Computational Design introduces the principles of algorithmic thinking and parametric modeling through Grasshopper. The course teaches students to create, manage, and optimise complex geometries using data-driven design methods. By learning to build and navigate parametric systems, students gain the ability to make informed, performance-based design decisions and explore generative workflows that expand creative and technical possibilities in architecture and design.
Computational design lies at the core of innovation in architecture and design nowadays. Increasingly the tools that we now use to design have expanded the range of our options to design, allowing for performance and complexity, and extending beyond the three dimensional space into a virtually limitless parametric realm of different versions of the design intent upon which to choose from.
By being able to effectively set up a parametric model, navigate these options and confronting them with analytical tools that are embedded in the design process, designers are able to take better informed decisions in order to create projects that are complex and performative by whichever metrics the designer wishes to challenge them with.
For this purpose, Grasshopper has significantly become the standard for computational design, not only within academia but across many trades and disciplines that encompass the creating process, providing easy access to algorithmic thinking and a large ecosystem of plugins that provide easy access to a broad range of tools for advanced design.
This course focuses on teaching the fundamentals of visual scripting through Grasshopper while exploring the most basic concepts of computational design. From the generation of geometry as data into how to manage multiple geometrical information algorithmically, students will become proficient in algorithmic thinking in order to navigate fluently in the complexity of geometrical data.
The Urban Oasis Pavilion is a temporary installation in Plaça Catalunya that transforms one of Barcelona’s busiest urban nodes into a space for shade, rest, and social encounter. Its porous, flowing surface filters light, noise, and heat to create a more comfortable microclimate within the dense city environment, offering a place for pause and relief … Read more
Site analysis The architectural intervention is situated within Plaça de la Virreina, a prominent public square in the Gràcia district. The initial analysis involved a comprehensive mapping of existing urban conditions, specifically focusing on the primary access points to the square and the location of existing trees. These environmental constraints were not viewed as obstacles … Read more
Site Specification The pavilion, located in Plaza del Mar, Barceloneta, features a design adaptable to coastal winds and connected to the sea, primarily constructed from polywood marine 3mm thickness fabricated in CNC machine to withstand its beach environment. Plaza del Mar is a vast, 17,000-square-meter urban “void” that serves as Barceloneta’s primary window to the … Read more
The project situates the pavilion within the urban fabric of Plaça Reial, accompanied by initial conceptual sketches that explore a shell-like structure emerging from the geometry and atmosphere of the square. SITE INSPIRATION WORKFLOW PSEUDO CODE RENDERS
Design as fluid as time The Cavalli Wave This wavy shopfront reinterprets Roberto Cavalli’s signature fluidity and sensual glamour in architectural form. The façade flows like draped silk, echoing the movement and elegance of Cavalli’s iconic dresses. Perforated patterns across the surface reference his distinctive animal motifs, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow … Read more
Project Overview Layered Frequencies is a computational exploration of facade design based on wave driven geometry. The project investigates how a continuous surface can be transformed through simple mathematical operations into a layered, expressive architectural system. Rather than focusing on a final object, the work centers on process: how controlled parameters, repetition, and deformation can … Read more
The Galaxia Temple was the crown of Black Rock City at Burning Man 2018. Translating the graceful ascending curves into a facade required identifying the core components of the facade. The rising Mandala shape is the most easily identifiable component, when one breaks down that shape it is clear the swooping curves unfurling from the … Read more
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 … Read more
Concept Inspiration Creating a dynamic facade using can ran atelier’s three dimensional ‘kinetic tile’ approach. Rotation to be determined by controllable attractor curve Colourful tile/mosaic facades are often found in Barcelona design contexts. Early Iterations Pseudo Code High Quality Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BpDajnOIM52dp8Mcx5DFvEiamOlLwxH_/view?usp=sharing
This Grasshopper based design reinterprets the kinetic panel system of the Media-TIC façade by Enric Ruiz Geli. Inspired by its triangulated geometry and responsive membrane logic, the proposed system explores a dynamic, articulated surface capable of adapting to light, shade, and visibility needs. The parametric model defines a modular kinetic unit, driven by user inputs … Read more
Computational Design Seminar Crystalline Aperture Project Description The Crystalline Aperture Concept: A parametric infill design that reimagines the flat curtain wall as a volumetric “deep skin.” Logic: The form is generated through a vertex displacement algorithm, where a 2D grid is tessellated into 3D pyramidal modules. Impact: This folded geometry functions as a structural double-skin system. … Read more
Referential work’s logics Our referential framework is the Kring Kumho Culture Complex in Seoul by Unsangdong Architects, a building defined by large circular recesses that function as urban windows. The design exploits these spaces to break the flat exterior, as ‘Kring’ means ‘Circle’ in Dutch. We developed a concentric propagation approach to translate this logic … Read more
Computational Design Seminar Level 1 Faculty: Shrey Kapur, Akshay Madapura This assignment aims to investigate how architecture and technology overlap by designing a façade that includes at least one entrance opening using computational methods. We engaged through the full design workflow, from initial concept to final outcome, using digital tools and algorithms to produce innovative, … Read more
Computational Design Seminar This façade explores the concept of ‘Digital Masonry.’ It takes the most traditional element of Catalan architecture—the ceramic brick—and reinterprets it through a digital algorithm. The ‘IAAC’ logo is not a sign painted on top; it is encoded into the rotation and position of the bricks themselves. It represents the institute’s mission: … Read more
Computational Design Seminar Studio Ardete’s Headquarters Image credits: Studio Ardete’s Headquarters in Mohali, India by Parametric Architecture Facade Responds to Light, Wind, and Motion, with its ever-evolving appearance. At the heart of the design is MetaSequin, a modular, reflective parametric façade element. These circular sequins interact with natural forces like wind and light, creating a … Read more
A Computationally Designed Kinetic Facade Kinetic Facade Iterations Iteration 01 — Unfolding Variation:This initial exploration focused on the gradual unfolding of façade panels, driven by parametric rotations and hinge-based transformations. The system emphasized linear motion and directional opening, establishing a foundational logic for movement and constructability. Iteration 02 — Warping Variation:The second iteration introduced surface … Read more
