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PROGRAMME STARTED ON 21st Nov 2020
Early-admissions to SMART LABS 5.0 have STARTED
[Study material from previous batches provided for support of pre-admissions into Smart Labs 5.0]
LIMITED SPOTS
FULL PROGRAMME SCHEDULE BELOW
6 MONTH PROGRAMME ON COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN
20 X Online Sessions + 6 X Studio Sessions + Critics + Mentoring + 1 End of the Year - Showcase/ Exhibition
EARLY-ADMISSIONS OPEN FOR SMART LABS 5.0
WHEN//
Nov2020 - April/May2021
WHERE//
20 Sessions ONLINE
3 Sessions in CHENNAI
3 Sessions in DELHI
1 EXHIBITION in CHENNAI
SMART LABS PROGRAMME FOUNDERS
![Sushant Verma rat[LAB]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/620f22_29d1a371817b4bf9aea2c52f1c292027~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_75,w_1709,h_1709/fill/w_256,h_256,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Sushant%20Verma%20rat%5BLAB%5D.jpg)
SUSHANT VERMA , STUDIO DIRECTOR
M.Arch. Em.Tech. – AA London, B.Arch. SSAA New Delhi, MCoA India
Sushant Verma(M.Arch. Em.Tech. – AA London, B.Arch. SSAA New Delhi, MCoA India) is an architect & computational designer, currently leading research organization rat[LAB] - Research in Architecture & Technology. Former architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, London & a Sr. Editor at Arch2O, he has held teaching positions at a number of universities internationally & is involved in education for computation & parametric design. He is the founder of rat[LAB] EDUCATION, which is an independent initiative to spread the idea of computation in design profession & education in India. Recipient of MAK Schindler Award from Vienna / Los Angeles and a finalist for AIA Emerging Leaders Fellowship from Chicago, his work is widely published and exhibited in London, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, San Francisco, Taipei, New Delhi,Mumbai among other places.He has been shortlisted in New Delhi among 5 architects for ’20 under 35’ Exhibition at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, featured as iGen 2017 Top 50 Gen-Next Designers in India, tagged as ‘Rising Star’ by Surfaces Reporter India, among other features. Sushant joined the elite list of TEDx Speakers by speaking at TEDxGurugram on ‘Smart Cities need Smarter Design Education’.
REEVEEZEE M ANTONY, ACADEMIC CO-ORDINATOR
Reeveezee M Antony is currently the Academic Innovator of RVS Padmavathy School Of Architecture (RVSPSOA), Chennai and Coimbatore and CEO of RVS School of Change. His experience as an academician in the field of architecture especially with RVS Padmavathy School of Architecture includes innovating the architecture curriculum to inculcate creativity and innovation in learning, conducting experiential workshops with faculty and students to improve exposure and outreach. At RVSPSOA, he manages the entire 5-year architecture course striving for holistic learning and development for faculty and students with a commitment to transform architecture education by taking it beyond the classroom and making it service-learning oriented and action-based towards creating a sustainable impact on society and the environment.
As the Third Batch of Smart Labs [3.0] progresses towards a successful completion & the Batch of 2020 graduates later this year , admissions to Smart Labs 4.0 are now OPEN to students & young professionals of architecture / design from India & globally. The admission process is through a selection criteria based on a 'Statement of Purpose / Interest' and a 10-page (maximum) Portfolio submission.
PLEASE NOTE: The Portfolio may NOT necessarily have works related to Computational/Parametric Design but an interest in the same is an added advantage to your application. The following are the criteria for selection of FOURTH BATCH - Smart Labs 4.0, starting Nov 2020 and will run for 6-8 months, with students graduating in 2021:
1- Interest / Enthusiasm to learn Computational Design (to be expressed appropriately in your SOP)
2- Current Software Skill-set (We recommend a minimum skill-set of Rhino 3D modelling)
3- Previous Academic Work Standard (Should reflect in your studio)
4- Availability to attend sessions in Chennai & New Delhi [+Online]
Key points about Smart Labs 4.0:
- The programme will run on a semester-basis for 6-8 months, starting Nov 2020, through till the summer of 2021, when the batch of ~30 students graduate in a formal ceremony with Smart Labs Exhibition opening.
