Online Ladybug Courses for Environmental Design

Q: What data does Ladybug analyze?

Sun path, solar radiation, wind, humidity and thermal comfort, based on real climate files.

Q: Do I need Grasshopper experience first?

Basic Grasshopper familiarity helps, but several workshops introduce both together.

Q: What is Ladybug and what does it do in Grasshopper?

Ladybug is a Grasshopper plugin that connects EPW climate data to the parametric design environment, enabling solar radiation studies, sun path diagrams, wind analysis, outdoor comfort simulations and microclimate assessment directly inside Grasshopper. It is used in sustainable architecture for climate-responsive design and building performance evaluation. At PAACADEMY, it is taught in Building Performance with Forma & Opossum alongside Honeybee, Cyclops and Wallacei.

Q: How does Ladybug work with Honeybee in architectural performance analysis?

Ladybug and Honeybee are complementary plugins used together in environmental design workflows. Ladybug handles climate data visualization, solar analysis, sun paths and outdoor comfort metrics, while Honeybee runs detailed energy simulations and daylight analysis. PAACADEMY's Building Performance with Forma & Opossum course teaches both together as part of a complete environmental performance pipeline from site microclimate to energy model.

Q: Do I need prior experience with environmental simulation to take the Ladybug course at PAACADEMY?

No. Building Performance with Forma & Opossum is classified as beginner level, designed for architects and sustainability consultants new to computational performance analysis. General familiarity with Rhino and Grasshopper is helpful, but the course introduces environmental simulation from foundational principles without requiring prior experience with Ladybug, Honeybee or other simulation plugins.

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Building Performance with Forma & Opossum

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

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Building Performance with Forma & Opossum

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

What you'll learn

Perform weather, wind, and microclimate analysis using Ladybug and the Forma Rhino plugin.
Run daylight and solar simulations using Cyclops.
Develop energy models and thermal comfort analysis using Ladybug & Honeybee.

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

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AI City Urban Design in Grasshopper & ComfyUI

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

16 HoursBeginner24 lessons

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AI City Urban Design in Grasshopper & ComfyUI

16 HoursBeginner24 lessons

What you'll learn

Design an urban city using AI and parametric workflows
Build and analyze city-scale geometry in Grasshopper
Generate AI visuals and concepts with ComfyUI

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

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

Ognjen Graovac

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner14 lessons

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

8 HoursBeginner14 lessons

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

Ognjen Graovac

Verified Account

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Design Integration with Cyclops, Ladybug & Wallacei

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

8 HoursIntermediate12 lessons

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Design Integration with Cyclops, Ladybug & Wallacei

8 HoursIntermediate12 lessons

What you'll learn

Optimize daylight performance in combination with possible heat stress and glare issues.
Apply radiation simulations to assess and balance solar gains and shading strategies.
Optimize views while integrating them into facade performance assessments.

Olaf Olden

Verified Account

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Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design

Nicolas Turchi, Ali Al-siwife

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner12 lessons

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Parametric Synergy: Maya & Grasshopper for Sustainable Design

8 HoursBeginner12 lessons

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.

Nicolas Turchi, Ali Al-siwife

Verified Account

Full AccessBestseller

BIM & Rhino.Inside for Advanced Modular Design

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

16 HoursIntermediate22 lessons

Full AccessBestseller

BIM & Rhino.Inside for Advanced Modular Design

16 HoursIntermediate22 lessons

What you'll learn

Project organization using BIM technology
Generating modular structures in Rhino+Grasshopper with Monoceros and Wasp
Utilize Rhino.Inside to transfer geometry and parameters from Rhino to Revit and vice versa

Albert Sumin

Verified Account

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3D-Printing Concrete: Sketch to real-scale prototype

Kristýna Uhrová, Jiří Uran Vítek +1

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

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3D-Printing Concrete: Sketch to real-scale prototype

8 HoursBeginner11 lessons

What you'll learn

Learn the basics and applications of 3D concrete printing in architecture.
Master design techniques specifically for 3D printing.
Gain hands-on experience with Rhinoceros 7 and Grasshopper.

