Foster + Partners Airport Canopy in Grasshopper
This 2-day mini course with Lazar Djuric is inspired by the latticed canopy of a Cambodian airport project designed by Foster + Partners. We focus on the main design concept rather than every detail, using it as conceptual inspiration to develop parametric thinking, and we build a large Grasshopper definition together, step by step, until it grows into a complex parametric script with more than 500 components.
This 2-day mini course is inspired by the latticed canopy of a Cambodian airport project designed by Foster + Partners. Since this is a mini course, we will focus on the main design concept rather than trying to recreate every detail of such a large and complex project. Instead, we will use it as conceptual inspiration to help you develop parametric thinking and learn how to approach complex projects, so one day you can create amazing buildings of your own.
We will build a large Grasshopper definition together, step by step, and gradually turn it into a complex parametric script with more than 500 components.
The main goal is not just to finish the definition, but to understand the logic behind it and learn how to think parametrically as the project becomes more complex.
Large Grasshopper definitions can quickly become slow and computationally expensive, so we will also share a few practical ways to keep the file running smoothly. Along the way, we will use tools from Clipper, Heteroptera, and Flexibility to improve and optimize different parts of the workflow.
Keeping a large definition clean and easy to follow is just as important, so we will also use Telepathy to organize the script and reduce unnecessary wires.
This workshop is best suited for people who already have some Grasshopper experience, but beginners are welcome as well. The goal is to help you feel more confident working with large and complex definitions, whether you are building on what you already know or picking up new techniques along the way.
- How to approach a large and complex project like Foster + Partners' latticed airport canopy and reduce it to its main design concept
- How to build a large Grasshopper definition together, step by step, and gradually grow it into a complex parametric script with more than 500 components
- How to think parametrically and understand the logic behind the definition as the project becomes more complex
- How to keep heavy Grasshopper files running smoothly, with practical optimization techniques using Clipper, Heteroptera, and Flexibility
- How to keep a large definition clean and easy to follow with Telepathy, organizing the script and reducing unnecessary wires
- How to feel more confident working with large and complex definitions, whether you are building on what you already know or picking up new techniques
Lazar Djuric
Co-founder of How to Rhino with deep expertise in Grasshopper, computational design, and parametric facade systems. Lazar leads the Grasshopper-heavy work in the How to Rhino curriculum and teaches plugin-driven workflows to a community of 88,400+ YouTube subscribers.
