Courses Architectural Design Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design

Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design

Name: Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design
Price: 93.50 EUR

This workshop combines Maya for organic modeling and Grasshopper for procedural analysis to create and optimize sustainable architectural designs.

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Overview
Content
Instructors
Reviews

Date:

May 10, 11, 2025

Duration:

8 Hours

Difficulty:

Beginner

Language:

English

Certificate:

Yes

Registration:

€93.50

Tutor:

Nicolas Turchi , Ali Al-siwife

Members:

79.48 EUR (27.75%) discount

Recordings:

Available Indefinitely

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Introduction of the workshop:

Leveraging Maya’s organic modeling capabilities alongside Grasshopper’s procedural analysis. This workshop empowers students to enhance their design workflow. Participants will create a parametric tower in Maya, unleashing the power of organic modeling, and then validate and optimize their design using Grasshopper.

This workshop focuses on parametric and polygonal free-form modeling techniques in Autodesk Maya. A case study modeled in Maya will be exported to Rhino. Grasshopper is used to procedurally optimize the design based on environmental considerations such as solar exposure, wind, and visibility. Additionally, Galapagos will facilitate generative design optimization through a score-based evaluation system for the analysis.

What You’ll Learn?

3D Modelling in Maya: Master organic parametric modelling techniques.

Fundamental & Advanced Techniques: Develop a solid foundation and explore advanced design strategies in Maya.

Design Thinking: Cultivate a deeper understanding of form-finding methodologies.

Maya-to-Grasshopper Workflow: Learn to transition designs effectively from Maya to Rhino and then into Grasshopper.

Grasshopper Fundamentals: Acquire essential skills in using Grasshopper.

Environmental Analysis: Utilize tools such as Ladybug for sun analysis, Butterfly for wind analysis, and Galapagos for optimizing visibility.

Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design

Methodology:

This workshop is designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of organic modeling using Autodesk Maya, addressing the complexities that often challenge designers in creating intricate forms. Participants will gain hands-on experience in developing unique designs by mastering both fundamental and advanced modeling techniques.

Recognizing the increasing importance of sustainability in contemporary architecture, the workshop emphasizes the integration of environmental analysis into the design process. Students will acquire essential skills to assess and enhance the environmental performance of their projects, ensuring they meet current and future sustainability standards.

Working individually, students will begin by conceptualizing and modeling their designs in Maya, focusing on an organic and parametric design proposal. Subsequently, they will export their models to Rhino for geometric optimization, preparing the designs for comprehensive analysis. Utilizing Grasshopper, participants will conduct environmental assessments based on predefined parameters, employing plugins such as Ladybug for solar analysis, Butterfly for wind simulations, and Galapagos for optimizing visibility and other performance criteria.

Throughout the workshop, a combination of demonstrations and hands-on exercises will facilitate learning. Instructors will provide feedback, guiding students through the iterative process of design, analysis, and optimization.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have developed a robust workflow that seamlessly integrates organic modeling with procedural analysis, equipping them with the tools to create innovative and sustainable architectural designs.

What You’ll Use?

Highlights:

Content

Intro + PAACADEMY Updates (08:45)

Modeling & Optimization Fundamentals (36:59)

Maya Meets Grasshopper for design optimization

The session covered the fundamentals of polygonal and procedural modeling in Maya, introduced performance-based design in Grasshopper, and outlined the workshop’s focus on integrating form-finding with environmental optimization.

Maya Interface Overview Essentials (54:36)

Introduction to Maya User Interface

This session provides a general introduction to Autodesk Maya's interface, highlighting its organized workspace, customizable views, node-based data structure, and versatile tools designed to support various 3D modeling, animation, and rendering workflows for both individual artists and teams

Maya Modeling Workflow (45:35)

Key Techniques for Maya Modeling

This session demonstrates essential modeling techniques in Autodesk Maya, including mirroring objects, adjusting pivot points, using non-destructive workflows, and introducing deformers like the lattice tool for flexible and creative geometry manipulation.

Shape Editing Techniques in Maya (51:17)

Efficient Shape Editing in Maya

This session explores efficient polygon management, edge and vertex selection techniques, component-based transformations, and the process of creating and blending shape variations in Maya to streamline 3D modeling workflows.

