Course: HT 2813 
FAR FROM EQUILIBRIUM
Term: Summer 2025 SCI-Arc
Instructor: Breanna Browning 
Course Meetings: Tuesdays, 4:00-6:50 pm, Synthetic Landscapes Studio  
Office Hours: by appointment

Contact: breanna_browning@sciarc.edu







Navigation
❶  Syllabus
❷  Schedule
❸  Exercise Materials
❹  Lecture + Tutorial Notes
❺  Homework
❻  Resources




BREANNA BROWNING 
HT 2813

❶ Syllabus

FAR FROM EQUILIBRIUM



download pdf here


Course Abstract


The final design lab supports the terminal studio project through a focus on advanced presentation techniques and technologies of collaboration and communication. The course emphasizes how designers might engage ecological discourse through the decentralized media culture of the twenty-first century.

Course Description


This seminar explores strategies for communication and presentation by studying and simulating far from equilibrium states. In science, “far from equilibrium” refers to moments when a system is driven beyond thermodynamic stability by unrelenting surplus—when inputs outpace dissipation. Many of nature’s most spectacular phenomena—storms, volcanic eruptions, bioluminescent blooms—only exist in imbalance. We will treat these combustible moments as opportunities: excess and conflict will become raw material for experimentation and creativity. Via a series of computation and design exercises, students will build generative agent simulations of far from equilibrium dynamics, distill compelling emergent conditions, and translate those insights into speculative spatial, representational, and experiential prototypes and exhibitions.

Bénard convection cells
World’s largest traffic jam
Algal bloom 
Breaking the sound barrier

Course Organization


Over the course of the semester, students will work on one project, split into six different exercises: 

1.     Identify or invent a real‑world system operating far from equilibrium. 
2.     Construct/Simulate the identified system using generative agents. 
3.     Extract/Document interesting, emergent conditions mined from your simulations. Create diagrams to represent these conditions.    
4.     Translate key moments into speculative imagery or videos using generative workflows. 
5.      Prototype 3D artifacts through digital or physical modelling.
6.     Curate/present the work from the first 5 exercises for exhibition. We will determine the exhibition type as a class, considering new formats for collaboration and media.

Material Needs


Hardware (required): 

  • A computer capable of running generative tools, 3d/animation software, and image/video editing. Please contact the instructor directly with questions about the appropriate hardware.
  • A mouse 

Software (required): 

Software needs will vary based on student projects and preferences. Refer to the course website for links to install any required tools covered in class tutorials. Students will be using various tools for:
  • Generative agent-based simulations 
  • Diagramming/design communication  
  • 3d modeling  
  • Generative image/video 
  • Presentation design 
  • Web design 
  • Image/video editing 

Student Learning Objectives and Outcomes


  • Student Learning Objective 1: The course will provide students with the technical skills necessary for design communication.
  • Student Learning Outcome 1: Students will learn how to translate complex information into legible stories (verbally and visually).

  • Student Learning Objective 2: The course will expose students to experimental workflows for digital representation and presentation design.
  • Student Learning Outcome 2: Students will be encouraged to explore workflows introduced in class through tutorials and examples/precedents. Students will integrate experimental workflows in their weekly assignments as well as their final projects.

  • Student Learning Objective 3: The course will familiarize students with the contemporary discourse surrounding projective ecology and media culture.
  • Student Learning Outcome 3: Students will understand these ideas by participating in class conversations, completing assigned readings, and applying what they’ve learned to their projects.


Project(s) Overview


The course will have several components:

  • Talks: Presentations framing “far from equilibrium” systems, computational and representational theories, and cultural/scientific discourse.
  • Tutorials: In-class technical tutorials that support the course exercises and individual skill acquisition. Students are expected to follow along and complete each tutorial. In most cases, pdf guides will also be provided. If we do not finish the tutorial during class, students are expected to complete the remaining steps on their own.
  • Readings/Discussions: Essays, excerpts from books, and scientific papers with group discussions of the material.
  • Exercises: Six exercises that build incrementally towards the final presentation of the semester’s work.

The semester’s work will culminate in a group exhibition of student work. Each student will present the results of exercises 1-5. The format of the exhibition will be determined by the class and designed collaboratively.

