Spatial Computing Course Materials

Spatial Computing Course → Syllabus / Materials

Session 01 → 2026 Sep 10

What is Spatial Computing?

Lecture → Introduction to the Course
Intro Survey
Workshop → Urban Observation with Teachable Machine

Session 02 → 2026 Sep 17

Types of Spatial Problems

Session
1. Discussion → What is space? Fundamental terms.
2. Lecture → Types of Spatial Problems
3. Workshop → Technical Setup with Claude Code + Netlify/GitHub
Readings Due
- “The Japanese words for “space” could change your view of the world.” Quartz Magazine, Jerrold McGrath, 2018 January 18. (PDF, Link)
- “Spatial Computing” by Simon Greenwold. MIT, 2003. (PDF, pgs 8-46).
Optional Readings
- Space: A History. Ancient Greek notions of space. (PDF, pgs 11-36)
- Thrift, Nigel. (2003). 5 Space: The Fundamental Stuff of Human Geography. Key Concepts in Geography. 2. (PDF, pgs 96-105)
Assignment Due
- Teachable Machine Images
- Submission Form (day of class)

Session 03 → 2026 Sep 24

Object Referents

Session
- Workshop → Techniques for referencing objects and people
Readings Due
- https://academy.claude.com/courses/claude-code-101
- Algorithms for Decision Making (Ch 1) by Mykel J. Kochenderfer, Tim A. Wheeler, Kyle H. Wray. 2020.
Tech Prep Due
- Sign up for a Claude Pro account. (I’m working on getting SVA IXD to cover the charge, so hold off on getting an account until we know.)
- Sign up for a Netlify account (recommended) OR a GitHub account (if you don’t already have one). These are both free and will allow us to deploy simple websites.

Session 04 → 2026 Oct 01

Environments

Session
- Workshop → Referents, continued
- AI Topic → What is AI?
Readings Due
- Taxonomy of Computable Space for Spatial AI

Session 05 → 2026 Oct 08

Location + Environments

Session
- Workshop → Referents of Information
- Workshop → Systems of Location
- Topic → Modeling and Configuring Environments
- AI Topic → Machine Learning Concepts
Readings Due
- An Introduction to Machine Learning (Lisa Tagliaferri at Digital Ocean)
- AI is a lot of work (TheVerge)
Recommended Watching
- But what is a neural network? | Chapter 1, Deep learning 18m39s.

Session 06 → 2026 Oct 15

Proximity as Connection | Directionality as Connectivity

Session
- Topic → Definitions of Distance (Metric Spaces)
- AI Topic → Generative AI
- Workshop → Connectivity
Readings Due
- “Generative AI exists because of the transformer.” Financial Times, 2023 Sept 12. By Visual Storytelling Team and Madhumita Murgia.
- How AI reduces the world to stereotypes (restofworld.org)
Recommended Watching
- AlphaGo - The Movie | Full award-winning documentary 1h30min

Session 07 → 2026 Oct 22

Position + Movement

Session
- Lecture → Static Spatial Reasoning
- AI Topic → Large Language Models
- Workshop → Position + movement, particularly static and dynamic reasoning
References
- Prepositions of Place and Movement

Session 08 → 2026 Oct 29

Place Referents + Place(ment)

Session
- Workshop → Place referents and place(ment), particularly physical vs temporal placement, spatial memory
Readings Due
- Newton from Archetype AI

Session 09 → 2026 Nov 05

Body Referents

Session
- Workshop → Techniques for referencing humans in space

Session 10 → 2026 Nov 12

Occupancy and Presence

Session
- Workshop → Occupancy + Presence

Session 11 → 2026 Nov 19

Way-Finding + Way-Signaling

Session
- Lecture → Way-finding, way-signalling, routing, path-finding.
- Workshop → Finding our way.
Watchings Due
- The Fastest Maze-Solving Competition On Earth

Thanksgiving! → 2026 Nov 19

Session 12 → 2026 Dec 03

Project workshop.

Session 13 → 2026 Dec 10

Project workshop

Session 14 → 2026 Dec 17

Demo day!