses.