We are pleased to share photos from the modeLab/modeFab Material MattersII workshop:

Material Matters
Material MattersII was a two-day intensive design, prototyping, and fabrication workshop held in New York City during the weekend of May 12-13, 2011. As the next installment in the modeFab series and building upon the research developed in Material Matters I, this workshop examined the procedural distinctions between two modes of design production: the first relying primarily on cerebral processing (a conceptual domain isolated from the wildness of matter and energy) and the second motivated by material’s capacity to act as an agent in the discovery of form. The workshop operated through a framework of computational and fabrication strategies that hinge on the peculiarities of material and the emergent set of knowledge associated with the work of the hand. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, we iteratively developed digital and fabricated prototypes utilizing Grid-Based Modeling techniques via Paneling Tools and Machining Strategies with RhinoCAM. Furthermore, the workshop provided participants with instruction in digital fabrication techniques and direct access to our CNC equipment.

More photos can be found here.

Many thanks to our sponsor Coastal Enterprises for their generous material sponsorship.

We are pleased to share photos from one of modeLab’s Spring Parametric Design Workshops.

Parametric Design Workshop | Brooklyn | April 07-08, 2012

Description:
In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, this workshop engaged both the conceptual as well as technical domains of applied parametric design. Rhino, in conjunction with the parametric modeling plug-in Grasshopper, offers the possibility to explore parametric and computational design with unprecedented fluidity. Leveraging this capacity, this workshop was structured around a series of design strategies and case-study exercises with the capacity to generate and control degrees of variation within fields of entities. Emphasis was placed on workflows that utilize constraint-based design, visualization techniques, and environmental influencers to discover novel and inventive design solutions.

This workshop consisted of a series of instructional lectures, open work sessions, and guided exercises, beginning with an introduction to Algorithmic Processes and Computational Geometry. The workshop was structured to foster open discourse surrounding design applications as well as to allow each participant time to iteratively develop design vignettes. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, the goal of this workshop was provide participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

More photos can be found here.

More information for modeLab’s upcoming Summer Parametric Workshops here:

Scripted Design: Introduction to Python for Rhino
Approach: Advanced Parametric Design with Grasshopper
Parametric Design: Introduction to Grasshopper
Screening: Pattern + Prototyping with Grasshopper

We are pleased to announce the updated release of Paneling Tools Add-on for Grasshopper! This Add-on, written by Rajaa Isaa at McNeel, is a parametric tool to create and manipulate grids, attractors and support creative morphing of parametric patterns.

Paneling Tools for Grasshopper is a BETA version and works only with the latest Rhino 5.0 BETA on Windows 32 & 64 Bit. Download the latest Rhino 5.0, the updated the Paneling Tools Plug-in for Rhino 5.0 and updated Add-on for Grasshopper.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming New York City College of Technology CUNY event, Intersections Symposium.

The symposium will discuss the provocative issues brought up in last month’s CATALYSTS computational workshops on the topic of leading edge technology and design, and the interdisciplinary collaborations that facilitate the implementations of digital ideals into reality.

You can register for this event here.

SCRIPTED DESIGN: Introduction to Python for Rhino w/ Skylar Tibbits | 2012 June 09-10

Description:
This two-day intensive Scripted Design workshop will introduce participants to the Fundamental Concepts for designing with programs in Python for Rhinoceros. As the next installment in the coLab Series, we are excited to welcome Skylar Tibbits | SJET to modeLab as the lead instructor for this workshop. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, participants will be introduced to concepts such as Syntax, Data Types, and Variables as well as the creation and manipulation of Computational Geometry through the Rhinoscript/RhinoCommon libraries. Workshop curriculum will additionally cover techniques for Storing and Retrieving Multi-Dimensional Data, as well as Controlling the Flow of Scripts via Functions, Conditional Statements, Iteration, and Recursion.

SCRIPTED DESIGN will focus on IronPython for Rhino5.Beta and will consist of a series of instructional lectures, open work sessions, and guided exercises. This workshop is particularly suited for Rhino users new to scripting, Rhinoscript (VB) users looking to convert to Python, or Python users interested in learning 3D modeling in Rhino. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Topics:
- Computational Geometry :: Points, Vectors, Curves, and Surfaces
- Programming Concepts :: Syntax, Data Types, and Variables
- Flow Control :: Conditionals, Iteration, and Recursion
- Storage + Retrieval :: Tuples, Lists, and Dictionaries
- Applications :: Task Automation, Generative Geometry, and Panelization

Schedule:
Day 01
- Welcome: Coffee and Introductions
- Presentation: Introduction to Scripted Design
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Lunch Break
- Q & A Session
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Q & A Session

Day 02
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Working Lunch: Conversations about Individual Design Vignettes
- Charrette: Break-out Work Session with One-on-One Assistance
- Workshop Wrap: Presentation of Vignettes to Group

Instructors:
Skylar Tibbits | Partner, SJET | Senior TED Fellow 2012
Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos | Partners, Studio Mode.

