ICD - University of Stuttgart / Call for Researchers

Multiple open positions in the new Cluster of Excellence 

Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture

The University of Stuttgart will establish its new Cluster of Excellence Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture (IntCDC) in 2019. With an initial funding period of seven years, the Cluster of Excellence is the most significant and substantial grant awarded by the German Research Foundation DFG. For the very first time, a Cluster of Excellence has been awarded to the field of Architecture. It will contribute to establishing one of the biggest research centers in the field globally.

The Cluster aims to harness the full potential of digital technologies to rethink design and construction based on integration, with the goal of enabling game-changing innovation in the building sector. The Cluster represents the breadth of scientific excellence of the University of Stuttgart and the Max Plank Institute for Intelligent Systems, across architecture, structural engineering, building physics, engineering geodesy, manufacturing and system engineering, computer science and robotics, social sciences and humanities. It will be led by Prof. Achim Menges from the Institute for Computational Design and Construction.

A more comprehensive description and a movie about the Cluster is on the University of Stuttgart webpage.

ICD is now building the team for the Cluster’s research and invite applications for numerous open PhD and Postdoc positions. If you strive for excellence and are highly motivated, skilled, and interested in participating in this exciting phase of an undertaking with potentially extraordinary impact and significant visibility, please apply to one of the positions at https://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=25306

ETSAM Master’s Degree in Advanced Infographics in Madrid, Spain

Dates: January–June 2019

Place: Madrid, School of Architecture (ETSAM)

Registration period: open until December 15,  2019

MIAU4 (Postgraduate Program in Advanced Infographics UPM) applications are still open. 

MIAU Research Lines focus student´s production on cutting-edge topics at the intersection of technology and design.

MIAU is an official Instrumental Specialization Course for idealization and creative experimentation in architecture, from its generation to its representation: Project Generation + Computer Graphics + New Technologies + Production Lab. Rhinoceros, Grasshopper (and its add-ins) and VisualARQ will be used during the course progress. 

Get in touch, arrange a meeting, apply, or just say hi sending an email to hey@miauhaus.org

More info about the program here...  

Surfboards in York, Maine?

Yes, surfboards in York, Maine. And yes, Maine has sandy beaches and consistent rolling waves. And the wetsuits help.

Grain Surfboards has combined tech and handcrafting to produce a high-end surfboard. They've derived an approach from both the subtractive process of board-shaping in California and the boat-building techniques of New England.

It's a light and hollow, strong and beautiful warm-hued wooden surfboard.

Often, Grain Surfboards collaborates with foam board shapers to build their product in Grain's signature wooden construction. To do this, they need to replicate the precise shape of the existing boards.

So, reverse engineering is part of their business. Formerly, this was done with hand-drawn sketches, and it was time-consuming and challenging. They now use DotProduct handheld 3D scanners for this, working out a good workflow from the scan data to Rhino. The meshed data is converted to a NURBS surface within Rhino.

Learn about the company's start and learn a little history of surfboard making while you are at it: Bloomberg article and video.

Or you can go to Maine and build your own surfboard: YouTube WMUR NH Chronicle.

Parametric Furniture design - Cali, Colombia

Motsi Parametric Design is a company that specializes in the production of parametric furniture and lightning in Colombia. Their latest initiative has been to create a line that offers pieces with a high degree of original and organic design.  They wanted to achieve a level of innovation that escapes the typical right angles, to generate free forms inspired by nature while innovating how a table is perceived by combining the morphological beauty of Colombian nature with the technical advantages of parametric design and digital production.

With Rhino and Grasshopper they have been able to experiment with the different possibilities of segmentation and sizing of the tables. These digital tools have enabled them to separate the vectors of each serial plane, and proceed to cut them in a CNC machine.

To see more of their work follow Motsi Parametric Design on Facebook and Instagram: @motsi.design

For more information, please contact Fabian Cardona at  +57 318 4001784
or email motsi.parametric@gmail.com.

What is a RhinoFabStudio? A RhinoFabStudio™ (fabrication studio) is a small-scale digital workshop, certified by McNeel, with an array of Rhino and Rhino compatible software and computer controlled tools and training. These tools cover the various leading-edge industrial methods and materials needed to design, analyze, and fabricate almost anything.

