Getting to know... CORE studio: Scaling Computational Design at Thornton Tomasetti!

Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio is pushing the boundaries of computational design, and at the center of their innovation is the ability to turn complex Grasshopper definitions into tools that anyone in the firm can use. In the last ShapeDiver interview, computational designer Eesha Jain shared how her team balances immediate project needs with long-term innovation, building workflows that impact projects across disciplines. A key part of this transformation is ShapeDiver, which allows them to deliver Grasshopper-powered applications as polished, browser-based tools.

With over 30 ShapeDiver apps already in daily use, CORE is saving engineers countless hours while opening new possibilities for structural design, optioneering, and client collaboration. Tools like Asterisk, their AI-powered structural optimization platform, now run in minutes instead of days, helping teams explore more options and make data-driven decisions early in the design process. For Rhino and Grasshopper users, this inside look is an inspiring example of how to scale automation and overcome bottlenecks.

Read the full interview with Eesha Jain...

AECtech+ Barcelona (June 13-15, 2025)

Put your skills to the test and embark on an exhilarating 24-hour hackathon!

Join us from June 13 to 15 for the second AECtech+ Barcelona, hosted by Thornton Tomasetti | CORE studio and BIG.

Kick off the weekend early on Friday with a round of Morning Workshops. Take a deep dive into new concepts and workflows within the AEC space. These 3-hour workshops will give you the foundations to implement these technologies at the office or in the Hackathon. Workshops include:

• Exploring Buildings as Graphs: David Andres Leon & Sophie Moore
• Fundamentals of Parametric Geometry in C#: Christopher Diggins
• From Nodes to Code: Parametric Design for Beginners | Alloy Kemp & David Mans

Get inspired by a fantastic panel of presenters at the Afternoon Symposium speaking on a diverse range of innovations within AEC, from Platforms to Processes to Projects.

• CODA: Pep Tornabell
• ACPV Architects: Vincenzo Panasiti & Giovanni Consiglio
• Thornton Tomasetti | CORE studio: Jeroen Janssen & Georgios Athanasopoulos
• Infrared.city: Oana Taut
• BIG: Andreas Bak
• McNeel

On Saturday, immerse yourself in a hands-on learning experience at the 24-Hour Hackathon. Join fellow participants to tackle real-world industry challenges using cutting-edge technologies and computational approaches. This concentrated event will provide an opportunity for hands-on collaboration, problem-solving, and prototyping as you work against the clock to develop innovative solutions. Participants of all experience levels will be able to collaborate, learn from each other, build new relationships, and generate innovations for the AEC community.

Are you new to Hackathons? AECtech provides a unique opportunity to learn from a diverse peer group with varied domain expertise, working together towards a common goal. Need some inspiration? Check out what has been created in over ten years of AECtech hackathons.

Please visit the event site to learn more and register to secure your spot...

A New Digital Wind Tunnel App in Rhino

A New Digital Wind Tunnel App in Rhino

April 19, 2023

3:00 pm CET / 9:00 am ET

SimScale has launched a new microclimate modeling app, a Rhino plugin visualizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations directly from within Rhino! The app used the powerful CAD tools in Rhino and integrates SimScale's fast and accurate wind and outdoor comfort studies tools.

Attend an upcoming webinar and learn how architects and engineers use this new app for microclimate design insights. See how to set up and run a complete simulation of a city model from Rhino step by step, including how to:

• Start with a CAD model in Rhino
• Use the app to set up the climate data and location
• Run the simulations without leaving Rhino
• Postprocess and visualize the simulation results directly in Rhino
  
  

This app was developed jointly by Thornton Tomesetti and SimScale.  Presenters are Jeroen Janssen and Richard Szoeke-Schuller. Jeroen is an Associate Director leading the CORE studio team for Thornton Tomasetti in London. Jeroen mainly focuses on the design of microclimates for urban spaces. Richard Szoeke-Schuller is a Product Manager at SimScale and has an extensive background in applied mathematics and mechanical engineering.

Register for this live event. Even if you cannot attend, you will receive the recording.