# TDF — Fall 2026

*Projects × Groups*

Aug 27 – Dec 8, 2026 · 16 calendar weeks · 16 teaching weeks · 29 sessions

Two tracks running in parallel. Each group takes one track for the first half, then they swap at the crossover on Oct 15 and take the other.

## How to read this

Spans are authored as dates but measured in **sessions** — the days that actually happen. No-session days are drawn but never counted, so a span crossing a break is shorter than its date range suggests.

| This calls it | Which means |
| --- | --- |
| Track | A parallel lane of work that runs for some or all of the timeline. |
| Project | A dated span of work inside one track (or across every track). |
| Critique | A point event pinned to a block on a single session. |
| Group | A group of people who move through tracks together. |
| Session | One working day that actually happens — the unit spans are measured in. |

## Calendar

Meets Tue & Thu, Aug 27 – Dec 3, 2026.

No session on Nov 26 (Thanksgiving).

Off-pattern sessions: Dec 8 (Final reviews).

## Tracks

| Track | Subject | Tag | Lead | Room | Projects | Sessions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Track 1 | Computational Design | CD | — | — | 4 | 27 |
| Track 2 | Physical Computing | PC | — | — | 6 | 27 |

## Groups — who is where

| Group | Track | From | To | Sessions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Group A | All tracks | Aug 27 | Aug 27 | 1 |
| Group A | Computational Design | Sep 1 | Oct 13 | 13 |
| Group A | All tracks | Oct 15 | Oct 15 | 1 |
| Group A | Physical Computing | Oct 20 | Dec 8 | 14 |
| Group B | All tracks | Aug 27 | Aug 27 | 1 |
| Group B | Physical Computing | Sep 1 | Oct 13 | 13 |
| Group B | All tracks | Oct 15 | Oct 15 | 1 |
| Group B | Computational Design | Oct 20 | Dec 8 | 14 |

**Group A** — 29 sessions in total:
- All tracks, Th Aug 27, 2026: Intro (1)
- Computational Design, Sep 1 – Oct 13, 2026: Project 1 (6), Project 2 (7)
- All tracks, Th Oct 15, 2026: Switch (1)
- Physical Computing, Oct 20 – Dec 8, 2026: Basics (4), Project 1++ (4), Project 2++ (6)

**Group B** — 29 sessions in total:
- All tracks, Th Aug 27, 2026: Intro (1)
- Physical Computing, Sep 1 – Oct 13, 2026: Basics (4), Project 1 (4), Project 2 (5)
- All tracks, Th Oct 15, 2026: Switch (1)
- Computational Design, Oct 20 – Dec 8, 2026: Project 1++ (7), Project 2++ (7)

## Across every track

| Project | From | To | Sessions | Critique | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Intro | Aug 27 | Aug 27 | 1 | — | Everyone in the room. |
| Switch | Oct 15 | Oct 15 | 1 | — | Handover between halves — both groups present. |

## Track 1 — Computational Design

| Project | From | To | Sessions | Critique | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Project 1 | Sep 1 | Sep 17 | 6 | Critique Sep 17 | — |
| Project 2 | Sep 22 | Oct 13 | 7 | Critique Oct 13 | — |
| Project 1++ | Oct 20 | Nov 10 | 7 | Critique Nov 10 | — |
| Project 2++ | Nov 12 | Dec 8 | 7 | Critique Dec 8 | 1 no-session day inside |

## Track 2 — Physical Computing

| Project | From | To | Sessions | Critique | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basics | Sep 1 | Sep 10 | 4 | — | — |
| Project 1 | Sep 15 | Sep 24 | 4 | Critique Sep 24 | — |
| Project 2 | Sep 29 | Oct 13 | 5 | Critique Oct 13 | — |
| Basics | Oct 20 | Oct 29 | 4 | — | — |
| Project 1++ | Nov 3 | Nov 12 | 4 | Critique Nov 12 | — |
| Project 2++ | Nov 17 | Dec 8 | 6 | Critique Dec 8 | 1 no-session day inside |

## Every session

| Week | Days |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | Th Aug 27 [1] |
| 2 | Tu Sep 1 [2] · Th Sep 3 [3] |
| 3 | Tu Sep 8 [4] · Th Sep 10 [5] |
| 4 | Tu Sep 15 [6] · Th Sep 17 [7] |
| 5 | Tu Sep 22 [8] · Th Sep 24 [9] |
| 6 | Tu Sep 29 [10] · Th Oct 1 [11] |
| 7 | Tu Oct 6 [12] · Th Oct 8 [13] |
| 8 | Tu Oct 13 [14] · Th Oct 15 [15] |
| 9 | Tu Oct 20 [16] · Th Oct 22 [17] |
| 10 | Tu Oct 27 [18] · Th Oct 29 [19] |
| 11 | Tu Nov 3 [20] · Th Nov 5 [21] |
| 12 | Tu Nov 10 [22] · Th Nov 12 [23] |
| 13 | Tu Nov 17 [24] · Th Nov 19 [25] |
| 14 | Tu Nov 24 [26] · ~~Th Nov 26~~ (Thanksgiving) |
| 15 | Tu Dec 1 [27] · Th Dec 3 [28] |
| 16 | Tu Dec 8* [29] |

Struck dates do not happen. `[n]` is the session number. `*` marks an off-pattern day.

## Critiques, in order

| Date | Critique | Project | Track |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Th Sep 17, 2026 | Critique | Project 1 | Track 1 |
| Th Sep 24, 2026 | Critique | Project 1 | Track 2 |
| Tu Oct 13, 2026 | Critique | Project 2 | Track 1 |
| Tu Oct 13, 2026 | Critique | Project 2 | Track 2 |
| Tu Nov 10, 2026 | Critique | Project 1++ | Track 1 |
| Th Nov 12, 2026 | Critique | Project 1++ | Track 2 |
| Tu Dec 8, 2026 | Critique | Project 2++ | Track 1 |
| Tu Dec 8, 2026 | Critique | Project 2++ | Track 2 |

## Checks

Nothing to flag: no overlaps, no gaps, everything lands on a real day.