- There will be 6 studio sessions (workshops & reviews, combined), 10+ online sessions (GoToMeeting/ZoomVideo) culminating in an Exhibition Showcase in Chennai in 2021.
- 4 sessions will take place in Chennai and 2 sessions in New Delhi. Each session will be for 2-3 day.
- Session frequency will be almost 1 per month and will mostly be scheduled around weekends.
- Students can be a part of any other programme alongside, or even be working alongside the programme.
- Graduation Certifications will be given at the end of Programme to each student by RVS School of Architecture, in collaboration with rat[LAB]EDUCATION.
- The 6-month programme on Computational Design requires students to be attending 6 studio sessions and 10+ online sessions and fully commit themselves to a studio learning throughout the programme.
- Live recording of Online Sessions will be provided for future access and Studio Session content will be available to the batch through Online Database Platform.
- Previous batch data for knowledge-building (Smart Labs 1.0 + 2.0 + 3.0) will also be provided from time to time for an evolved learning experience, so the current batch can evolve and build the knowledge & research carried out by previous batches.
- A dedicated team of experts will be a part of Smart Labs 4.0 Team that include Studio Director, Co-ordinators, Tutors, Online Mentors, Exhibition Curators, etc. for a holistic learning experience.
- There are limited number of spots for students, recent graduates, professionals and global students (other nationalities).
- Each seat-type will be filled up during a limited number of admission process rounds and early-admission completion would lead to course content distribution to prepare for the programme, well in advance.
- Reading material, practice videos, tutorials as well as 1-to-1 sessions with tutors would be planned BEFORE the start of 1st Studio Session (SS01).
FEE STRUCTURE//
INDIAN NATIONALS
- There are 2 components to the fee structure and the fee is to be paid in two parts. (Part A1 + A2 +B1 +B2)
- Part A1: rat[LAB]EDU Programme Curation Instalment 01 :: INR 34,177/-
- Part A2: Institutional & Certification Fee Instalment 01 :: INR 5,610/-
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- Part B1: rat[LAB]EDU Programme Curation Instalment 02 :: INR 34,177/-
- Part B2: Institutional & Certification Fee Instalment 02 :: INR 5,610/-
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Fee A1+A2 to be paid once shortlisted for the programme.
Fee B1 +B2 to be paid in Dec 2021.
Total course fee = INR 79,574/-
**Travel and Accommodation is to be borne by individuals. We will assist in finding affordable accommodation in Chennai & Delhi whenever required.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS / PROFESSIONALS
- International Students can enroll for the programme and avail access to all Online Sessions and preferably the Final Studio Session that culminates in a Public Exhibition.
- All 10+ Online Sessions will follow the studio workflow, and students will have access to assignments, studio data, course content and recorded sessions.
- International students may also attend any (or all) of the 6 Studio Sessions in Chennai / Delhi if they can bear the travel costs.
- Letters for visa will be provided by the school.
FEE A1+A2 = USD 595
FEE B1 +B2 = USD 595
Total course fee = USD 1190
ADMISSION ROUNDS:
ROUND - I : [INDIA ONLY]
[ OPEN TO STUDENTS (Currently pursuing B.Arch. or equivalent programmes) AND RECENT GRADUATES (Graduated in 2019 or 2020)]
Starting 8th May 2020 upto 31st May 2020
* Early admissions will receive course content access for preparation before the programme, including access to rat[LAB]EDU workshops, webinars, reading material, tutorial guidance & mentoring to get the best out of the programme.