IASS-Structural Membranes Symposium in Barcelona - October 7-10, 2019

FORM and FORCE (Barcelona, October 7-10, 2019), a joint International Conference incorporating:

IASS Symposium 2019
60th Anniversary Symposium of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures

and

Structural Membranes 2019
8th International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures


Following the customary celebration of the IASS Symposium every ten years in Spain and the Structural Membranes Conference every four years in Barcelona, the organizers have found an outstanding opportunity to merge both communities into a joint international conference that aims to provide a forum for state-of-the-art contributions and fruitful discussion in the broad fields of shell, spatial, tension and inflatable structures.

Complete info and registration...

Competition and exhibition of innovative lightweight structures: An invitation for artists, designers, engineers, and researchers

Internationally recognized and celebrated artists, designers, engineers, and researchers in cooperation with top universities from all over the world are invited to participate in a contest and exhibition of innovative lightweight structures. The structures must display a strong vision of structural design and innovation and demonstrably be the result of structural engineering focused research projects. 

The exhibition aims to show new insights into structural typologies, through the design of a pavilion. The pavilions will be exhibited in the summer of 2019 and during the joint IASS - Structural Membranes Form and Force 2019 symposium in Barcelona. During the conference the contest jury, chaired by the president of the IASS, will award a prize to the most innovative realized structure. 

The competition brief is to design an innovative lightweight pavilion, of maximum external dimensions 4x4x4m. It must be transportable and fit into six boxes each with a maximum external size of 1x0.75x0.65m and maximum weight of 32kg (total pavilion 192kg). The structure should reflect the structural engineering research of the submitting team. Each structure will be judged by examining the production techniques, materiality, level of structural innovation, constructability, transportability, architectural expression, and overall originality of the finished pavilion. The choices of materials, manufacturing methods, erection techniques, and so forth are at the entire discretion of each team. Innovative ideas and prototype methodologies that push the boundaries of construction are strongly encouraged.

Submission extended to January 20, 2019!

Complete details...

Live Webinar by Car Body Design: Introduction to Grasshopper for Car Designers - Dec 13, 2018

Announcing Car Body Design's very first live webinar on Dec 13. It will present an overview of Grasshopper for Rhino and how designers can use its parametric/procedural capabilities to enhance their creative workflow. 

Marco Traverso is an engineer and 3D designer with over 15 years of experience with Rhinoceros, as well as founder of Car Body Design. In the past 5 years he has worked on the development of workflows and tools for integrating the parametric capabilities of Grasshopper into the 3D concept design pipeline. 

In this webinar, Marco will introduce the user interface and the basic principles. He will present a practical demonstration creating a 3D automotive grille, and will show several examples of parametric design tools and their applications. 

Register to the webinar for free here...

RhinoCFD v2.0

CHAM is excited to announce the launch of RhinoCFD v2.0! This new update aims to really simplify the setup process of simulations as well as highlighting convergence parameters so users can readily determine the validity of their simulations. The upgrade is free for all current holders of a commercial or academic RhinoCFD license.

You can now use RhinoCFD interchangeably with Rhino 5 and Rhino 6 and at no extra cost.

To download and test the new version visit food4Rhino.

More information here...

Level 2 Rhino for Architecture Online Course, February 2019

Level 2 Rhino for Architecture - Online Course

February 5-7 and February 12-14, 2019

US$260.00 - Register here!

This intensive, six-session online course will focus on architectural workflow using Rhinoceros. It will introduce the best practices to maximize productivity and use the rich set of functionality supported by Rhino. It will cover various scenarios for concept modeling, detailed design, and visualization. Details...

Each live session will run from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PST (Seattle). The live sessions will be recorded and posted to a private classroom album. Attendees may stream the material for up to three months following the class.

Register here!

Dates: 

• Tuesday-Thursday, February 5-7: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM 
• Tuesday-Thursday, February 12-14: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
  All times listed are Pacific Standard Time (PST). Calculate your time zone here. 

Ask questions and interact with the class and instructors in our live, online training. All sessions will be recorded and posted for your study and review. If you cannot make a session, you will be able to catch up at your convenience. The class will be in English using the GoToTraining software.

