Massing Design Tools

Massing Design Tool

The Massing Design Tool is a powerful feature within Architool designed to simplify and accelerate the early stages of architectural design. With this tool, architects can quickly insert their massing models, precisely control the Finished Floor Level (FFL), and automatically generate floors and walls in just seconds.

Key Features

  • Effortless Massing Insertion: Quickly input and adjust volumetric massing elements to establish the foundation of your design.
  • Precise FFL Control: Set and modify the Finished Floor Level accurately, ensuring that your design meets both aesthetic and regulatory requirements.
  • Instant Floor and Wall Generation: Automatically produce detailed floor plans and wall structures, saving time and reducing the need for manual drafting.

This tool is ideal for architects seeking to experiment with different configurations, enhance productivity, and focus on the creative aspects of their projects without getting bogged down by technical details.

Introduction

ArchiTool is a Grasshopper script designed for quick, parametric building massing in Rhino. By controlling settings like slab and wall thickness, you can rapidly iterate on architectural concepts. This guide walks you through how to use the script, from verifying the Rhino units to baking the final geometry.

Workflow

1. Set Rhino Units to Meters

  1. In Rhino, go to File > Properties > Units.
  2. Confirm that your model units are set to Meters.
  3. If needed, change to Meters and restart Rhino before using the script.

Note: The “Units Check” group in the Grasshopper definition will warn you if your units don’t match.

2. Open the ArchiTool GH Definition

  1. Launch Grasshopper inside Rhino.
  2. Load the file containing the ArchiTool script.
  3. Observe the Grasshopper canvas to locate the following groups:
    • 5 Settings
    • 6. RUN
    • 7. Bake

3. Adjust the Massing Parameters (5 Settings)

  • Slab Thickness: Defines the thickness of floor slabs (e.g., 0.3m).
  • Wall Thickness: Defines the thickness of walls (e.g., 0.3m).

Use the sliders to input real-world values that best match your design intentions. Typical ranges for each might be between 0.2m and 0.4m.

4. Run the Script (6. RUN)

  1. Provide base geometry (like a building footprint) into the Grasshopper inputs if required.
  2. Press the Play button to activate the script.
  3. Grasshopper will generate a massing preview based on your settings.

Tip: Please ensure you have a valid educational license.

5. Bake the Massing (7. Bake)

  • Once the massing looks correct in the preview, click the Bake button to commit the geometry into your Rhino model.
  • After baking, the objects appear as Breps or meshes in Rhino.
  • Hide or disable the Grasshopper preview if you want to see only the baked geometry in your Rhino scene.

6. Next Steps and Iteration

  1. Re-Adjust Parameters: Change slab or wall thickness sliders, then re-run the script for new design options.
  2. Save Versions: Keep multiple Grasshopper states or Rhino files to track design changes over time.
  3. Export to Revit: You can continue your workflow by taking the model to Revit through the Rhino2Revit script.

Conclusion

Using ArchiTool as a massing design tool offers students a quick and intuitive way to explore architectural forms. By simply adjusting a few sliders, you can test different structural thicknesses and layouts, then bake the results into Rhino for further modeling and presentation.

Reminder: Always verify your units and keep an eye on any warning messages from the script to ensure accurate results.

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