We value your privacy.

We use strictly-necessary cookies to keep you signed in and the service operational, and analytics cookies to understand how the site is used. With your consent, we also use preference and marketing cookies. You can change your choice anytime; see our Cookie Policy or Privacy Policy.

Enter CartesianForms: Architecture Reimagined competition early to win from a $120,000 prize pool.
PAACADEMY
PAACADEMY
Courses
Software
Bundles
Membership
Become MemberSign In
HomeCoursesLoading

Catalog

PAACADEMYPAACADEMY

Online EdTech platform · 2020-2026

Shaping the next generation of designers, architects, and makers through computational tools and immersive education.

Reach out

team@paacademy.com

Newsletter

New workshops, early-bird seats, and release notes, straight to your inbox.

Platform

CoursesMembershipsBundlesProjectsInstructorsSoftwareBoardsBlogFree coursesEarnCertificatesReviews

Company

AboutBusinessBecome an InstructorContactFAQHelp CenterChangelogWe're Hiring

Popular Searches

Architecture coursesGrasshopper coursesAI architecture workshopsParametric design workshopsRhino courses3D modeling coursesBlender workshopsVisualization coursesRevit coursesDigital fabrication workshops3D printing workshopsSustainability courses

Most Interested

Urban design coursesLandscape architecture coursesHoudini coursesUnreal Engine coursesComfyUI workshopsMaya coursesInterior design coursesFashion design coursesFootwear design workshopsStructural analysis coursesVirtual reality coursesComputational design coursesGenerative city designBIM coursesMetaverse coursesPhotography workshops

© 2026 PAACADEMY. All rights reserved.

Privacy PolicyCookie PolicyRefund PolicyMembership Agreement
Loading course…
CoursesArchitectural DesignStructural Evolution
Jul 8-9, 20238 lessonsBeginner
Architectural DesignFREE with Full AccessWorkshopJul 8-9, 2023Beginner8 lessons9h 21mParametric DesignWearable Design

Structural Evolution

The Structural Evolution workshop will journey through the last decade of initiatives implementing parametric structures into footwear.

Learn from Nolan Kim
FREE with Full Access

Instructor

Nolan Kim2 courses

  • Jul. 8-9, 202312:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
  • 9 Hours 21 MinTotal duration
  • Lifetime accessRewatch anytime
  • BeginnerLevel
  • 50 seatsClass size
  • EnglishLanguage
  • EnglishSubtitles
  • 8 LessonsLessons
  • CertificateIncluded
  • Course filesDownloadable

With the advent of 3D printing came newfound structural forms. The uniform shapes of commonplace products are now ripped open and given internal appendages. We now look past the bounds of an object’s perimeter and peer into its interior volume. What was then solid is now empty space transfigured into assemblies of geometric linkages and architectural patterns.Throughout the last decade, the evolution of highly-functional parametric structures has found a niche within innovations in footwear. Programmable behavior, data-driven transformation, and customizable arrangements are developed guided by the demands of marathon trails and fashion runways.By investigating these structural forms alongside their respective footwear applications, this workshop aims to present students with a focused approach to parametric design techniques – directing attention first to intended functionality and then to high-level manipulation.

  • 01

    Parametric Design Techniques: Gain hands-on experience in creating parametric structures using Rhino and Grasshopper, focusing on functionality and manipulation.

  • 02

    Structural Families Exploration: Understand the anatomy and applications of four key structural families: Auxetics, beam-based lattices, triply periodic minimal surfaces, and Voronoi structures.

  • 03

    Case Studies Analysis: Learn from real-world examples in the footwear industry, including projects from New Balance, Adidas, Puma, and Formlabs, to contextualize parametric design.

  • 04

    Advanced Construction Methods: Discover region-specific control, customized formulas, and data integration to enhance your parametric modeling capabilities.

  • 05

    Real-World Application: Develop a comprehensive approach to parametric structure creation, embedding technical skills within the context of innovative footwear designs.

Grasshopper 3DRhinoceros 3DPufferfishLunchBoxWeaverbirdCrystallonIntrallatticeWombatAxolotlChromodoris

How the 2 days are spent, session by session.

Day 1 Program

Saturday · Jul 8, 2023

  • Introduction
  • Lecture: Enhanced performance through structural design
  • Lecture: Exploration of dynamic structures and programmed behavior
  • Tutorial 1: Auxetic structures
  • Lecture: Structural controllability and design for additive manufacturing
  • Tutorial 2: Advanced beam-based structures
  • Q&A Session

 

Day 2 Program

Sunday · Jul 9, 2023

  • Lecture: Internal components and segmented assemblies
  • Lecture: Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces
  • Tutorial 3: Implicit fields and customized formulas
  • Lecture: Data Integration and Biomechanics
  • Tutorial 4: Voronoi structures and pressure-maps
  • Lecture: 3D-printing in the world of fashion
  • Q&A Session

 

Students will continually transition between industry case studies of a structural form and parametric modeling using Rhino and Grasshopper. In this way, contextual understanding will always predicate technique. The Structural Evolution workshop will expose students to four structural families:

 

-Auxetics

 

-Beam based lattices

 

-Triply periodic minimal surfaces

 

-Voronoi structures

 

The first and most important step is establishing the essential building blocks of each structure’s anatomy.