Notes (what you need for the class): 

1. Rhino 6 for Windows software installed. The instructor will be using this version.
2. Plugins: VisualARQ and LANDS Design for Rhino (WIP).
3. Rhino 5 for Windows or Mac is not acceptable software for this class.
4. A stable and fast Internet connection. 
5. A headset/microphone combo. 

Questions? Contact Doaa Alsharif. 

ShapeDiver Basics: Texture Mapping Explained!

"Hi, my name is Edwin. I'm a Grasshopper expert at ShapeDiver and in this blog post I will show you how to improve the rendering of your Grasshopper definitions by properly mapping textures on your geometry and then applying some great looking materials. Let's get going!"

Read the tutorial here...

Next DesignMorphine Grasshopper workshops in Beirut and Vienna

DesignMorphine announced its new workshops in Beirut and Vienna:

• January 23-27, 2019, in Beirut: Vertical Variables V3.0 Workshop by DesignMorphine 
  
  Vertical Variables V3.0 will focus on the applications of parametric modeling techniques in towers and skyscrapers in collaboration with
  Designkultur. The participants will be guided in developing skills on computational design and parametric strategies which will lead to form finding and optimization through various parameters. The workshop aims to provide participants with the new paradigm of architecture and urban design processes.
  
  With this approach designers and architects overcome the imposition of a prefixed form and thus discover and create more compelling and enhanced designs. Through algorithms, participants will discover the benefits of variable connected systems to create mass customization processes to create architecture. The workshop goal is for the participants to have a final result – a skyscraper design in Beirut.
  
  
• February 20-23 in Vienna: Algorithmic Accessories V4.0 Workshop by DesignMorphine
  
  Fabrication with 21st-century machinery is increasingly becoming a vital skill for those working in all branches of design, from architecture to furniture to fashion. Some require large apparatus and some only a small-scale 3D printer.
  
  By learning how to design and how to build in the micro world, one can understand the basics of digital fabrication. So, the Algorithmic Accessories V4.0 Workshop is not only for jewelry designers but for all who are interested in pairing computational design with real-life, buildable strategies.
  
  Jewelry designing is an ancient technique that has required careful crafting and state-of-the-art machines. However, the current skill of craftsmen lies not in the ability to handle a tool, but in understanding it. By comprehending the 3D printing language and its particularities, one can develop an entirely new language of expression.
  
  During the workshop, you will create modeling and fabrication strategies for one of the smallest elements used to embellish the human body - the ring. The challenge will be to design something that is printable that takes into consideration the logic of the machine and that, of course, is aesthetically relevant in the current design paradigm.

Webinar: Grasshopper plugin for ENVI-MET

Webinar: ENVI_MET Winter Release 2018 & Grasshopper plugin for ENVI-MET.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM CET

ENVI_MET is a holistic three-dimensional non-hydrostatic model for the simulation of surface-plant-air interactions. It is very often used to simulate urban environments and to assess the effects of green architecture visions. It is designed for microscale with a typical horizontal resolution from 0.5 to 5 meters and a typical time frame of 24 to 48 hours with a time step of 1 to 5 seconds. This resolution allows analyzing small-scale interactions between individual buildings, surfaces, and plants.

For those people who use ENVI-MET for simulating the microclimate in an urban environment, Dragonfly now contains capabilities to export to ENVI-MET. This should make your ENVI-met modeling phases easier!

The developer of these new features will show you how to use them in live demos, such as:

• Modeling 3D buildings with Rhino 6 and Grasshopper to generate ENVI-MET model areas
• Using EPW file to feed simulation file
• Generating SIM file

Register at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7468441922517731842

Two new Research Associate positions for robotic wood printing at University of Kassel, Germany

The Department of Experimental and Digital Design and Construction (EDEK) at the University of Kassel is looking for two Research Associates (50% EG 13 TV-H) for a research project on computational design and robotic fabrication methods for additive manufacturing with timber. The project is linked to a research collaboration of six research groups at the University of Kassel in material science, engineering, arts, computational simulation, digital fabrication, and architecture. Tasks will include design work, material research, building prototypes in the robotic fabrication laboratory, and taking part in the general organizational activities of the department.

Please send your CV, motivation letter, and portfolio (max 10MB) to bewerbungen@uni-kassel.de, reference: 31865. English speakers are also welcome to apply.