ROUND - II : [INDIA & GLOBAL]
[ OPEN TO STUDENTS, RECENT GRADUATES (Graduated in 2019 or 2020) & YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (Graduated in 2017 or 2018)]
Starting 1st June 2020 upto 15th Sept 2020
ROUND - III : [INDIA & GLOBAL]
[ OPEN TO ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING SENIOR PROFESSIONALS ]
Starting 15th Sept 2020 onward (If seats are left)
* Early admissions will receive course content access for preparation before the programme, including access to rat[LAB]EDU workshops, webinars, reading material, tutorial guidance & mentoring to get the best out of the programme.
FOR MORE DETAILS, check www.rat-lab.org/smartlabs
FOR ANY QUERIES, kindly e-mail education@rat-lab.org with 'SMART LABS 4.0 ADMISSION' as Subject Line.
"EXCELLENCE IN COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN"- AWARDS WILL BE GIVEN TO BEST THREE MERITORIOUS PROJECTS FROM THE STUDIO
ABOUT/
Smart Labs 4.0 is designed as a collaborative collective between rat[LAB]EDU and RVS School of Architecture, Chennai
It is an Integrated Programme to introduce basic, intermediate and advanced computational design techniques,
methods, workflows on a 6 month basis.
This programme is designed at par with any global school within the domain of computation and is envisioned to fill
the missing gap in the educational curriculum by bridging academia and practice.
This Integrated programme shall focus on inculcating the following assets as a part of syllabus:
Computational Thinking
Parametric Design Methods
Digital Fabrication Techniques and Optimization Strategies
Environmental Strategies using Computational Design
Introduction to Structural Optimization & Simulation
Building Skins and Facades
Live projects by rat[LAB] Studio will be incorporated in the syllabus to create involvement opportunities for students.
COURSE COMPLETION CERTIFICATES WILL BE PROVIDED AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER
2- 3 shortlisted students will be recruited at rat[LAB] studio, New Delhi for internship opportunities.
THEORY | SOFTWARE SKILLS | MENTORING | DESIGN STUDIO | CRITICS | COLLABORATIONS
Schedule for Smart Labs 4.0// FULL SEMESTER
SS- Studio Session
OS- Online Session
OS01 – 21st Nov 2020 (Saturday)
THEORY // 4 Hours
OS02 –22nd Nov 2020 (Sunday)
SOFTWARE // 8 Hours
OS03 –28th Nov 2020 (Sunday)
SOFTWARE // 4 Hours
OS04 –5th Dec 2020 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE // 8 Hours
OS05 – 9th Dec 2020 (Wednesday)
THEORY // 2 Hours
OS06 –19th Dec 2020 (Saturday)
DESIGN STUDIO // 8 Hours
OS07 –20th Dec 2020 (Sunday)
CRITICS + MENTORING // 4 Hours
OS08 – 23rd Dec 2020 (Wednesday)
THEORY // 2 Hours
OS09 – 9th Jan 2021 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE // 8 Hours
SS01 – NEW DELHI | 16th & 17th Jan 2021 (Saturday & Sunday)
SOFTWARE + DESIGN STUDIO // 16 Hours
OS10 – 30th Jan 2021 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE + DESIGN STUDIO // 6 Hours
OS11 – 13th Feb 2021 (Saturday)
CRITICS // 4 Hours
OS12 – 17th Feb 2021 (Wednesday)
THEORY // 2 Hours
SS02 – CHENNAI | 27th & 28th Feb 2021 (Saturday & Sunday)
SOFTWARE + DESIGN STUDIO // 16 Hours
OS13 – 6th March 2021 (Saturday)
MENTORING // 2 Hours
OS14 – 20th March 2021 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE // 2 Hours
SS03 – NEW DELHI | 27th & 28th March 2021 (Saturday & Sunday)
DESIGN STUDIO // 16 Hours
OS15 – 10th April 2021 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE // 8 Hours
OS16 – 11th April 2021 (Sunday)
DESIGN STUDIO + CRITICS // 6 Hours
SS04 – NEW DELHI | 24th & 25th April 2021 (Saturday & Sunday)
DESIGN STUDIO // 16 Hours
OS17 – 8th May 2021 (Saturday)
SOFTWARE // 4 Hours
OS18 – 9th May 2021 (Sunday)
SOFTWARE // 4 Hours
SS05 – CHENNAI | 22nd & 23rd May 2021 (Saturday & Sunday)
DESIGN STUDIO + CRITICS // 16 Hours
OS19 – 29th May 2021 (Saturday)
CRITICS + MENTORING // 4 Hours
OS20 – 12th June 2021 (Saturday)
CRITICS // 4 Hours
SS06 – CHENNAI | 24th, 25th & 26th June 2021 (Thursday, Friday & Saturday)
DESIGN STUDIO + EXHIBITION // 24 Hours
SMART LABS 2021 GRADUATION + EXHIBITION – CHENNAI
26th, 27th & 28th June 2021 (Saturday, Sunday & Monday)
[EXHIBITION WILL CONTINUE & REMAIN OPEN TO PUBLIC FOR 3 MONTHS)
*All studio and online sessions are bound to be re-adjusted as per batch decisions in co-ordination with the Studio Director & Academic Co-ordinator.
