PROGRAMME COMMENCES ON Saturday, 26th August 2023 
ADMISSIONS to SMART LABS 8.0 are now CLOSED
LATE ADMISSIONS - ON-REQUEST BASIS
[Study Material, Video Recordings & tool-kits will be provided to Late Admissions for catching up for the course]

As the Seventh Batch of Smart Labs [7.0] progresses towards a successful completion as the Batch of SL7.0 graduates in April 2023, admissions to Smart Labs 8.0 are now OPEN to students & young professionals of architecture / design from all parts of the world. The admission process is through 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 EIGHTH BATCH - Smart Labs 8.0, starting Aug 2023 and will run for ~6 months, with students graduating in Jan / Feb 2024:

1- Interest / Enthusiasm to learn Computational Design (to be expressed appropriately in your SOP)
2- Current Software Skill-set  (We recommend good 3D modelling skills to make the best out of the programme)
3- Previous Academic Work Standard (We do not expect Computational Design work in your academic portfolio - this is a generic requirement)
4- Availability to attend all sessions LIVE / ONLINE.

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*Study Material & Tool-kits are provided at the time of admission to prepare well in advance. EARLY ADMISSIONS PREFERRED.

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HYBRID PROGRAMME – Evolved & Upgraded:

Smart Labs was started in 2017 with an aim to hybridize design education to make it accessible to a wider audience through leveraging online communication technologies. After successfully running as a hybrid programme with a blend of studio & online sessions, the world was hit by the worst pandemic of our lifetime, making people to adapt to new ways of communication, learning, sharing and evolving. The curriculum of Smart Labs was upgraded in a manner to allow a fully functional studio online, facilitated by physical studio whenever possible to allow social interactions and group learning. We see Smart Labs 7.0 as a blend of Online & Studio sessions with undisrupted education in a comprehensive manner, also allowing our global experts of tutors & mentors to involve themselves in a much evolved way with the participants that come from all parts of the world.

Smart Labs has always been a diverse group with students & professionals learning & working collaboratively from different cities & countries and represents a new global culture of learning.
Due to uncertainties of travels that may persist in future due to Covid-19 pandemic, the curriculum has been redesigned to be flexible for a complete Online engagement. However, studio sessions would still be a part of the curriculum and may be converted to full-day online sessions as per situations, as was successfully done in Smart Labs' previous batches. Smart Labs 7.0 has had the same model and has been running successfully as a hybrid studio.

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FUTURE OF DESIGN DISCOURSE:

The last few years of technological revolution (Industry 4.0 & web 3.0) has brought about a new world in front of us. Designers are adapting slowly to this change while still trying to figure out their existence in this new ecosystem that the world of technology is offering. While it may be too early in this era to predict about the exact role of designers, we cannot deny the fact that various professions and domains are adapting to this fast-paced change and architects / designers cannot be left behind. With buzzwords like Metaverse (& Metaverse Architecture!), NFTs & Cryptocurrencies that revolve in the Blockchain, it is very important for designers to take the first step to learn about these emerging technologies & start playing a role. The discourse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in art & architecture has been sweeping the design industry in unprecedented manner and we are ensuring to include a deeper understanding of AI in Smart Labs curriculum as it evolves and training the participants with appropriate tools and workflows that allow creative as well as technological experimentation to prepare one for the future!

All of this has now been factored & curated into the Smart Labs 8.0 curriculum in the form of talks, interactions, workshops / assignments & design hackathons to provide a foundation for building upon, while the technology is still new, yet evolving quickly. This is an add-on to the existing curriculum /agenda to initiate a new design discourse for Smart Labs.

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Key points about Smart Labs 8.0:

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​- The programme will run on a semester-basis for ~6 months (Phase I & Phase II), starting Aug 2023, through Jan / Feb 2024, when the batch of ~20 students would graduate in a formal ceremony with the opening of Smart Labs Exhibition.
- There will be 6 studio sessions (workshops & reviews, combined), 20+ online sessions (Zoom) culminating in an Exhibition Showcase in 2024.
- In total, there would be about 36 sessions, 10+ Evaluated Assignments, including a Final Design Project, critiques, mentoring sessions, collaborative exercises, technical skill-up sessions & theoretical add-ons spread across 6 months for a comprehensive learning experience.
- Session frequency will be almost 4-7 sessions per month, with most of them scheduled around weekends. [ Check detailed schedule ]
- Students can be a part of any other programme alongside, or even be working alongside the programme due to its flexibility.
- Graduation Certifications will be given at the end of Programme to each student by rat[LAB]EDUCATION.
- The 6-month programme on Computational Design requires students to be attending all sessions and fully commit themselves to an online studio learning throughout the programme.
- Attendance & Assignment Evaluations combine to have an open grading system which cumulates as credits by the end of programme that reflect on Completion Certificates that are awarded on successful completion.
- Live recording of Online Sessions will be provided for future access during the course of the programme, and Studio Session content will be available to the batch through Online Database Platform.
- All sessions of Smart Labs 8.0 would be recorded and made available to all participants with exclusive rights to watch anytime during the duration of the programme.
- All files & scripts developed by the tutors, participants, assignments would be fully accessible to all to encourage open-source learning & knowledge sharing.
- Previous batch data for knowledge-building (Smart Labs 1.0 + 2.0 + 3.0 + 4.0 + 5.0 + 6.0 + 7.0) 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.
-Early admissions would be provided with Student Tool-kits & Handbooks to prepare well for the programme in advance.
-Student works through the semester would be published in Yearly Books & be a part of Smart Labs Exhibition.
- Admissions would close once all seats are taken up through a continuous admission process. Anyone securing an admission after all spots are taken up, would roll up to Smart Labs 9.0 (Next batch).
- A dedicated team of experts will be a part of Smart Labs 8.0 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 (nationalities other than India).
- 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 Introductory session.

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.

[Preparation material & student tool-kits would be provided on clearances]
Fee B1 +B2 to be due by 20th Jan 2023.

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Total course fee = INR 79,574/-

**Travel and Accommodation is to be borne by individuals. We will assist in finding affordable accommodation in Delhi whenever required. Students can chose to participate in the entire programme ONLINE to cut down on travel costs or for personal convenience.

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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 30+ 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 Delhi if they can bear the travel costs.

- Letters for visa will be provided by the institution.

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FEE A1+A2 =  USD 595

FEE B1 +B2 = USD 595

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Total course fee = USD 1190