Details:
- All experience levels are welcome.
- All participants are required to bring their own laptops. Trial software will be made available.
- Registration Pricing (Limited Enrollment) : $550.
- Workshop Location : modeLab | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Google Map.
- Workshop Hours : 10AM-6PM.
- Examples of Previous Workshops.

Dates:
- 2012.May.07 | Workshop Announced + Registration Opens.
- 2012.June.07 | Registration Closes.
- 2012.June.09 | Workshop Begins.

Registration:
To register for the workshop, please complete payment through the button below.

To receive more information, please complete this form.

Any questions can also be sent directly to workshop@studiomode.nu.

Skylar Tibbits:
SKYLAR TIBBITS is a trained Architect, Designer and Computer Scientist whose research currently focuses on developing self-assembly technologies for large-scale structures in our physical environment. Skylar graduated from Philadelphia University with a 5 yr. Bachelor of Architecture degree and minor in experimental computation. Continuing his education at MIT, he received a Masters of Science in Design + Computation and a Masters of Science in Computer Science.

Skylar is currently a lecturer in MIT’s Department of Architecture, teaching graduate and undergraduate design studios and co-teaching How to Make (Almost) Anything, a seminar at MIT’s Media Lab. Skylar was recently awarded a TED2012 Senior Fellowship, a TED2011 Fellowship and has been named a Revolutionary Mind in SEED Magazine’s 2008 Design Issue. His previous work experience includes: Zaha Hadid Architects, Asymptote Architecture, SKIII Space Variations and Point b Design. Skylar has exhibited work at a number of venues around the world including: the Guggenheim Museum NY and the Beijing Biennale, lectured at MoMA and SEED Media Group’s MIND08 Conference, Storefront for Art and Architecture, the Rhode Island School of Design, the Institute for Computational Design in Stuttgart and The Center for Architecture NY. He has been published in numerous articles and built large-scale installations around the world from Paris, Calgary, NY to Frankfurt and MIT. As a guest critic, Skylar has visited a range of schools from the University of Pennsylvania, Pratt Institute and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Skylar has collaborated with a number of influential people over the years including: Neil Gershenfeld and The Center for Bits and Atoms, Erik and Marty Demaine at MIT, Adam Bly at SEED Media Group and Marc Fornes of THEVERYMANY. In 2007, Skylar Tibbits and Marc Fornes co-curated Scriptedbypurpose, the first exhibition focused exclusively on scripted processes within design.

APPROACH: Advanced Parametric Design with Grasshopper | 2012 June 23-24

Description:
This two-day intensive Parametric Design Workshop will introduce participants to Advanced Topics in Grasshopper for Rhinoceros. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment,  participants will iteratively engage a diverse set of Parametric Approaches to case-study design scenarios, each requiring advanced creation and manipulation of Data Structures and/or the extension of Grasshopper’s Parametric Workflow. The collection of case-studies will furthermore provide a mechanism to critically assess the value in each Approach relative to Workflow, Best Practices, Linear versus Non-Linear Design Processes, and opportunities for Modular Re-Use in other design contexts.

The workshop curriculum will track through a series of iteratively executed case-study design problems that will create, manipulate, and manage Data Structures through the suite of Data Tree Objects. The case-studies will also include sequences in which a solution is first defined with objects native to the plug-in and subsequently through the logic of one or more Add-On for Grasshopper, including Kangaroo, Galapagos, and Weaverbird. Additionally, the curriculum will address topics that deal with the Coordination of Data and Geometry into and out of Grasshopper by way of Rhino and Excel.

APPROACH will focus on the Advanced usage of Grasshopper and will consist of a series of instructional lectures, open work sessions, and guided exercises. Workshop participants will receive a digital workbook containing all lecture content. This workshop, particularly well-suited for intermediate/advanced users, offers an in-depth and rigorous introduction to Data Structures, Simulation, Genetic Algorithms, and High-Order Topological Modeling. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Topics:
- Data Structures :: Advanced Data Trees – Creation, Manipulation, and Management
- Modularity :: File Layout and Organization, Custom User Objects, and File Distribution Protocols
- Coordination :: Objects In + Out, Geometry Pipeline through Attributes, and Data Connection to Excel
- Extending Grasshopper :: Kangaroo, Galapagos, and Weaverbird
- Kangaroo :: Physics-based Simulation
- Galapagos :: Genetic Algorithms
- Weaverbird :: High-Order Topological Modeling

Schedule:
Day 01
- Welcome: Coffee and Introductions
- Presentation: Introduction to Data Structures
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies: Data Trees
- Lunch Break
- Q & A Session
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies: Extending Grasshopper
- Q & A Session

Day 02
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies: Modularity and Coordination
- Working Lunch: Conversations about Individual Design Vignettes
- Charrette: Break-out Work Session for Vignettes with One-on-One Assistance
- Workshop Wrap: Presentation of Vignettes to Group

Details:
- Instructors: Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos | Partners, Studio Mode.
- All experience levels are welcome. ***Participants are recommended to be comfortable with the fundamental concepts of parametric design and general usage of Grasshopper.
- All participants are required to bring their own laptops. Trial software will be made available.
- Registration Pricing (Limited Enrollment) : $550.
- Workshop Location : modeLab | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Google Map.
- Workshop Hours : 10AM-6PM.
- Examples of Previous Workshops.

