Cyclops : Real-Time Urban Environmental Simulation with Foster + Partners

Description:

Advancements in GPU-accelerated ray tracing have transformed our ability to conduct city-scale environmental analyses in near real time. This hands-on workshop presents reproducible workflows for GPU-based evaluation of solar obstruction, daylight autonomy, and cumulative radiation at three hierarchical levels of the built environment—façades, individual buildings, and urban districts. The workshop is structured into two modules: (1) Foundations of Environmental Analysis, illustrated with industry case studies; and (2) Analysis Methodologies for near real time, Performance-Driven Design.  By the end of the workshop, attendees will be equipped with scalable workflows for rapid environmental assessment, ready to integrate into architectural, urban or research projects.

Keywords:Environmental Simulation; Grasshopper; Performance-Driven Design

Software:

Rhino 8, Grasshopper, Cyclops (1.2) plugin

Prerequisites:

Intermediary Grasshopper proficiency

Cyclops is an environmental analysis plugin for Grasshopper in Rhino 3D developed by Foster + Partners. It significantly accelerates raytracing-based simulations by leveraging state-of-the-art GPU computing.