"The handbook introduces the theoretical basis and the main parametric modeling techniques based on algorithms, showing Grasshopper's practical applications and its potentialities in architecture, design and fabrication."--P. [4] of cover.

Architects use CAD to help them visualize their ideas. Parametric design is a fast-growing development of CAD that lets architects and designers specify the key parameters of their model and make changes interactively. Whenever changes are made the rest of the model updates automatically. Through a detailed description of various parametric, generative and algorithmic techniques, this book provides a practical guide to generating geometric and topological solutions for various situations, including explicit step-by-step tutorials. While the techniques and algorithms can be generalized to suit to any parametric environment, the book illustrates its concepts using the scripting languages of one of the most powerful 3D visualization and animation design software systems (Autodesk 3ds Max MAXScript), one of the most popular open-source Java-based scripting environments (Processing), and a brand new language specifically tailored for parametric and generative design (Autodesk DesignScript). This clear, accessible book will have a wide appeal to students and practitioners who would like to experiment with parametric techniques.

Parametric Design for Landscape Architects provides a sequence of tutorial-based workflows for the creation and utilization of algorithmic tools calibrated toward the field of landscape architecture. Contemporary practice and projective theory in landscape architecture require the processing and design of data associated with complex systems to adequately represent composite, emergent scenarios. Aligning to both traditional and nascent processes of analysis and digital modeling, this book unpacks and decodes the characterization of algorithmic-based automation, leveraging software that is widely accessible in both academia and professional practice. Curated throughout are workflows that apply to a multiplex of computation programs that widely support the design, analysis, and production of landscapes, primarily concentrated on digital modeling tools Grasshopper and Rhinoceros. It is a much-needed, visually accessible resource to aid in more efficient understanding and creation of tools that automate and re-examine traditional calculations, analyses, drawing standards, form-finding strategies, fabrication preparations, and speculative assessments/simulation. This primer provides professionals and students with multifaceted skill-sets that, when applied in practice, expand and expedite conventional and speculative design workflows applicable to spatial design, and more specifically landscape architecture. The book includes over 200 full-colour drawings, images, and tables to illustrate and support examples throughout.

Pushed by practices wanting to produce novelty, computer-aided design systems are increasingly parametric - they represent designs that change with their input data. Such systems give more control and capability to designers, but require much more comprehensive understanding to be used effectively. This book teaches what new knowledge and skills designers need in order to master the parametric and how they can learn and use them.

Nowadays, it is not unusual to find scaled building models with complex geometries of their facades and laser-burn marks in architecture schools. Even, 3D-printed models are also frequently found. Although there are prevalent critiques that nowadays architecture students are focusing form itself rather than space quality, creating complex forms that cannot be developed in practice, it is true that these days' student can handle geometries well due to many computer software. This book focuses on this part, more free, efficient, and accurate geometric expression and creation, rather than on what space is and how it is organized.Some people said it is getting easier to learn diverse digital design software due to easily accessible media in this digital era. However, because of overflow of information in the media, paradoxically, it is getting harder for beginners to learn various digital tools, questioning where and how they can start it.The main motivation of Digital Media Series (DMS) is needs for a textbook with systematically organized and structured knowledges about digital software in architecture. DMS recognizes the challenges beginners face when learning a new software like Grasshopper. While in reality the tool is not that difficult to learn with proper learning materials, beginners often spend too much time stuck on using a particular hurdle. The series was written to alleviate such challenge. The first book of DMS, Rhinoceros, introduces 3D modeling concepts as well as modeling habits, logics, and tips, and techniques, interweaving them with geometrical relationships. Specifically, the book promotes the mantra for a structured manipulation of geometry: from points to curves, from curves to surfaces, and from surfaces to volumes.This book, Grasshopper as the second book of DMS, also has similar configuration, contents categories, and organization to the first book based on the mantra. Furthermore, comparing and contrasting similar features in Rhinoceros, this book explains components in Grasshopper so that users who can handle geometries in Rhinoceros can smoothly transfer their modeling knowledges, habits, and logic from explicit to implicit modeling. This book aims to avoid learning concepts of algorithmic design or visual scripting through examples, and is designed to learn basic principles of Grasshopper and apply them to design. Although Grasshopper has a very well-organized forum based on collective intelligence where users can ask and answer questions, and there are various tutorials that are easy to access through web and various media, I believe that this book can fulfill the beginners' needs a textbook presenting an outline of Grasshopper and help users develop their ability to handle geometries through algorithmic idea.This book is not meant to be the only reference for learning Grasshopper. Users should use the book in combination with the wealth of public resources such as forums, tutorials, and documentation created by other advanced users. For any part of the book that the users may need more detailed information on, users should refer to the official documentation created by the software developer (McNeel) and the user forum of Grasshopper.

Paradigms in Computing: Making, Machines, and Models for Design Agency in Architecture brings together critical, theoretical, and practical research and design that illustrates the plurality of computing approaches within the broad spectrum of design and mediated practices. It is an interrogation of our primary field of architecture through the lens of computing, and yet one that realizes a productive expanding of our métier’s definition and boundaries. It is a compilation that purposefully promotes architecture’s disciplinary reach and incorporations beyond the design and construction of buildings and cities. The book offers a glimpse into the wide range of positions and experiences that are shaping practice and discourse today. The work included in Paradigms in Computing is evidence that models for enquiry are many and proliferating. As digitalization and computation continue to infuse our processes with new tools and new design environments, some of the trends collected in this book will continue to be central to the production and speculation of architecture, and others will, in retrospect, be recognized as the seeds of new, or perhaps multiple, paradigms. Included are essays and projects, from; Alisa Andrasek, Rachel Armstrong, Philip Beesley, Tom Bessai, Shajay Bhooshan, Brad Cantrel, Matias Del Campo, Pablo Eiroa, Marc Fornes, David Jason Gerber, Maria Paz Gutierrez, Alvin Huang, Jason Kelly Johnson, Simon Kim, Neil Leach, Greg Lynn, Elena and Anna Maria Manferdini, Alex McDowell, Phillippe Morel, Nick Puckett, Casey Reas, Alex Robinson, Jenny Sabin, Jose Sanchez, Patrik Schumacher, Kyle Steinfeld, Satoru Sugihara, Orkan Telhan, Kathy Velikov and Geoffrey Thun, Tom Verebes, Leire Asensio Villoria and David Mah, Jenny Wu, Eric Howeler and Meejin Yoon, and Zaha Hadid Architects.