Grasshopper UK User Group Meeting | March 2026
Simply Rhino were at PLP Architecture on Tuesday 17th March for the first Grasshopper UK Meeting of 2026.
Presentations were from PLP Architecture, the Computational Design team at engineers AKT II, Dr Milad Showkatbakhsh (Director of Emergent Technologies and Design (EmTech) at the AA & the co-developer of Wallacei) and the Rhino & Grasshopper developers themselves, McNeel.
PLP Architects are the hosts for the first Grasshopper UK User Meeting of 2026, organised by Simply Rhino. We’re looking forward to a packed evening schedule with presentations from our hosts at PLP Architecture plus engineers AKT II and Dr Milad Showkatbakhsh who is the Director of the EmTech programme at the AA and co-developer of Wallacei (evolutionary multi-objective optimisation and analytic engine for Grasshopper).
+ Meet with McNeel (developers of Rhino & Grasshopper) Staff – We also have some special guests confirmed for this meeting as Scott Davidson, Andy Le Bihan & Luis Fraguada from McNeel are all attending. Come and discuss the future (or present) of Rhino, Grasshopper, Rhino.Inside.Revit, Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD, RhinoCompute, and more!
The meeting will follow our popular format of presentations with Q&A followed by time for conversations at the end of the meeting.
- Meeting Date: Tuesday 17th March 2026
- Time: 18:30-20:30 (the meeting will start promptly at 18:30)
- Location: PLP – The White Chapel Building, 10 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 8QS
Presentation synopses:
Meeting Introduction
Meeting welcome with Paul Cowell from the Grasshopper UK Meeting organisers, Simply Rhino.
Presentation 1 | Adaptive Panelisation Workflows for Double-Curved Surfaces
Abhinav Chaudhary, Genta Okamoto, Gizem Nalbur – PLP Architecture
This presentation showcases a custom computational design-to-fabrication workflow for panelising, rationalising, and manufacturing double-curved surfaces.
Complex, double-curved geometry can enable visually compelling architecture while also supporting structural efficiency. Yet delivering such forms is often costly, typically relying on bespoke material systems and specialist fabrication.
A key component of the approach is managing interoperability between Rhino and Revit, where transferring complex surfaces into a BIM environment can be challenging and often risks loss of curvature fidelity, segmentation, or downstream editability.
The workflow moves from early concept modelling through geometric rationalisation and into detailed drawing production, offering a scalable method for resolving complex curvature using standardised, low-cost solutions.
Abhinav Chaudhary is a Senior Associate Partner at PLP Architecture with a focus on computational design and material research, involved during the conceptual and schematic design stage of various office, retail, mixed use and residential projects across Europe and Asia. Abhinav is a key member of PLP Labs’Computational Research group having worked on Symbiocene Demonstrator, Unfolding Pavilion, Genetic Form Miner and AR/VR tools.
Genta Okamoto is an Associate and an Architect at PLP Architecture, mainly focusing on projects in Japan, having worked on office and retail buildings and mixed-use masterplans on both conceptual and detailed design phases. In his projects, he places emphasis on parametric design methods to efficiently produce accurate and detailed design iterations, while exploring emerging technologies to further streamline and enhance the design process.
Gizem Nalbur is a Senior Associate Partner and an experienced BIM Coordinator with more than 10 years of professional experience in architecture and digital design. She began her career in 2016 after training as an Architect and then specialising in Building Information Modelling (BIM).
At PLP, Gizem plays a key role in advancing technology, focusing on process automation, interdisciplinary coordination, clash detection , and complex BIM modelling. She leads the implementation of diverse client BIM requirements, aligning workflows with ISO 19650 standards. Her responsibilities including developing templates, content, and libraries across platform such as REVIT, Dynamo, Rhino, and Grasshopper, ensuring seamless interoperability.
She is also involved in project strategy, setup, and delivering in-house training, making her a key contributor to the integration of digital innovation in architectural practice.
Presentation 2 | Architecture in the Interface of Nature’s Logic and Machine’s reasoning
Milad Showkatbakhsh – Director of Emergent Technologies and Design (EmTech) at the AA and Co-Founder of Wallacei
This presentation briefly explores the emerging ontological shift in architectural production, situated at the convergence of biological morphogenesis and computational synthesis. It investigates the “interface” where the inherent efficiencies of natural systems, characterized by self-organization and emergent complexity, intersect with the iterative rigor of machine intelligence.
Rather than viewing the digital and the organic as disparate realms, the discourse posits a new design vernacular: one where Nature’s Logic (performative evolution and material intelligence) provides the blueprint, and Machine’s Reasoning (algorithmic optimization and generative processing) provides the medium for realization. This synthesis transcends mere biomimicry, fostering a high-fidelity architecture that is both structurally resilient and ecologically integrated.