Refining Architectural Geometry in Maya (01:01:52)

Advanced Mesh Editing & Duplication

This session demonstrates how to refine and organize architectural geometry in Maya by manipulating faces and edges to create planter areas, managing face normals for correct shading, detaching and separating mesh components for independent material assignments, and adjusting pivots for precise alignment.

Cross-Platform Modeling Workflow Introduction (45:47)

Preparing Models for Parametric Analysis

This session provides a comprehensive walkthrough of transitioning detailed 3D models from Maya to Rhino, including best practices for importing, organizing, and simplifying complex geometry, and introduces foundational workflows for preparing architectural data for advanced parametric analysis and environmental simulations in Grasshopper.

Dynamic Environmental Data Visualization (40:40)

Configuring Climate Analysis in Grasshopper

This session demonstrates how to manipulate and organize environmental analysis charts in Grasshopper using Ladybug, including repositioning and scaling visual outputs, filtering climate data for meaningful insights, configuring wind analyses, and optimizing the workflow for clear, data-driven design decisions in architectural contexts.

Parametric Site Analysis Workflow (54:17)

Flexible Modeling for Site Analysis

This session focuses on establishing a flexible parametric workflow in Grasshopper for architectural site analysis, including troubleshooting plugin issues, organizing project geometry, and constructing scripts to dynamically position and rotate models on varied sites in preparation for optimization and further analysis.

Grasshopper Visual Optimization (36:42)

Optimizing Visual Connectivity Parametrically

This session focuses on implementing a parametric optimization workflow in Grasshopper, where intersecting lines of sight are filtered and weighted according to points of interest. Galapagos is used to iteratively reposition and rotate building geometry to maximize visual connectivity to key urban landmarks while also recording and analyzing optimization results for informed architectural decision-making.

Solar Radiation Analysis Workflow (40:15)

Configuring Solar Studies with Ladybug

This session focuses on setting up and executing a solar radiation analysis in Grasshopper using Ladybug, including importing and simplifying building and context geometry from Maya and Rhino, selecting relevant site surroundings for accurate simulation, configuring weather data inputs, and defining custom time periods to evaluate how solar exposure affects building surfaces for informed architectural design.

Grasshopper Environmental Analysis Overview (52:40)

Wind and Climate Studies

This session focuses on continuing environmental analysis workflows in Grasshopper using Ladybug, covering wind studies, data visualization techniques, and addressing participant questions.

Screenshots:

Instructors:

Nicolas Turchi

Biography

Nicolas Turchi is the Director of the international RIBA chartered architecture studio nt-ar, as well as an ARB- and RIBA-accredited architect in the United Kingdom. He is a Professor at the American University in Dubai and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna, with previous academic experience at the Manchester School of Architecture, Harvard University, Politecnico di Milano, and Birmingham City University. Nicolas holds a Master in Architecture II from Harvard University and a five-year Bachelor's and Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Bologna, where he received the prestigious Giacomo Venturi Award for the best thesis. Before founding nt-ar, with offices in both the UK and Dubai, he worked for renowned international studios, including Zaha Hadid Architects, Peter Eisenman Architects, Hernan Diaz Alonso Architects, Mario Cucinella Architects, and 5+1AA. Turchi is particularly passionate about emerging technologies and their impact on architectural theory. His interdisciplinary research explores the relationship between architecture, philosophy, and physics, with numerous publications on the introduction of the fourth dimension in architecture ("Spacetime Architecture"). His work has been widely published and exhibited on leading platforms and at major international events, including the Venice Biennale, Milan Design Week, ArchDaily, and the Theatre of Digital Art (TODA) in Dubai.

Ali Al-siwife

Biography

Ali Al-Siwife is an architectural designer with a passion for computational design. As a lead designer at NT_AR, he integrates computational design and analysis into a range of innovative projects. A student from the CPU[Ai] atelier at MSA, his approach is enriched by insights from leading researchers in computational thinking.

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€110.00

€93.50

-15% off

Duration:	8 Hours
Date:	May 10, 11, 2025
Instructor:	Nicolas Turchi and +1
Difficulty:	Beginner
Language:	English
Certificate:	Yes, Learn more
Digital Members:	79.48 EUR