Dates:
- 2012.May.07 | Workshop Announced + Registration Opens.
- 2012.June.21 | Registration Closes.
- 2012.July.23 | Workshop Begins.

Registration:
To register for the workshop, please complete payment through the button below.

To receive more information, please complete this form.

Any questions can also be sent directly to workshop@studiomode.nu.

PARAMETRIC DESIGN: Introduction to Grasshopper | 2012 July 07-08

Description:
This two-day intensive Parametric Design workshop will introduce participants to the Fundamental Concepts and Essential Skills necessary for effectively designing with Grasshopper for Rhinoceros. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, participants will explore concepts such as Object Attributes/Parameters, Data Types, Data Structures, Composing Algorithms, as well as the creation and manipulation of Computational Geometry through parametric modeling interfaces. Workshop curriculum will additionally cover techniques for Controlling the Flow of Data via Functions, Conditional Statements/Logical Gates, Sampling Data, and User Interface Objects.

The workshop curriculum will track through a series of case-study exercises which will include techniques for writing functions, simulating natural growth systems, defining object transformations, constraint-based modeling, and cross-application data streaming, in addition to a series of component distribution and control mechanisms. Emphasis will be placed on consistent organization of data through Lists and Data Trees and best practices for Professional Workflow Integration, File Modularity, and Data Visualization in Grasshopper.

PARAMETRIC DESIGN will focus on Grasshopper for Rhinoceros and will consist of a series of instructional lectures, open work sessions, and guided exercises. Additionally, workshop participants will receive a digital workbook containing all lecture content. This workshop, particularly well suited for beginner/intermediate users, offers an in-depth and rigorous introduction to Algorithmic Design, Computational Geometry, and Parametric Modeling concepts with Grasshopper. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Topics:
- Parametric Design :: Fundamental Concepts and Essential Skills
- Computational Geometry :: Introduction to Points, Vectors, Curves, Surfaces, and Meshes
- Algorithmic Processes :: Defining and Executing Parametric Design Solutions
- Data Structures :: Working with Lists and Data Trees
- Pressures + Influencers :: Working with Attractors, Image Mapping, and Data Sampling Strategies
- Instantiation + Difference :: Implicit VS Explicit Component Variation and Control
- Data Visualization :: Object Naming, Geometry Analysis, and Color Feedback Mechanisms
- Modularity :: File Layout and Organization, Custom User Objects, and File Distribution Protocols

Schedule:
Day 01
- Welcome: Coffee and Introductions
- Presentation: Introduction to Parametric Design
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Lunch Break
- Q & A Session
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Q & A Session

Day 02
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Working Lunch: Conversations about Individual Design Vignettes
- Charrette: Break-out Work Session with One-on-One Assistance
- Workshop Wrap: Presentation of Vignettes to Group

Details:
- Instructors: Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos | Partners, Studio Mode.
- All experience levels are welcome.
- All participants are required to bring their own laptops. Trial software will be made available.
- Registration Pricing (Limited Enrollment) : $550.
- Workshop Location : modeLab | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Google Map.
- Workshop Hours : 10AM-6PM.
- Examples of Previous Workshops.

Dates:
- 2012.May.07 | Workshop Announced + Registration Opens.
- 2012.July.05 | Registration Closes.
- 2012.July.07 | Workshop Begins.

Registration:
To register for the workshop, please complete payment through the button below.

To receive more information, please complete this form.

Any questions can also be sent directly to workshop@studiomode.nu.

SCREENING: Pattern + Prototyping with Grasshopper | 2012 July 21-28

Description:
This two-day intensive Design and Digital Fabrication workshop will focus on the performative capacity of screening devices to regulate light and view while simultaneously producing both ornamental as well as material effects. The workshop will make extensive use of our Digital Fabrication equipment, coupled with Parametric Patterning techniques in Grasshopper for Rhinoceros. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, participants will explore issues pertaining to the Coordination of Fabricated Parts through Unique Object Attributes, Baking Objects with User-Defined Attributes,  Nesting Optimization with Rhinonest for Grasshopper, as well as the precise creation and manipulation of Computational Geometry through parametric modeling interfaces.

