Closing the Gap

Abstract

In contemporary practice, there is a plethora of computational tools available to designers through software extensions customization tools, and software as a service platform. Examples of these tools include Climate Studio, Grasshopper, and Cove.Tool respectively. These computational tools apply to a wide range of tasks, from automating the repetitive to in-depth analysis of design behavior. These tools benefit designers by increasing efficiency through automation and drive high-performing design outcomes through simulation and analysis. While there is a wide range of toolsets available to designers, they frequently require specialized programming expertise or subject matter knowledge to apply effectively these tools in the design process, or they require designers to learn how to use new software. This paper shares KPF Cloud Tools, a platform for using Rhino Compute (McNeel’s REST API for RhinoCommon and Grasshopper) to run a library of Grasshopper tools through a cloud server via a Rhino plugin with a procedurally generated user interface, making it quick to deploy new tools (Robert McNeel & Associates 2010). We describe the professional challenges that the KPF Cloud Tools platform solves, document the technical implementation of the platform, and illustrate its benefit through the impact on a large architectural practice.