Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
Computational Design and Service Learning in Informal Settlement Planning: A Pedagogical Model for Architectural Education
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
Computational Design and Service Learning in Informal Settlement Planning: A Pedagogical Model for Architectural Education
Do you wish to request the book?
Computational Design and Service Learning in Informal Settlement Planning: A Pedagogical Model for Architectural Education
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
Computational Design and Service Learning in Informal Settlement Planning: A Pedagogical Model for Architectural Education
2026
Overview
Rapid urbanization in the Global South continues to intensify the growth of informal settlements, challenging architectural education to equip students with methods capable of addressing complex socio-spatial, environmental, and ethical conditions. While computational design and service-learning have each been explored within architectural pedagogy, their systematic integration, particularly in the context of informal settlement planning, remains underdeveloped. This article presents a pedagogical framework that combines pattern language theory, shape grammars, and parametric modeling with service-learning principles within an undergraduate architectural design studio. Implemented in ARC 4025 (Architecture Studio 5) at the O’More College of Architecture and Design, Belmont University, the framework guides students in translating empirical observations of an informal settlement in Ahmedabad, India, into rule-based and generative design systems. The methodology emphasizes process–product reciprocity, enabling students to encode settlement patterns as transformation rules that generate, test, and evaluate coherent urban forms across multiple scales. A detailed case study, Community at Scale, is presented as a proof of method, illustrating how analysis is converted into computational logic across dwelling, block, and neighborhood scales. Rather than proposing a finalized solution, the study demonstrates how computational design can operationalize morphogenetic reasoning within architectural education while remaining grounded in social responsibility. The article concludes by discussing pedagogical implications, situating the approach within urban morphology discourse, and outlining limitations and directions for future research.