** Online Sessions timings will be decided in every preceding session and as per availability of Online Mentors or Tutors.
*** The schedule has the scope to be spread across another month to extend till July 2021, if required.
MODULE A: Digital Fabrication
The module will give an overview of digital fabrication technologies that are relevant to architecture and design. 3D Printing, CNC routing, Laser Cutting, among other emerging technologies will be showcased and demonstrated with specific group tasks and exercises that would involve the usage of such technologies. Students will chose to demonstrate and test out available tools to develop their projects as prototypes and installations for Exhibition.
SMART LABS 4.0 STUDIO AGENDA
The studio will revolve around the central idea of Computational Design and extend its arms into specific modules focussing on distinct aspects of Design Technology and its application in architecture, design and art. Students will develop their skillset by learning software like Rhinoceros3D and Grasshopper3D at basic, intermediate and advanced levels in the initial studio sessions, supported by parallel online sessions by tutors & global mentors. Currently in its fourth year / batch, Smart Labs Programme continues to evolve with changing times with a more comprehensive approach of more online technical sessions, focus on theory of computational design, new software skill-set and a design centric & experimental studio approach.
While the focus remains on three distinct modules, namely, DIGITAL FABRICATION, INTERACTIVE DESIGN & PERFORMATIVE DESIGN, the studio takes an experimental design approach to nurture design & application skills using Computational Design tools.
MODULE B: Interactive Design
Today, interaction with digital and virtual environment through smart devices has become part of our daily lives. Through our engagement with digital media, mostly driven by social media, gaming, interactive art and performances, passive recipients turn into active participants, becoming creative stakeholders. Interactive environments go beyond the static physical boundaries by introducing a layer of data and information that makes our surroundings smarter and responsive. Physical Computing studio will give students an essential introduction to the world of open source programming languages and physical computing. Students will simultaneously learn about basic coding / scripting tools and how to create devices that interact with their environment using sensors and actuators. This will equip students with the necessary hardware / software knowledge to integrate interfaces, visualizing methods, data sensing, and actuations to conduct more advanced research and architectural proposals with embedded technology. We will focus into two main topics, Sensors and Actuators (using Arduino) and basics of Processing to generate interactive media and visualized data in public spaces. The module will conclude with an interactive project that enhance a space with smart features, as students will be pushed to create a synchronous and meaningful interaction between the digital and physical realms.
MODULE C: Performative Design (Building Performance)
This module will delve into the scientific aspects of building performance with respect to Sustainability objectives such as Environmental Analyses and Visibility Optimization Analyses using Computational Methods. Some aspects of Structural Optimization, form finding, multi-objective optimization will also be studied using Grasshopper3D and advanced plug-ins. Students choosing to focus on building performance aspects will explore projects digitally and develop optimization methods of design and evaluating for a showcase in the exhibition.
