Project: Design a parametric pavilion
Design a small pavilion with a lofted canopy, panelise it parametrically in Grasshopper, and produce presentation drawings and fabrication-ready parts.
By the end of this project you will
- Model a smooth canopy from well-built curves
- Panelise it with a parametric definition
- Check geometry quality
- Produce drawings and cut files
Project brief
Objective
Design, document and prepare fabrication output for a small freeform pavilion canopy.
The brief
A 6 × 6 m pavilion in a park: a lofted canopy on four supports, between 2.4 and 3.6 m high, covered with timber or plywood panels. The canopy should shed rain and read as one smooth form. Structural design is out of scope — treat supports and thicknesses as indicative.
Step 1 — Form
- 1Draw four or five section curves with consistent direction.
- 2Loft the canopy; adjust sections until Zebra shows smooth reflections.
- 3Model the supports as solids and trim them to the canopy.
Step 2 — Panelise in Grasshopper
- 1Reference the canopy surface.
- 2Divide it with a domain grid controlled by sliders (U and V counts).
- 3Create panels as surface patches with a gap between them.
- 4Vary panel openings with an attractor for dappled shade; bake the final set.
Step 3 — Check
- 1Count panels and measure the largest panel against a standard sheet size.
- 2Check panels are close to flat or unroll-able.
- 3Check naked edges and object validity.
Step 4 — Outputs
- 1Make2D a plan, elevation and axonometric; lay out an A3 sheet with dimensions.
- 2Number panels and unroll/flatten them onto sheet-sized layouts; export DXF.
- 3Render or capture a presentation view.
Deliverables
Hand in (or keep for your portfolio) the following. Each item maps to a checklist line below.
| Deliverable | Format | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Rhino model and Grasshopper definition | 3DM + GH | Clean surfaces and a parametric system |
| Presentation sheet | A3 PDF | Form and panelisation explained |
| Panel layouts | DXF | Fabrication-ready, numbered parts |
| Design decision note | Half a page | Options compared with evidence |
Common mistakes
Starting in Grasshopper before the form is resolved.
Get a smooth, well-built surface first; panelisation magnifies surface problems.
Panels bigger than available sheet sizes.
Check the largest panel against stock sizes before committing to a pattern.
Unstated units and tolerances in fabrication files.
Confirm and state units and tolerances with the fabricator.
Your task
Iterate
- Produce two alternative panel densities and compare panel count and max panel size.
- Pick one and justify it in three sentences (cost, fabrication, appearance).
You should end up with: An evidence-based design decision.
Completion checklist
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Project quiz
Order the project stages.
Finished this project?
Taking the quiz marks it complete too. Your course page picks up where you stopped.
Free KitWren tools that help
- Length ConverterConvert between metres, centimetres, millimetres, kilometres, inches, feet, yards and miles.
- Angle ConverterConvert degrees, radians, gradians, arcminutes and turns.
- Area ConverterConvert square metres, square feet, acres, hectares and more.
- Image ResizerResize images to exact pixel dimensions or by percentage, keeping the proportions if you like.
- Merge PDFCombine multiple PDFs into one file, in any order, choosing which pages to include from each.
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