I have used Rhino but only know the basics of Grasshopper. Is this workshop too advanced for me?

Not at all. While basic familiarity with the interface is expected, the workshop is designed to guide participants step-by-step. The focus is on "logic" and "design thinking". All specific algorithms for the site analysis and massing are built from scratch during the sessions, ensuring everyone can follow along.

Do I need to be a programmer or an expert to understand the 'Algorithmic' part of this course?

No coding background is required. The term "algorithmic" here simply refers to a sequence of geometric operations used to solve design problems. The workshop focuses on creative problem-solving and on translating design intuition into a digital workflow, making it accessible to architects and designers who want to work smarter.

What software do I need to have ready before the workshop begins?

Participants need Rhino 8 installed on their computer. The Ladybug plugin is also required for the analysis. Software installation is not covered during the session, so having these tools ready beforehand is essential.

Can the analysis tools we build and workflows be used for other projects, or are they specific to the workshop's site?

The tools are designed to be fully reusable. A key objective of the workshop is to teach how to create a flexible "definition" (script) that can accept different terrain geometries. By the end of the course, participants will possess a versatile tool capable of analyzing and generating concepts for future projects on different sites.

Is this workshop limited to data analysis, or does it also cover the design concepts?

It bridges the gap between both. While the process begins with data analysis (sunlight, slope, visibility), the goal is design generation. The data serves as the foundation for the "Generative Design" phase, creating optimal building positions and urban layouts based on the environmental factors analyzed earlier.

Courses Architectural Design Algorithmic Urban Design in Grasshopper: Data-Driven Site Analysis & Massing

Algorithmic Urban Design in Grasshopper: Data-Driven Site Analysis & Massing

Name: Algorithmic Urban Design in Grasshopper: Data-Driven Site Analysis & Massing
Price: 102.00 EUR

This workshop focuses on algorithmic urban design through data-driven site analysis with Grasshopper and Ladybug.

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Overview
Content
Instructors
Reviews

Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2026

14 Lessons

Beginner

8 Hours

Certificate — Learn

English

Unlimited Access

€120.00

€102.00

Gift Course

Introduction of the workshop:

Creating urban design from scratch on complex terrain can often feel like a big challenge. So, in order to gather a deeper understanding of the site and quickly explore different design possibilities, we can use digital tools, parametric modelling, and an algorithmic approach. The idea is to read the landscape first and let the environment guide the concept.

Therefore, in this workshop, we will explore how to analyze the location and use the data to inspire design solutions, not just as technical requirements. You will learn how to create four different analysis methods:

Sunlight exposure
Terrain slope
Vegetation density
Visibility study

Each of these methods will be demonstrated step-by-step, showing how raw site information can be turned into visual diagrams. Then, these diagrams will become inputs for a generative design workflow focused on finding optimal building positions and shapes.

Rather than guessing where a building should go or relying purely on intuition, we can use algorithms, or in other words, a sequence of geometric operations, to analyze the site, gather data, and suggest initial massing for the urban design. This workflow is one of the strategies for early design exploration and can be used in any location.

The complete workflow, including 4 analyses and generative design, will be developed entirely in Grasshopper for Rhino, since it is one of the best tools for architects and designers for parametric and generative design.

What You’ll Learn?

Creative algorithmic thinking and problem-solving

Analyzing complex terrain geometry (Sunlight + Slope + Vegetation + Visibility)

How to create your own custom analysis method from scratch

Data-driven design strategies

Generative approach to urban design

Tips & tricks for creating efficient and organized Grasshopper definitions

Algorithmic Urban Design in Grasshopper: Data-Driven Site Analysis & Massing

Methodology:

The workshop will focus entirely on creating algorithms within Grasshopper. This includes creating different methods for site analysis and a parametric model for generating urban design. The input geometry will be available in Rhino, but we will not cover basic 3D modelling techniques there. Therefore, it is expected that the student is familiar with Rhino and basic Grasshopper concepts.

This workshop will focus on creative algorithmic thinking and problem-solving in Grasshopper. The algorithms for site analysis and urban design will be created from scratch. You will learn how to set up your own custom analysis method, which will allow you to extend this workflow after the workshop based on your own preferences.

Each student will work alone. We will start with the same terrain for input geometry, but the students will be encouraged to use the same algorithm for different site locations.

By the end of the workshop, each student will have a complete parametric definition capable of generating multiple urban design scenarios based on environmental data and design priorities.

Program

Day 1 – Introduction and Terrain Analysis

Presentation and Concept Overview
Overview of the workshop and objectives. Explanation of key concepts for creating necessary algorithms and preparing for parametric analysis.
Grasshopper Introduction and Setup
Understanding the interface and workflow. Step-by-step setup for terrain analysis.
Development of Terrain Analysis Methods
Creation of four different analysis methods. Practical demonstrations and explanations for each method.
Application and Experimentation
Running analyses on sample terrains. Adjusting parameters and experimenting with settings.
Visualization and Customization
Applying color gradients and visual styles. Developing custom styles for improved readability and presentation.
Outcome by End of Day 1
A fully functional Grasshopper definition capable of analyzing any terrain.
Homework
Continue experimenting with parameters, settings, and visualization styles. Explore ways to refine analysis speed and precision.