After that, the program will build upon these principles to showcase advanced methods of construction in the form of region-specific control, customized formulas, and data integration.The design process will be taught step-by-step from scratch with the participants, allowing each individual to have hands-on experience with the software and freely ask questions.

The best lessons are learned through stories. The Structural Evolution workshop will journey through the last decade of initiatives implementing parametric structures into footwear.

 

Participants will learn of the early New Balance and Nervous Systems experiments that explored pressure map-influenced Voronoi cells and analyze the universally known beam-based structures utilized by the Adidas 4D Futurecraft. The program will investigate the research of auxetic patterns undertaken by the MIT Media Lab in collaboration with Puma and the study of minimal surfaces led by Onur Gun’s team in partnership with Formlabs.

 

The goal is to discuss the intention of these projects, extract the framework of their structures, and ultimately build these geometries as a parametric workflow within Rhino/Grasshopper.

By the end of this workshop, students will have developed a robust approach to building a wide variety of parametric structures. The main objective is to embed all technical learnings within the context of real-world applications.

 

Regarding technique, participants will grasp the three main phases of structural design: organizing substructures, generating geometry, and advanced manipulation.Regarding context, the program will examine the timeline of major developments in parametric footwear and assess the approaches and considerations of each milestone.

8 Lessons9h 21m

  • 01
    Total sessions: 2 Sessions
  • 02
    PAACADEMY will provide a certificate of attendance.

Conceptual sneaker design

Conceptual sneaker design

@pedro.romero.oceguera

Structural Evolution
Project

Conceptual sneaker design

Dec 1, 2024

About this work

A conceptual sneaker design inspired by the incredible possibilities of parametric design and insights from a workshop that explored its innovative applications...

Grasshopper 3DRhinoceros 3D
pedro
pedroStructural Evolution
View project→

Instructor

Nolan Kim

View profile
5.0instructor rating2courses

Nolan Kim is a computational designer who will deliver his explorations in highly-functional parametric structures and additive manufacturing. Drawing from nature and procedural patterns, his work explores how complex geometries can re-imagine commonplace products. Beyond appealing aesthetics, his projects encourage the discovery of heightened function within the interplay between efficient material usage and conscious structural forms. Much of his early work investigated the correlation between 3D-printed geometries and long-distance running performance. He went on to head many of the computational design projects at Desktop Metal, leveraging his knowledge of parametric structures and access to a wide array of additive manufacturing resources to develop applications for automotive components, sports products, industrial tools, and interior designs.

5.0·33
5.0avg·3 Ratings
3 Reviews
Sandro BretthauerApr 15, 20265.0out of 5

Great insights! Feeling kind a next level jumping from BREPS to Distance Fields. Enjoyed this very much! Sandro

IGOR JESUSOct 21, 20255.0out of 5

Awesome!!

pedroDec 1, 20245.0out of 5

This course was fantastic! It opened my eyes to the transformative power of parametric design in footwear, combining technical insights with creative exploration. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to push the limits of product design!

Sandro Bretthauer
Sandro Bretthauer
Apr 15, 2026

Great insights! Feeling kind a next level jumping from BREPS to Distance Fields. Enjoyed this very much! Sandro

IGOR JESUS
IGOR JESUS
Oct 21, 2025

Awesome!!

pedro
pedro
Dec 1, 2024

This course was fantastic! It opened my eyes to the transformative power of parametric design in footwear, combining technical insights with creative exploration. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to push the limits of product design!

  • 01Additive Footwear Design: FDM and ResinKedar Benjamin€136.00
  • 02Advanced Grasshopper 1.0Amir Hossein€35.00
  • 03Body Architecture 3.0Filippo Nassetti€90.00
  • 043D-Printing Ceramics: Advanced Digital FlowJosef Stoger€125.00
  • 05Computational ThinkingIgnacio Revenga€80.00
  • 06Procedurally Performant PatternsDavid Burpee€102.00
  • Additive Footwear Design: FDM and ResinKedar BenjaminIntermediate14 lessons8 Hours€136.00€160.00
  • Advanced Grasshopper 1.0Amir HosseinAdvanced7 lessons2 Sessions (8 Hours)€35.00€50.00
  • Body Architecture 3.0Filippo NassettiIntermediate6 lessons8 Hours€90.00€125.00
  • 3D-Printing Ceramics: Advanced Digital FlowJosef StogerBeginner8 lessons2 Sessions (8 Hours)€125.00€160.00
  • Computational ThinkingIgnacio RevengaBeginner7 lessons8 Hours€80.00€125.00
  • Procedurally Performant PatternsDavid BurpeeIntermediate13 lessons8 Hours€102.00€120.00
Save €50.00

One-time payment

€125.00€175.00

Pay less with membership

Pro Membership€106.25Save €18.75 on this courseFull Access€0.00Plus every other course
InstructorNolan Kim
Regular Price
Save €50.00
€125.00€175.00
Pay less with membership
Pro Membership€106.25Save €18.75 on this courseFull Access€0.00Plus every other course