You're welcome to contact Prof. Philipp Eversmann (+49 561-8042352, eversmann@asl.uni-kassel.de) with questions.

Application deadline is December 18, 2018

Level 1 Rhino for Windows Online Course begins in January

Level 1 Rhino for Windows - Online Course

January 21-31, 2019

US$200 - Register here!

In this online class, you'll learn to create and edit accurate free-form 3-D NURBS models. This fast-moving class covers most of Rhino's functionality, including the most advanced surfacing commands.


Dates: 

• Monday, January 21 - 9:00am-11:00am (Orientation)
• Tuesday-Thursday, January 22-24 - 9:00am-1:00pm 
• Tuesday-Thursday, January 29-31 - 9:00am-1:00pm
  All times listed are Pacific Standard Time (PST). Calculate your time zone. 

Sign up today! 

Ask questions and interact with the class and instructor in our live, online training. All sessions will be recorded and posted for your study and review. If you cannot make a session, you will be able to catch up at your convenience.

The class will be in English using the GoToTraining software.


Notes (what you need for the class): 

• Rhino 6 for Windows software installed. The instructor will be using this version.
• Rhino 5 for Windows is acceptable, but not recommended.
• Rhino for Mac is not acceptable software for this class.
• A stable and fast Internet connection. 
• A headset/microphone combo. 

Facades+AM Seattle, December 7th

Facades+AM Conference

Seattle, WA

December 7, 2018

The Facades+ conference series is a robust dialogue encompassing all things building skin—bridging the profession, industry, academia, operations, and ownership. Organizers have distilled the best of the Facades+ 2-day event into a quick-take morning forum with a strong local flair. 

Register here!

The rapidly developing technology of high-performance facades has emerged as the key to building integration, and central to the realization of resilient buildings and a sustainable built environment. The building skin combines attributes of appearance and performance like nothing else in architecture. There is much to discuss. 

The program includes three sessions covering issues unique to the region, including innovative building skins, future-proofing high performance facades, and the changing face of Seattle. These well-rounded, expert dialogues will inform and inspire.

Attendees include:
AIA Members
Architects
Architecture Students and Faculty
Building Envelope Specialists
Construction Professionals
Developers
Engineers
Manufacturers
Materials Specialists

Details and registration...

White Lioness Parametric Design courses

Jeroen Coenders from White Lioness will be teaching two courses organized by the Post-academic foundation in the Netherlands. Both courses will be in Dutch and will include Rhino and Grasshopper, Geometry Gym, Karamba, and various other plugins.

Parametric Design for the AEC - December 6, 2018

This course is suitable for anyone interested in parametric design, from draftsman to engineer, from constructor to contractor. This beginner course starts at the basics and doesn't require any necessary prior knowledge.

More information here...

Parametric Design and Digital Twins for AEC - February 7, 2019

In this course for advanced students, parametric design will be further examined, and you will get the handles for advanced use aimed at constructions: Automating via scripting and programming, optimization, configurators, and Digital Twin platforms.

More information here...

More online courses from Lynda.com

Lynda.com offers online courses in various Rhino related software.

A sample of their newest Rhino training and tutorials is:

• Grasshopper Essential Training
• Rhino: Designing for Consumer Electronics
• Product Design: From Sketch to CAD

To get more information and sign up for the first month free....

50% off VOD videos for Black Friday

50% off VOD videos for Black Friday!

Enjoy 50% off on all McNeel Miami's Vimeo On Demand (VOD) videos with code: RhinoWIP7 

Our selection includes:

• Rhino 102 training in Spanish
• Grasshopper 101 training in Spanish
• Grasshopper 102 training in Spanish
• RhinoCAM in Spanish
• Rhino Visual Tips 5 in English
• SudoHopper3D in Spanish
• SudoHopper3D in English

Also enjoy 50% off on Grasshopper 101 and 102 training in English!

Code: RhinoWIP7 

• Introduction to Grasshopper
• Grasshopper Intermediate

Offer valid November 23-30, 2018.
Rhino and Grasshopper courses are prerecorded videos from past online courses. 
When you purchase, you can stream the videos for three months. 

For more information please contact Lucia Nasser.

