Develop Parametric Architecture with Grasshopper

Learn to model freeform 3D with straight-forward example projects from real buildings, ready to apply in other projects

What you'll learn
Create flexible, parametric models for architectural design exploration
Understand the basic components to steer program flow
Describe a design problem parametrically
Requirements
This course assumes basic understanding of 3D modelling and Rhinoceros in particular.
You need Rhinoceros for Windows and the (free) Grasshopper add-in.
You can work with a trial, commercial or educational version.
This software is also available for OS X if you use the RhinoWIP version.
Description
Update 2017: Added notice that the Mac version of Grasshopper is available (in WIP)

Update 2nd March 2015: Completed Section 6 about Data Trees and two Diagrid examples + bonus tip on remapping domains.

Update 26th Feb 2015: Added section 6 about Data Trees & Section 7 about Galapagos: a module for automatic optimisation and finding optimal solutions.

Update 23d Feb 2015: Section 5 with eight new lectures added: almost 45 minutes! Create a twisted tower, inspired by a design from S. Calatrava.

Update 20th Feb 2015: Added a PDF eBook with the course summary and highlights. This even previews some of the upcoming chapters.

Course price reflects recent updates. Join over 300 students now and receive all future updates or additions with no added cost.

In this course, you apply a basic knowledge of 3D modelling into a Parametric Approach.

Instead of creating one or two design models for a project, you learn how to develop an interactive, adapting model, controlled by a few chosen design parameters and capable of generating a wide range of design variants. Use the clever components to define an efficient and powerful system of interconnected components, creating geometry and applying geometric and mathematical operations.

Learn the same techniques innovative architectural offices apply, such as Foster of Hadid, to develop their complex designs.

Use a combination of modeled and generated geometry and still allow visual, artistic control over the result.

In a series of around three hours of video tutorials and a few short quizzes we learn Grasshopper, a parametric design add-in for McNeel Rhinoceros, which can be freely used, provided you have access to Rhinoceros.

The first lectures will explain the user interface and the basic concepts to control numbers, points and curves.
We extend this into 3D Surfaces and look at different approaches for panelling and subdividing of a façade or roof model.
There will be an extensive section where you’ll create a model that is similar to a twisted tower design by Calatrava, built in Sweden, step-by-step.
And finally, we’ll take a look at options for generative modelling, where we look at optimisation, using the Galapagos module.
So please join us and discover this widely popular visual programming system and discover how you can create some surprising results with ease.

Who this course is for:
This course is targeted at architects, designers and students who know 3D modelling, but want to develop parametric design models.
During a series of video tutorials, we start with a few basic examples and gradually develop more advanced topics.
You will create freeform roof shapes with automatic panelling.
You will construct a twister tower reminiscent of a Calatrava design from start to finish.
We don’t have room to extend into additional extensions for Grasshopper, but there is a wide community of users and teachers who share Grasshopper knowledge.