Components of Grading


PERCENTAGE   DESCRIPTION
90% = Exercises (6) 
5 % = Tutorial Participation
5 % = Reading/Discussion Participation
100% = Total Percentage Possible
  • Exercises will be graded for quality and completion. Briefs with exact specifications will be given for each exercise.
  • Tutorial Participation means the student is in class, has their computer and mouse, has appropriate software and tools installed, is following along/completing the tutorial steps, and asking questions as needed. 
  • Reading/Discussion Participation means the student is in class, has completed the readings prior to the discussion date, and is participating in group conversations.


Course Schedule


To ensure the course aligns with the needs of the class and progression of technical skill development, the schedule is subject to change. Please refer to the schedule page of the course website for the most updated information, including assignment and project deadlines.

Week 1 (Tuesday, May 13)_ Introduction
•    Introduction and syllabus overview
•    Introduction to course project and framing
________________________________________________________________________

Week 2 (Tuesday, May 20)_ Kickoff Exercise 1
•    Launch Exercise 1
•    Begin research on far from equilibrium systems
•    Identity or imagine “agents”
________________________________________________________________________

Week 3 (Tuesday, May 27)_ Kickoff Exercise 2
•    Launch Exercise 2
•    History of generative agents (talk)
•    Tutorial: Multi-agent simulations
________________________________________________________________________

Week 4 (Tuesday, June 3)_ Exercise 2
•    Set up and run agent simulations
________________________________________________________________________

Week 5 (Tuesday, June 10)_ Kickoff Exercise 3
•    Launch Exercise 3
•    Identify emergent conditions from simulations
•    How to diagram  
________________________________________________________________________    
   
Week 6 (Tuesday, June 17)_ Kickoff Exercise 4
•    Guest tutorial (Fuser)
•    Generative workflows
________________________________________________________________________        

Week 7 (Tuesday, June 24)_ Work session (no class)
•    Explore generative workflows and translate key moments from simulations
•    Continue running simulations if necessary
________________________________________________________________________

Week 8 (Tuesday, July 1)_ Kickoff Exercise 5
•    Launch exercise 5
•    3D prototyping
________________________________________________________________________

Week 9 (Tuesday, July 8)_ Exercise 5
•    Continued 3D prototyping
________________________________________________________________________    
   
Week 10 (Tuesday, July 15)_ Kickoff Exercise 6  (Continue working on 5)
•    Launch exercise 6
•    Group discussion regarding exhibition format
•    Curate work
________________________________________________________________________
       
Week 11 (Tuesday, July 22)_ Exercise  6
•    Exhibition preparation and curation
________________________________________________________________________

Week 12 (Tuesday, July 29)_ Final exhibition deadline
•    Present work
_______________________________________________________________________

Week 13 (Tuesday, August 5)_ No Class  


    Readings / Reference Material


    PDF excerpts of any required readings will be provided to the class. Please refer to the course website for updated reading list. 

    Grading Procedures


    Grades will be determined based upon the meeting of student learning objectives, quality of work produced, improvement over the course of the semester, completion of project requirements, quality of participation, attendance, attitude, and ethical conduct. SCI-Arc grading policies will be discussed on the first day of class, and any questions regarding grades or policies should be directed to the instructor and/or Lisa Russo, the registrar. A passing grade in the course requires committed completion of all projects. Incomplete work will not be evaluated.

    From the SCI-Arc Student Handbook: SCI-Arc employs a narrative grading system, as follows: credit with distinction (CR+), credit (CR), marginal credit (CR-), conditional credit (CCR), no credit (NC), incomplete (I) and withdrawal (W). The grade of no credit (NC) is given whenever cumulative work, final work, and/or attendance are unsatisfactory. It is also given when a student fails to submit a final project or fails to take a final examination without prior approval from the instructor. No credit (NC) grades cannot be altered.

