Showing posts with label form finding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label form finding. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Membranes: From Concept to Fabrication—8-Week Specialized Training by ixRay Ltd (February-April 2026)


Membranes: From Concept to Fabrication—8-Week Specialized Training by ixRay Ltd

Designing advanced membrane structures requires a solid understanding of form-finding, material behavior, aerodynamics, and precise digital modeling. For architects, engineers, and designers looking to deepen their expertise, ixRay Ltd, in collaboration with the Architectural Membrane Association (AMA), is launching an intensive 8-week online training program focused on membrane structures—from concept to fabrication.

This comprehensive course is led by a panel with over 30 years of industry experience, including renowned instructor Gerry D’Anza. It integrates powerful software tools such as IxCube 4-10, IxCube CFD, and Rhino/Grasshopper.

What You Will Learn
Throughout the eight weeks, participants will explore the full workflow of membrane design and engineering:

1. Form-Finding Through Forces
Understand how membranes naturally generate optimized shapes through tension forces, achieving stability and elegance.

2. Rhino Modeling & Grasshopper
Learn how to build accurate 3D models and workflows for membrane structures using Rhino and parametric design automation in Grasshopper.

3. Parametric Design (Rhino + Grasshopper + IxCube 4-10)
Develop advanced parametric systems that integrate structural behavior and patterning processes.

4. Inflatables & ETFE Cushions
Gain technical insights into the design and analysis of pneumatic structures and ETFE cushion systems.

5. Nonlinear Analysis of Membranes and Steel Structures
Study real-world structural behavior under load, using specialized simulation tools.

6. Wind Tunnel Simulation with IxCube CFD
Run CFD simulations over thin double-sided membranes to validate aerodynamic performance.

7. Steel Design (American, Euro, and Indian Codes)
Learn essential global steel standards and apply them to tension structures.

8. Project Management (Patterning & Production)
Understand production techniques, patterning strategies, and efficient project delivery.

Course Details
  • Format: Online (Zoom)
  • Start Date: Friday, February 13, 2026
  • Schedule: Every Friday for 8 weeks
  • Time: 14:00–16:00 CET
  • Instructor: Gerry D’Anza
  • Language: English
Key Benefits
  • Free 4-month professional license of IxCube 4-10
  • Certificate of participation from ixRay Ltd
  • Direct training from industry experts
  • Practical workflow experience from concept to fabrication
Registration Information
  • To register, send an email to info@ixray-ltd.com with the subject: COURSE 2026
  • Include your full name and contact information.
Rates
  • Early registration: €300 (before December 31, 2025)
  • Late registration: €450 (after December 31, 2025)
Notes
  • The course requires a minimum of 10 participants to begin.
  • Requirements: Basic knowledge of CAD (AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, etc.).
  • This training is ideal for professionals in: Architecture, engineering, tensile structure design, fabrication, and computational design.


Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Getting to know... Pentaura: Parametric Timber Structures!



In this ShapeDiver interview, you'll learn about Pentaura, a timber pavilion designed primarily as a climate shelter and playground. The project was conceived and built in 2023 by students of the Master in Parametric Design in Architecture (MPDA) at the Polytechnic University of Catalunya (UPC), under the guidance of the CODA team and with the support of international experts. The pavilion project leverages Grasshopper to power a generative system that balances user input with engineering constraints, Kangaroo2 for form-finding, and Karamba3D for structural validation. Once the design is final, an automated workflow generates CNC- and laser-ready fabrication files, enabling fast and precise manufacturing through a distributed European network of robotic timber workshops.

Read the full interview...


Thursday, April 25, 2024

Transmutation Logics V1.0 Webinar

August 10, 2024 - 3 pm to 8 pm UTC
Online Webinar by DesignMorphine

Transmutation Logics V1.0 is a comprehensive webinar that offers participants an unparalleled journey into procedural form-finding using state-of-the-art digital design tools and software. This unique online tutorial is meticulously crafted to introduce and delve deep into the art and science of creating complex and intricate geometries. This session is tailored for computational designers of all levels and backgrounds—including architects, product designers, visual effects artists, animators, and others who incorporate 3D modeling and rendering into their creative workflow. Participants will unlock the full potential of digital design tools and software, including SideFX Houdini, McNeel Rhinoceros, KeyShot, and Mantra. Using procedural form finding—a method that allows for the generation of complex forms and patterns through algorithms and rules set by the designer—participants will create a catalog of beautiful artifacts and learn how to create immersive renderings and animations to showcase their designs.

More information...


Thursday, April 4, 2024

AA DLAB 2024


In its 19th year, DLAB is a two-week program taking place at the AA London HQ’s unique atmosphere.

DLAB experiments with the integration of advanced computational design, analysis, and large-scale prototyping techniques. The program builds on its expertise in complex architectural design and fabrication processes, relying heavily on materiality and performance. DLAB brings together a range of experts—tutors and lecturers—from internationally acclaimed academic institutions and practices, Architectural Association, and Zaha Hadid Architects, amongst others.

The research generated at DLAB has been published in international media—ArchDaily, Archinect, Bustler—and peer-reviewed conference papers, including SimAUD (Simulation in Architecture and Urban Design), eCAADe (Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe). 

DLAB investigates the correlations between form, material, and structure through the rigorous implementation of computational methods for design, analysis, and fabrication, coupled with analog modes of physical experimentation and prototype making. Each program cycle devises custom-made architectural processes by creating novel associations between conventional and contemporary design and fabrication techniques. The research culminates in the design and fabrication of a one-to-one scale prototype realized by using robotic fabrication techniques, intending to integrate form-finding, material computation, and structural performance.

Applications and more information...