STF#9 - 2025: Presentations
Integrating ecological modeling in Rhino/ Grasshopper
McNeel
McNeel
McNeel
In our presentation, McNeel EU R&D will introduce a new Grasshopper plugin for ecological analysis of landscapes and building envelopes. The plugin generates detailed spatio-temporal maps of critical environmental factors, including site-specific illumination, soil conditions, and key ecological metrics such as species distribution, biomass, and biodiversity over time. We will discuss the challenges and solutions involved in integrating ecological models into Grasshopper, address data management challenges, and explore the use of volumetric data models. Additionally, we will showcase the tool in action, featuring pilot studies conducted by professional architects who tested the plugin to optimize their designs for non-human species, (e.g., in green building façades or envelopes) demonstrating its potential to enhance ecologically resilient design.
R&D at McNeel Europe focuses on fostering innovation through technological research and development using Rhino and Grasshopper. At STF 2025, our team will showcase our latest development: a new Rhino/Grasshopper plugin designed for ecological simulations of landscapes and buildings. This plugin enables the prediction of a site's potential for species cohabitation, species distribution, biomass and biodiversity (ECOLOPES Project funded by the European Commission H2020 FET OPEN-01-2018-2019-2020 – FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking, No. 964414).
Verena Vogler (Dr.-Ing.) - Verena joined McNeel Europe in 2014, where she leads R&D and the Educational Course Program. She holds Diploma/Master’s degrees in Architecture and Computational Design, along with a doctorate in Engineering from the Chair of Computer Science in Architecture, Bauhaus University Weimar in computational Artificial Coral Reef Design, and has experience working for international architectural firms. With over 15 years of expertise in construction, software development, and research, she focuses on fostering synergies between practice and applied research. Her work centers on creating ecosystem-aware design approaches by integrating environmental and living system knowledge through advanced computational methods.
Eleftherios Kourkopoulos (MSc, Dip. Eng.) - Eleftherios is a software developer and computational designer, with experience and expertise in the application of cutting-edge technologies in the AEC industry. He has worked for world renowned architecture offices as a computational designer and applications developer, as part of their technology and research and development groups. His current research foci revolve around the utilization of data-driven design workflows through the mitigation of immersive technologies and digital twin frameworks. As part of McNeel’s R&D team, he implements researched methodologies into functional user-facing tools, enhancing design workflows with scientific analytical methods.
Jens Joschinski (Dr. rer. nat.) - Jens is an ecologist, data scientist, and software developer at R&D McNeel Europe. His PhD at the University of Würzburg focused on the mechanisms governing the diurnal timing of aphids and their role in seasonal adaptation. During his postdoctoral fellowship at Ghent University, he investigated risk management strategies in insects facing unpredictable seasonal changes. He later joined Studio Animal-Aided Design and the ECOLOPES project, where he developed models for plant communities on building envelopes. Motivated by the desire to create practical, high-impact solutions, Jens transitioned from academia to software development. At McNeel, he specializes in crafting data-driven software solutions that bridge science and technology, with a particular focus on ecological modeling in computational design.
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