For our Advanced Digital Tools term one final project, we were tasked with designing a building facade based on inspiration from pavilion architecture or existing facades, using Grasshopper.
Pavilion Inspiration – The Toledo Gridshell
The inspiration for our facade is the Toledo Gridshell constructed in a courtyard in the Naples School of Architecture. When researching design inspiration, we came across this pavilion and were intrigued by the interlocking patterning of the wooden beams, as well as the flowing shape of the structure.
Building Selection
After picking our design inspiration, we chose a building to construct our facade on, opting for a tall but not too narrow one, with a flat facade.
Pseudo Code – Step by Step Design
We began with our design on the X-Plane figuring out the best way to create the line pattern we wanted. We experimented with various line densities and diagonal angles, ultimately achieving our desired 2D pattern presented below. After this we shifted the design onto the front of the building, and began manipulating the movement of the facade, while also adding piping and “bamboo” material.
Facade Experimentation
Using the Graph Mapper and an Attraction Point, we were able to experiment with the shape of the facade, to choose the one we like best.
Final Animation
Grasshopper Script
Our final script combines many of the key concepts we have learned throughout this term. Finding the right pattern for the diagonal pipes was the most time consuming aspect of the grasshopper process, other than the animation.
We have definitely come a long way since our first week of grasshopper, and it is exciting to be able to recreate shapes and patterns we see in real life, while also experimenting with our own creative iterations.