What is a RhinoFabStudio? A RhinoFabStudio™ (fabrication studio) is a small-scale digital workshop, certified by McNeel, with an array of Rhino and Rhino compatible software and computer controlled tools and training. These tools cover the various leading-edge industrial methods and materials needed to design, analyze, and fabricate almost anything.

3D Sand Printing: Where Structure and Ornamentation Merge

As part of DFAB HOUSE, NCCR researchers have fabricated an 80 m2 lightweight concrete slab, making it the world’s first full-scale architectural project to use 3D sand printing for its formwork.

Just 20mm thick at its thinnest point, decoratively ribbed and not even half as heavy as a conventional concrete ceiling. With Smart Slab, the name says it all. The slab combines the structural strength of concrete with the design freedom of 3D printing. Developed by the research group of NCCR principal investigator Benjamin Dillenburger, Assistant Professor for Digital Building Technologies at ETH Zurich, Smart Slab is one of the core elements of the residential unit DFAB House at Empa’s and Eawag’s research and innovation platform NEST in Dübendorf. The 80 m2, 15 ton ceiling consists of eleven concrete segments and connects the lower floor with the two-story timber volume above.

Watch the video...

More information...

Image credits: NCCR Digital Fabrication / Michael Lyrenmann

On designing toy cars

What's it take to have a successful toy company? Read this interview with Brian Gulassa of Modarri Cars. He talks about his design process and a few other details such as launching a Kickstarter campaign and the need to stay curious and current.

Read Core77's article, Brian Gulassa of Modarri Cars Discusses Making the "Ultimate Toy Car"...

Bodies in Formation Workshop at ACADIA 2018

Bodies in Formation 3-day Workshop at ACADIA 2018 Mexico City last month. 

The workshop was focused on the use of flexible fabric formwork in the casting of plaster and concrete. Building on the work of many architects such as Miguel Fisac as well as the research at Matsys, this workshop explored both analog and digital techniques for the design and simulation of casting using flexible formwork. The workshop was led by architect Andrew Kudless.   

Participants learned about Grasshopper and Kangaroo to simulate and explore variations in the constraints on flexible formwork. Also, students worked in groups to develop a collective series of cast wall panels. 

If you would like to see pictures and videos from the event, visit this link. 

For more information please contact Dinorah Martinez Schulte.

What is a RhinoFabStudio? A RhinoFabStudio™ (fabrication studio) is a small-scale digital workshop, certified by McNeel, with an array of Rhino and Rhino compatible software and computer controlled tools and training. These tools cover the various leading-edge industrial methods and materials needed to design, analyze, and fabricate almost anything.

Using Unreal Engine with Rhino

Unreal Engine has published an interesting video tutorial on using Unreal Studio with Rhino. A 1:45 minute introduction is followed by the tutorial.

See Using Unreal Studio to Get Epic Results with Rhino 3D Files in Unreal Engine...

Energy Analysis and Modeling Tools for Architects - November 27, NYC

Energy Analysis and Modeling Tools for Architects

Tuesday, November 27 / 1AM-PM

Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York City
Price: $150/$125
6.0 LU / 6.0 HSW


Register here!

With prepared modeled examples, this course will provide a practical understanding of current energy modeling programs, workflows, and analyses for design project team members. Analyses will include early design sensitivity studies, later design analyses that support client proposals, and energy modeling to meet requirements for code compliance and LEED certification. Participants will learn and apply early design workflows that provide performance feedback for projects that seek to meet and exceed minimum energy code requirements.

Participants will receive in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience related to:

• The purposes and aims of energy modeling
• Overview of basic energy modeling principles
• The “world of metrics” and choosing the right study for the right purpose
• Interpretations of common energy modeling graphics
• How to interpret climate into useful design criteria and generate climate-related graphics
• Analysis of building massing
• Construction of a Test-Box energy model
• Walk-through of additional examples with Q & A, including the generation of graphics for client meetings and marketing to the public

Course requirements:

• Laptop computer with the following software: Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, GhPython, Ladybug Tools, OpenStudio 2.5
• Some familiarity with Ladybug and Honeybee

Instructor:
Chris Mackey, Co-Founder and Lead Developer, Ladybug Tools LLC

Organized by:
AIANY Committee on the Environment


Details...