Milad is an accomplished architect, educator, and researcher with an extensive international portfolio in computational design and emergent technologies. He is the Director of the renowned Emergent Technologies and Design (EmTech) postgraduate program at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA), where he also leads the AA DLAB and AA Istanbul Visiting School programs. As a co-founder of Wallacei, an advanced evolutionary multi-objective optimization engine, Milad has pioneered tools that empower architects and designers with sophisticated analytic and machine learning capabilities within Grasshopper 3D, enabling unprecedented control over complex generative design challenges.
Read more about Dr Milad Showkatbakhsh.
Visit the Wallacei website for more info.
Read about the EmTech programme at the AA.
Presentation 3 | Official release: Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD
Thomas Mahon and Thomas Norris – Bimorph
We are excited to announce the launch of Rhino.Inside.AutoCAD (RiA), bringing the power of Rhino and Grasshopper into the AutoCAD environment. RiA enables AutoCAD and Rhino to work as a unified stack, allowing firms to leverage computational design without abandoning their established production standards, IP, or legacy workflows.
In this session, we will dive into the core features of RiA and its strategic value for large-scale AEC organisations:
- The RiA Framework: An overview of the toolset and its primary use cases for integrating Grasshopper directly into AutoCAD production lines
- For Developers: How RiA allows developers to build native AutoCAD plugins using a RhinoCommon backend. This is a game-changer for Rhino developers looking to deploy their logic into the AutoCAD ecosystem with minimal friction
- Coming soon – Rhino.Inside.Civil 3D: We will discuss how the RiA codebase serves as the foundation for the upcoming Rhino.Inside.Civil3D, bringing algorithmic workflows to infrastructure and civil engineering – sectors where these tools have historically been out of reach
- Where to get started/involved with the RiA community:
- Downloading RiA
- The official forum and GitHub repo
Whether you are a computational designer looking to expand your reach or a developer looking to leverage RhinoCommon in new environments, this session will demonstrate how RiA bridges the gap between high-level geometry and enterprise production.
Thomas Mahon – Trained in architecture at Foster + Partners and RSHP, Thomas specialises in architecting enterprise-grade systems for the AEC industry. He leads multi-year platform programs — including custom Rhino.Inside integrations and real-time synchronization engines — building robust software using SOLID principles and C#/.NET.
Tom Norris – Tom specialises in computational design and full-stack application development. Transitioning from architecture to software engineering, he builds modern desktop tools that connect design intent with production data. His expertise spans the Revit/AutoCAD APIs, Node.js, and MongoDB, ensuring scalable, high-performance delivery.
Bimorph website and the RiA Product
Official repo (source code)
Official RiA forum
Presentation 4 | Sculptural Structures
Stephanie Di Gironimo, Selim Helse, Ipek Duzova – AKT II
This presentation explores how Grasshopper can serve as a powerful medium for enabling architects, artists, and engineers to move fluidly between conceptual form‑making, geometric logic, and Buildability.
Through two recent distinct sculptural case studies, a large‑scale steel work of DeWitt Godfrey and the Burning Man installation Staircase to Exordium (from Joe Lille), we demonstrate how parametric and geometric design can support creative exploration while grounding it in material, structural, and fabrication realities.
Stephanie Di Gironimo is an Architect with experience in Computational Design and Housing development. She holds a BArch/MArch in Architecture and Urban Planning from Universidad de Belgrano, and a Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab (AADRL). Currently works specializing in rationalization and complex geometries bridging design and structural engineering. Applying digital tools to translate complex designs into buildable structures while optimizing efficiency, cost, and performance.
Selim Helse is a Computational Designer with over five years of experience across architecture, research, and engineering. He began his career as an architect at a start-up architectural studio in Dubai before working as a Design Researcher at a developer in Abu Dhabi, where he contributed to research driven and performance based design. Selim holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University in Dubai and a Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab. He joined AKT II following his postgraduate studies, where he contributes to complex projects through the application of computational design, working across scales from sculptures and pavilions to buildings and mega buildings.
Ipek Duzova is a Computational Designer at AKT II, with a strong research background spanning various disciplines from architecture to material research. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Bilkent University, and a Master of Architecture from the Architectural Association’s Design Research Lab (AADRL). With experience across a wide range of scales -from sculptural installations to stadium projects- her recent work focuses on complex geometry and its fabrication, developing parametric design tools, and building computational workflows.
Presentation 5 | Rhino & Grasshopper Tool Updates
Luis E. Fraguada – Robert McNeel & Associates
Rhino & Grasshopper Tool Updates.
Luis is a Software developer at Robert McNeel and Associates.
The Grasshopper UK User Group Meetings are Organised by Simply Rhino
Have you read our detailed report from October’s meeting at Sybarite, featuring Eckersley O’Callaghan?
