The workshop focuses on architectural design development within a chosen site. An existing building, structure or site condition can provide the starting point. Participants will examine the context, establish a design question and begin testing possible interventions.
The competition’s generational framework spans 2030, 2055 and 2080. During the exercises, participants will consider how their decisions connect the site’s inherited qualities with its potential for further change.
The proposed teaching format combines live demonstrations, guided exercises and independent project development. Participants will apply each workflow to their own material, compare results and discuss selected explorations during the review.
The emphasis is on making and evaluating design decisions. Participants will record useful references, alternatives and key iterations as they work, building material they can develop further after the session.
- 01 · DEFINE
Start from an existing architecture, structure or site and establish the question you want to investigate. - 02 · IDEATE
Use sketches, drawings, photographs, references and AI to explore early ideas and alternative directions. - 03 · ITERATE
Develop and compare interventions through an iterative design process. - 04 · VISUALISE
Explore space, atmosphere, materiality and architectural intent through images and video. - 05 · MODEL
Move from images, sketches and drawings into structured, editable 3D with Cartesian by FORMAS. - 06 · DEVELOP
Move between FORMAS, Cartesian and existing design tools as the proposal becomes more resolved. - 07 · COMMUNICATE
Build a clear visual and spatial narrative showing how the project evolved, not only where it ended.
Program:
Competition Brief: Introduction to CartesianForms: Architecture Reimagined, the design challenge, competition framework and the idea that the process itself forms part of the submission.
From Intent to Ideas:Start with an existing architecture or condition. Develop a question, work from sketches and references, and explore different directions through human + AI interaction.
Design Through FORMAS: Work through ideation, iteration and visualisation in FORMAS. Explore how drawings, images, references and existing design material can develop into a coherent architectural investigation.
Anything to 3D: Introduction to Cartesian by FORMAS, moving from images, sketches and drawings into agentic, precise and editable 3D geometry.
Hands-On Project Development: Begin developing your own CartesianForms proposal. Participants can work from their selected architecture, site or structure and move between ideation, visualization, iteration and 3D development.
Review + Q&A: Review selected explorations, discuss workflows and questions, and look at how the design process can continue toward the final competition submission.
