Precast Parapets in Grasshopper
I found the Grasshopper code I wrote in 2014 while helping a friend with a construction detail project. These structures were cigar-shaped and featured quite challenging interior layouts. A significant part of the detail design phase was the facade study. Such a waveform was requested for the balcony railings, wrapping around all the building’s facades. As you can guess, Grasshopper was a tailor-made tool for this exact job. I revised the code in 2020. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the version that incorporated the parapet thicknesses.
If Parametric Design was Honest
This code is actually very simple yet useful. Not only does it visualize the design, but it also generates a list of the exact length for each individual railing element. Doing such automation with parametric modeling tools was quite trendy back then. Looking back now, it brings back memories of those times and the effort we put in. Two years ago, I was near these buildings and caught glimpses of them from time to time. Of course, computational design and parametric modeling carry responsibilities beyond automation and profit-making. In this project, however, these interfaces were used solely to serve the architect’s aesthetic concerns and realize a geometric design. As one of my friends says, “Aesthetics is a function.” Sometimes I think to myself: we need to be honest and call things what they are, without deceiving one another with bold words like “sustainability” with an empty background. Not every single design has to save the planet and humanity, but it can be honest about what it can achieve. Frankly, sometimes we just have to save the day, don’t we?
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