Yacht Design

A ship, whether sailing boat or motoryacht, is a complex product that integrates several systems for propulsion, living quarters, and various accessory functions.   Every decision about one of the technical systems (hull, appendages, interior layout, propulsion, onboard equipment) also affects all the others.  A yacht, whether made series or as one-off, calls for many different construction techniques and a variety of materials.  Its interior will reflect design language and fashion, while market competition tends to imbue every ship with a certain amount of innovation.  The Specializing Master takes this complexity into account and intersperses classroom experience – nine learning modules that outline different disciplinary fields – with design exercises and visits to shipyards and companies active in the industry, as well as to applied research institutes.  The principles of each field are explained and students acquire the skills to apply what they have learned in their designs.  Their various special abilities are brought together in workgroups that are called upon to develop a series of work projects.

The Master is completely in English. Attendance of at least 75% of the course activities is required.

Duration
The Specializing Master lasts one year and is scheduled to start on February 5, 2018.  Classroom training represents a commitment of three to four days per week . The internship at a company in the shipbuilding industry or a design studio runs for 392 hours and is performed full time at the end of the classroom training. 

Learning Modules
The course program consists of eight learning modules, plus a design workshop and the internship:

• Yacht Design: principles, methods, tools and rules of boat design;
• Design and representation, acquisition of manual and computer tools representing the project; acquisition of specific skills on dedicated software;
• Naval Architecture, acquisition of the skills needed to manage, during the design stage, know-how relating to: hull geometry, boat statics, resistance to motion, hydrodynamics, hydraulic modelling, fluid dynamics and aero dynamics, turbulence modelling;
• Shipbuilding, knowledge of the main construction methods, of the properties and characteristics of the materials used in the boats. Understanding and ability to identify innovations with regard to: material technologies and sciences, construction technique;
• On-board Systems and Propulsion Equipment, ability to understand the issues related to environmental management and acquisition of criteria for the choice of: motor and sail propulsion equipment, steering and monitoring equipment, equipment and fittings for deck, systems and on-board instruments;
• Interior Design, acquisition of design skills with strong focus on expressiveness with regard to: distribution of space and functional organisation, historic evolution of interior design methods, quality of finishing materials, methods of mock-up for monitoring choices;
• Production process and corporate organisation, methods and technologies of production of different boat elements and components: organization of production process;
• Empowerment, during the structuring of the educational programme an empowerment module will be developed, to train participants on the rationale and dynamics of change at the organisational and personal level, teamwork, relational dynamics and entry in the job market; 
• Design workshop, integrated design exercise on topics identified during class.

Exercises
The Specializing Master integrates a variety of learning modules: metaproject analysis, defining the concept, and design exercises carried out in small groups as prerequisites to the planning workshops.  The workshops offer a chance to try out the skills acquired during the learning modules, classroom exercises, and trips outside the classroom.  The workshops are an essential part of the training process, which also includes visits to research organizations, production facilities,  and professional studios.

Internship
The internship is required, lasts three months, and is carried out at leading design studios and shipyards.  It enables students to transfer skills acquired during the course to a real-life design or production context and to deal with the world of shipbuilding.  The training project to be carried out during the internship is agreed upon by the Politecnico di Milano tutor and the company mentor.