Kristýna Uhrová, Jiří Uran Vítek +1

Verified Account

Pro

Generative Algorithms for Facade Design

Roberto Arguelles

Verified Account

2 HoursBeginner3 lessons

Pro

Generative Algorithms for Facade Design

2 HoursBeginner3 lessons

What you'll learn

Learn how to integrate generative design tools for effective façade design.
Understand the relationship between façade design, climate, and context.
Explore modular design strategies and material transformations.

Roberto Arguelles

Verified Account

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Advanced Grasshopper 2.0: Integrating Voxel and Mesh Modelling Approaches

Amir Hossein

Verified Account

8 HoursAdvanced11 lessons

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Advanced Grasshopper 2.0: Integrating Voxel and Mesh Modelling Approaches

8 HoursAdvanced11 lessons

What you'll learn

Fundamental understanding of algorithmic modeling in GH.
Precise control of Data structure flow in Grasshopper.
Apply mathematical operations and equations to create complex geometries, including foldable surfaces and structures.

Amir Hossein

Verified Account

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Parametric Optimizations: Decoding Spaces and Places

Stefano Bastia

Verified Account

8 HoursAdvanced10 lessons

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Parametric Optimizations: Decoding Spaces and Places

8 HoursAdvanced10 lessons

What you'll learn

Introduction to parametric and computational design principles.
Understanding sustainability principles in architectural design.
Enhancement of participants' skills in Rhinoceros (Rhino 3D).

Stefano Bastia

Verified Account

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Radical Net-Zero Buildings

Carlos Bausa Martinez

Verified Account

8 HoursAdvanced10 lessons

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Radical Net-Zero Buildings

8 HoursAdvanced10 lessons

What you'll learn

Understand the basics of environmental data-driven geometries and Operational Net Zero architectural design.
Forecast the impact of geometrical designs on operational energy performance.
Be capable of designing a real-world project at the proof-of-concept level, where environmental analysis is used to inform architectural decision-making.

Carlos Bausa Martinez

Verified Account

Pro

Environment-Reactive Computation (with Ladybug)

Jacob Lehrer

Verified Account

8 HoursBeginner6 lessons

Pro

Environment-Reactive Computation (with Ladybug)

8 HoursBeginner6 lessons

What you'll learn

Teach the basics of Ladybug and dive better into list structure.
With the basics of list structure, the goal is that participants can take these techniques and apply them to real-world projects.
Create a distinctive and customized design that stands out.

Jacob Lehrer

Verified Account

Frequently Asked Questions About Ladybug

What data does Ladybug analyze?

Do I need Grasshopper experience first?

What is Ladybug and what does it do in Grasshopper?

How does Ladybug work with Honeybee in architectural performance analysis?

Do I need prior experience with environmental simulation to take the Ladybug course at PAACADEMY?

PAACADEMY offers professional online Ladybug courses, teaching architects how to use local climate data to run solar radiation analysis, wind studies and outdoor comfort simulations directly in Grasshopper.

Ladybug is a Grasshopper plugin that connects climate data to the parametric design environment, allowing architects to run weather analysis, solar radiation studies, sun path diagrams and outdoor comfort simulations directly inside Grasshopper. It reads EPW (EnergyPlus Weather) files, processes climate data and outputs visual and numerical results that feed back into the design definition, making it possible to create highly climate-responsive forms.

At PAACADEMY, Ladybug is taught as a foundational environmental tool in Building Performance with Forma and Opossum by Olaf Olden. The curriculum teaches architects to shift from intuition-based sustainability to data-driven design:

Climate Visualization: Generating precise 3D sun paths, wind roses and psychrometric charts relative to the project site.
Solar & Shadow Analysis: Calculating direct solar radiation on building facades to optimize shading devices, window placement and energy loads.
Microclimate Assessment: Evaluating outdoor thermal comfort to improve the usability of exterior plazas and urban spaces.

Used in tandem with Honeybee, Ladybug forms the core of parametric sustainability analysis in contemporary architecture.

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