Computer-Aided Design

Like many others in the creative industry I have started with Photoshop many years ago. When I started designing and developing websites I have switched to primarily using Sketch for 2D vector graphics.

This academic year was my first introduction into 3D modelling. I have opted in for Rhino since it seems to be increasingly considered the industry standard for creative expression in spatial design.

We got a crash introduction into Rhino in the pre-course where I learned the basic commands. But I was particularly interested in the Grasshopper tool and how it can be used to procedurally generate complex structures using series of logical rules.

Grasshopper

The programmer in my rejoiced to find out I can ‘programme’ 3D objects and through the process of digital fabrication actually programme our physical reality. I found the real power of Grasshopper to lay in its flexibility – anything you can think of there are always multiple ways of doing it – this is incredibly versatile and useful for the creative process but it can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning.

At the beginning I was struggling with even the simplest shapes and forms, but with sheer practice and a lot of questions to my colleagues, I have managed to become relatively proficient in using Grasshopper to produce parametric designs that can be instantly adjusted for needs of any given project.

I found it especially useful how Grasshopper indirectly forces you to deconstruct you design problem into its salient components. If you just start building haphazardly you often miss the simpler, more elegant solutions. But if you sketch out your idea and split into logical steps you can get simple and clean solutions.

Over time I also found organising the files easier and grouping logical chunks for easier navigation and readability. I also grew fascinated by seemingly randomly generated patterns such as Voronoi cells or differential growth.

Following are some examples of the projects I have done using Grasshopper:

Some mind-boggling accidents:

And some moving images: