In this class, you learn that calculating can be done not only with numbers, quantities and other symbols alike, but with visual shapes, colors and other physical things. Through lectures and short exercises, you are introduced into algebras that enable you to calculate with various kinds of visual (two-dimensional and three-dimensional) shapes. By using these algebras, you will learn how to explain and analyze compositions coming from a variety of fields, such as architecture and the visual arts. You will then use these algebras along with simple compositional rules to create your own compositions with shapes and other physical things. Readings and various examples from the literature of architectural design and visual arts will be presented by way of demonstration. Each student will develop one short final project based on the materials presented in class. Students interested in architectural design, computer science, elementary mathematics, artistic composition, will find out that calculating can be used as a basis for understanting all of them.