The workshop will begin with an examination of a set of Parametric Schemas as a means of identifying a suite of conceptual approaches to the regulation of light and view. Site-Specific Influencers such as Solar, Shading, Air Flow, and Viewing requirements will serve as Catalysts for the Parametric Articulation of a series of screening devices through shifting, perforating, and graduating Patterns. Emphasis will be placed on consistent organization of data through Lists and Data Trees and best practices for Professional Workflow Integration, File Modularity, and Data Visualization in Grasshopper.

SCREENING will focus on the Grasshopper, supplemented by the add-on Rhinonest as a means of fully integrating fabrication logics into Parametric workflows.  The workshop is structured to allow each participant time to iteratively develop design prototypes, moving quickly from digital design environments to material artifacts and back again. As the next installment in the modeFab series, participants in this workshop will be introduced to and work directly with a large-format CNC Laser Cutter to develop scaled and 1:1 Component Assemblies. This workshop, particularly well suited for intermediate users, offers an in-depth and rigorous expansion on the topics of Algorithmic Design, Computational Geometry, and Parametric Modeling through the lens of Digital Fabrication and Prototyping with Grasshopper. As part of a larger online infrastructure, modeLab, this workshop provides participants with continued support and knowledge to draw upon for future learning.

Attendance will be limited to provide each participant maximum dedicated time with instructors.

Participants should be comfortable with the fundamental concepts of parametric design and general usage of Grasshopper.

Topics:
- Parametric Design :: Fundamental Concepts and Essential Skills
- Data Structures :: Working with Lists and Data Trees
- Patterning Logics :: Shifting, Perforating, and Gradients
- Pressures + Influencers :: Working with Attractors, Image Mapping, and Data Sampling Strategies
- Material Strategies :: Folding, Lamming, and Lapping
- Detailing :: Connection Logics and Tolerance
- Coordination :: Logical Naming, Cut Order, and Sheet/Part Management
- Fabrication Workflows :: Layouts and Nesting with Rhinonest

Schedule:
Day 01
- Welcome: Coffee and Introductions
- Presentation: Introduction to Parametric Design
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Lunch Break
- Introduction to the CNC Laser Cutter
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Prototyping Session

Day 02
- Guided Exercises + Case-Studies
- Working Lunch: Conversations about Individual Design Prototypes
- Charrette: Break-out Work/Prototyping Session with One-on-One Assistance
- Workshop Wrap: Presentation of Prototypes to Group

Details:
- Instructors: Ronnie Parsons + Gil Akos | Partners, Studio Mode.
- All experience levels are welcome.
***Participants are recommended to be comfortable with the fundamental concepts of parametric design and general usage of Grasshopper.
- All participants are required to bring their own laptops. Trial software will be made available.
- Registration Pricing (Limited Enrollment) : $550.
- Workshop Location : modeLab | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Google Map.
- Workshop Hours : 10AM-6PM.
- Examples of Previous Workshops.

Dates:
- 2012.May.07 | Workshop Announced + Registration Opens.
- 2012.July.19 | Registration Closes.
- 2012.July.21 | Workshop Begins.

Registration:
To register for the workshop, please complete payment through the button below.

To receive more information, please complete this form.

Any questions can also be sent directly to workshop@studiomode.nu.

We are pleased to share photos from the CATALYSTS Computational SLAM! at NYCCT:

CATALYSTS | NYCCT

CATALYSTS was a one-day “Computational SLAM!” held at New York City College of Technology (NYCCT) on Saturday, March 24, 2012. The series centered on the topic of digital tools and techniques and their subsequent application within architectural design and its related fields. In a fast-paced and hands-on lab environment, the event consisted of six back-to-back one-hour SLAM! workshops in the presenter’s chosen application/tool. This event’s goal was to serve as a catalyst for the dialogue preceding a second symposium to be held at NYCCT in late May, Intersections: Building Interdisciplinary Pedagogy | Building Integrated Practice, on the topic of leading edge technology and design, and the interdisciplinary collaborations that facilitate the implementation of digital ideals into reality.

We are pleased to share photos from the modeLab/modeFab Strip Morphologies workshop:

Strip Morphologies III
Strip Morphologies III was a two-day intensive design, prototyping, and fabrication workshop held in New York City during the weekend of March 03-04, 2012. As the next installment in the modeFab series and building upon the research developed in Strip Morphologies I + II, this workshop investigated the morphology of the ’strip’ by cross-linking developable surfaces and ordered grids with joining strategies. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, we identified and exploited the constraints inherent to sheet material and CNC laser-cutting technology to develop highly articulated material assemblies. This workflow built upon our continued research into ’strips’ and included recent strategies we have developed for pleating and image-based patterning. Furthermore, the workshop provided participants with instruction in digital fabrication techniques and direct access to our CNC equipment.

More photos can be found here.