Day 2 – Data Integration and Urban Design

Working with Large Data Sets
Using outputs from different analysis methods. Handling data for urban design purposes.
Prioritization and Shape Extraction
Setting priorities to identify relevant shapes for buildings, parks, and squares.
Parametric Urban Design Development
Completing the remainder of the parametric model. Integrating multiple datasets to generate complex urban layouts.
Exploration of Design Solutions
Comparing alternative outcomes based on input parameters. Observing how variations affect the overall design and spatial organization.
Outcome by End of Day 2
A complete parametric urban design model ready for further development or presentation.

What You’ll Use?

Rhinoceros 3D

Grasshopper 3D

Ladybug

Highlights:

Knowledge Requirements:

The installation process is not part of the workshop. The student should have Rhino 8 and Grasshopper already installed.
We will also use the Ladybug plugin for Grasshopper to perform daylight analysis.
Basic familiarity with Rhino and Grasshopper concepts is expected

Content

Introduction + PAACADEMY Updates (05:37)

Algorithmic Urban Site Analysis (48:09)

Data-Driven Urban Design Strategies

This presentation details a data-driven urban design workflow in Grasshopper, covering the creation of custom analysis methods for slope, vegetation, sunlight, and visibility to parametrically optimize building distribution.

Terrain Slope Analysis Workflow (36:01)

Parametric Terrain Slope Analysis Guide

This session details the creation of a terrain slope analysis tool in Grasshopper, demonstrating how to compute face normals and angles, convert them to slope percentages, and map the results onto a color-mapped mesh gradient.

Greenery Proximity Analysis Workflow (57:50)

Parametric Greenery Proximity Analysis Tool

This session concludes the terrain slope analysis and details the creation of a greenery proximity tool, covering mesh optimization techniques, data structure management using grafting, and the logic for remapping distances into a visual scoring system.

Grasshopper Analysis Tools (39:11)

Creating Reusable Grasshopper User Objects

This session demonstrates how to refine vegetation analysis by averaging distances to multiple trees and details the workflow for packaging complex Grasshopper scripts into reusable Clusters for future projects.

Ladybug Sunlight Analysis Workflow (47:33)

Parametric Sunlight Analysis With Ladybug

This session covers conducting a sunlight exposure analysis using the Ladybug plugin, including importing EPW weather data, configuring sun path diagrams, and optimizing mesh geometry for efficient calculations.

Grasshopper Visibility Analysis Workflow (55:50)

Parametric Visibility Studies In Grasshopper

This session concludes the sunlight analysis by packaging scripts into reusable clusters and details the creation of a visibility analysis tool that computes viewing angles between terrain normals and observation points to quantify visual exposure.

Urban Analysis Data Overlap (38:21)

Overlapping Urban Design Analysis Data

This session concludes the visibility analysis by filtering out obstructed views and demonstrates how to overlay multiple normalized datasets—such as slope, greenery, and sunlight—to create composite suitability diagrams for urban planning.

Parametric Urban Block Generation (51:27)

Generating Urban Blocks In Grasshopper

This session outlines a hybrid urban design workflow that uses Grasshopper to efficiently generate blocks by optimizing polyline data and intersecting boundary surfaces with street geometry.

Parametric Urban Plot Generation (56:57)

Automated Urban Plot Division Workflow

This session details a workflow for cleaning street geometry to generate blocks and utilizing Voronoi diagrams populated by evenly spaced points to parametrically divide them into individual building plots.

Projecting Plots To Terrain (29:02)

Mapping 2D Plots To Terrain

This session details the workflow for projecting 2D urban plots onto a complex 3D terrain mesh in Grasshopper, covering geometry optimization, mesh reconstruction, and data organization for clustering.

Parametric Urban Data Scoring (57:56)

Normalizing Urban Analysis Data Sets

This session explains the process of normalizing analysis results to a zero-to-one scale , implementing a proximity-based filtering method to efficiently map data to specific plots , and deriving weighted scoring formulas to determine optimal building locations.

Extruding 3D Building Models (56:33)

Generating 3D Buildings On Terrain

This session details the process of parametrically extruding 2D building plots into 3D forms with specific heights and joining terrain meshes to prepare for accurate placement on the landscape.

Urban Tree Preservation Analysis (48:11)

Analyzing Urban Tree Preservation Impact

This session demonstrates how to filter tree data based on proximity to buildings to calculate environmental impact and outlines the process of packaging the entire urban design algorithm into a reusable Grasshopper cluster.

Screenshots:

Instructors:

Ognjen Graovac

Biography

Ognjen Graovac is an architect and computational designer from Belgrade who loves blending design, technology, and creative problem-solving. He completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade, where he first got into parametric and computational design. That curiosity quickly pushed him toward object-oriented programming and creating digital tools and workflows to expand architects’ ability to design complex and precise shapes.A year later, Ognjen founded Algorithmic Architecture, a small studio focused on solving geometric challenges in complex architectural forms and automating the creation of precise, large-scale 3D models for the building industry. Through his work, he has contributed to both small and large projects, including major developments such as Madison Square Garden in Las Vegas. Ognjen is also an active member of the open-source community. He develops free Grasshopper plugins such as 3D Graphic Statics and Spider 3D. The 3D Graphic Statics plugin alone includes over 100 components and has been downloaded more than 11,000 times worldwide. He has also won several awards in architectural competitions, including a first-place prize for a pedestrian bridge over the Danube River in Novi Sad.