MAS Program Overview
The Master of Advanced Studies in CAAD at ETH in Zurich is a one-year postgraduate program with a focus on computer-based architectural design and its automated production.MAS class this year is an interdisciplinary class of about 7 graduate students interested in research on the next level of Computer Aided Architectural Design. This class contains modules in theory, in basic skills about programming, and in the CNC production of architectural artifacts(total 7 modules, details included in the attached pdf). The main interest of the research is the reflection on the potentiality of the upcoming technologies for future architecture. The class starts on an abstract theoretical and philosophical level and ends in exercises in designing concepts of future architecture on the so called symbolic level.

CAAD Department
he CAAD Department (Computer Aided Architectural Design) represents the information-technology branch at the ETH’s Department of Architecture. The CAAD Chair was newly vested with Ludger Hovestadt at the end of year 2000, which lead to a paradigm shift in its orientation. Since this time the aim is no longer to illustrate architecture within the computer (virtual reality), but to extract architecture again from the computer (back to reality) in order to build artifacts, which cannot be realised by conventional methods.To attain these goals, the CAAD Department employs are a uniquely large faculty of teachers and researchers, which is formed in an interdisciplinary manner and is – in its core – oriented towards a pragmatic conversion of information-technologies in architecture.
A complete overview of the CAAD Department’s activities is available on its site: www.caad.arch.ethz.ch

ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich is one of Europe’s leading research universities. The school is able to attract excellent faculty members, and it draws on a large community of architects, theorists and practitioners in the region. The Department of Architecture is particularly vibrant, with a large number of exhibitions, conferences and lectures. See the Department of Architecture’s site for further information and for a list of current events: www.arch.ethz.ch