    GPA Equivalents:
    Grade Point equivalent
    CR+    4.0
    CR    3.35
    CR–    2.7
    CCR    2.0
    NC    0.0
    I    0.0
    W    0.0


    Academic Integrity Policy (from SCI-Arc Student Handbook)


    SCI-Arc takes issues of academic integrity seriously, including plagiarism, which can occur in design classes as well as core and elective classes. Some examples of plagiarism include:

    •    Copying words, images, or other material without using quotation marks or other indications of the original source.
    •    Paraphrasing another person’s ideas in your own words without crediting the original source.
    •    Taking sole credit for assignments without giving credit to those who worked with you.
    •    Submitting work for a course that has already/also been submitted for another course.
    •    Internet plagiarism, such as submitting work either found or paid for online, failing to cite any internet sources used, or cutting and pasting sentences from various websites to create a collage of uncited words.

    Attendance Policy (from SCI-Arc Student Handbook)


    Any student who is absent without an acceptable excuse more than three times during a fifteen-week term will receive a grade of no credit (NC) for the course. Unexcused lateness more than 10 minutes or early departures from class will be counted as full absences.

    Examples of acceptable excused absences are the following: medical/illness, observance of religious holiday, emergency leave, bereavement due to death in immediate family, military duty, jury duty, involvement in traffic accident, and court appearance.

    Incomplete Work


    A student may receive a grade of incomplete (I) by requesting permission from the instructor prior to the date of the final examination or presentation. Permission will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances and usually for medical reasons. Incompletes must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of the instructor no later than three (3) weeks after the end of term. The student is responsible for providing the instructor with the “Request for Credit” card used for this purpose. This card must be signed by the instructor and returned to the Registrar’s office. Failure to do so will result in the incomplete (I) being changed to a no credit (NC). No credit grades cannot be altered.

    Appeal of a Grade


    Evaluation and grading of a student’s performance in a course is based upon the instructor’s professional assessment of the academic quality of the student’s per¬formance on a body of work. Such assessments are nonnegotiable, and disputes about them do not constitute valid grounds for an appeal. Students are encour¬aged to contact their instructor for clarification regarding the grade received in their course.

    Grade appeals are rare and subject to appeal only for the following three grounds:
       
    •    improper academic procedures that unfairly affect a student’s grade.
    •    application of nonacademic criteria, such as: considerations of race, politics, religion, sex, or other criteria not directly reflective of performance related to course requirements.
    •    sexual harassment.

    Students must meet with the Academic Advisor to review the appeal process if they believe the grade received meets one or more of the grounds listed above. Petitions must be settled, and a final grade submitted to the registrar no later than six weeks after the end of the term in which the course was completed.

    Archiving

    The SCI-Arc Upload site is the school’s official archive of each semester’s work. This is a mandatory requirement of each student’s coursework, and grades will not be submitted until work is uploaded. This archive will be used for all future publica¬tions and graphic material as well as for required accreditation needs of SCI-Arc.  

    Archiving requirements may vary based on curricular and/or project requirements. Specific instructions will be communicated to students each semester.

    Ownership of Student Work (from SCI-Arc Student Handbook)

    Physical copies of student work submitted to the school to satisfy course requirements including but not limited to digital files, papers, drawings, and models become the property of the school. SCI-Arc shall have no obligation to safeguard such materials and may, at its discretion, retain them, return them to the student, or discard them.

    Notwithstanding whether it retains any physical copies of such student works, SCIArc shall have an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide right in perpetuity to use, reproduce, display, and exhibit works created by students during their studies at SCI-Arc, in publications by or about SCI-Arc, on its websites, on social media, or otherwise. SCI-Arc will make a reasonable effort to credit the author(s) of student work included in publications or other uses. Excepting works which are created during a student’s participation in a Sponsored Project, the student shall have the right to publish or present their own work without compensation to SCIArc. However, SCI-Arc must be informed of this publication and appropriately credited in this publication or presentation unless SCI-Arc requests not to be credited.

    Supporting Mental Health
    Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, or problems with eating or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance. Reducing stigma about accessing mental health care supports students seeking professional help when it is needed. SCI-Arc provides all students with two free counseling sessions per year. Sessions are available two days per week throughout the fall and spring terms, and one day per week during the summer term. All counseling sessions are confidential. Only with your consent can any details of your session be shared with another individual. Information to schedule an appointment can be found on the Campus Life tab of MySciarc.