Harnessing Computational Design

To demonstrate this, attendees at the international property event MIPIM 2018 were able to virtually explore the Grimshaw-designed Sustainability Pavilion for the Dubai 2020 Expo. With VR equipment installed in all of our major offices, Grimshaw has embraced this technology for the long term.

As well as acting as a benchmark for our use in VR, the Sustainability Pavilion is also a showcase for end-to-end Design Technology input. From the earliest stages, computational design workflows were used to generate and iterate through design options. Platforms such as Grasshopper proved invaluable for this, enabling a parameter-based workflow for the entire central canopy to be set up and then manipulated with ease by the design team. This was in use throughout the entire design process, enabling changes to be documented with relative ease.

This method of applying forward-thinking and intelligence to our design process and the tools we use has been key to the success of projects such as Dubai Expo 2020, Oman Botanic Garden and the soon-to-open Crossrail project.

At Grimshaw we recognise that, as well as a dedicated team of in-house specialists, the successful implementation of computational design relies on our wider architectural teams and their skills. To mobilise this we have formed an in-house Computational Design (CD) Group, composed of members of our architectural and Design Technology teams. The group acts as an office resource for project architects to call upon for specialist advice and assistance.

By pushing the envelope with innovative team solutions, as well as the tools we use, we are able to stay at the cutting edge of technology and harness its ability to create intelligent architecture, from stadia design and master planning to infrastructure and industrial design.