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Capabilities

Computational Modeling

Who says you can’t have it both good and fast? Our expertise in advanced computational modeling helps facilitate, accelerate and improve even your most geometrically complex designs.

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Computational modeling and parametric design are in our DNA. We’ve used them for decades to design buildings, manage drawing production and facilitate fabrication. And our CORE studio has created dozens of workflows and plug-ins to improve the efficiency of commercial modeling applications. For quick, cost-effective delivery of geometrically complex buildings, computational modeling is indispensable – and it can enhance the efficiency of even the simplest project.

Analysis model of Pittsburgh International Airport entry canopy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Analysis model of Pittsburgh International Airport entry canopy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Thornton Tomasetti
SAP Analysis Model, Key Arena, Seattle, Washington.
SAP Analysis Model, Key Arena, Seattle, Washington. Thornton Tomasetti
Confidential pedestrian bridge geometric analysis.
Confidential pedestrian bridge geometric analysis. Thornton Tomasetti
Confidential stadium shading analysis.
Confidential stadium shading analysis. Thornton Tomasetti
Nature Clouds, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois.
Nature Clouds, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois. Thornton Tomasetti
1515 Flagler, West Palm Beach, Florida.
1515 Flagler, West Palm Beach, Florida. Thornton Tomasetti
Circle packing used to equalize foundation placement, confidential project.
Circle packing used to equalize foundation placement, confidential project. Thornton Tomasetti
Force balance calculator graphical interface, confidential project.
Force balance calculator graphical interface, confidential project. Thornton Tomasetti

HERE'S HOW

It’s really fast. Our mastery of computational modeling and parametric modeling (building 3D models that can “adapt” or change their form), along with our expertise in creating project-specific design tools, means that we can provide structural feedback in a fraction of the time it would take our competitors. If a 10-story tower becomes a 50-story tower due to design changes, we can revise the design with just the click of a button. Without adaptable parametric models, this process would take days. 

It’s economical. As aesthetic tastes have changed, architects have begun to incorporate more nonstandard geometries into their building designs. Without the speed and accuracy of computational modeling, these complex projects couldn’t be completed cost-effectively.  

It can save you a lot of headaches. Computational modeling helps find and resolve issues in 3D models before they become (more costly) problems in the construction process. For example, we can evaluate a curved glass façade to find out if the curvature in the 3D model is workable in the real world. This intelligence in the digital model lets designers make more informed decisions and reduces the potential for changes down the line.  

THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

Our designers are experts in parametric modeling using Rhino and Grasshopper, along with their many plug-ins, including: 

  • CORE studio’s TT Toolbox for Grasshopper
  • CORE studio modules that connect Grasshopper to Konstru, Mirar and Swarm
  • Ladybug, for environmental analysis 
  • Karamba3D, for preliminary engineering analysis
     

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