[R&D] R&D and the Architecture of Tomorrow

The R&D unit of architecturestudio, AS Explore, develops innovative digital tools to tackle the complex challenges of architectural design, with the goal of sharing them widely. Among their latest creations is Urchin, a unique open-source plugin for Grasshopper.

Based on the NSGA-II algorithm, Urchin is a powerful multi-objective constrained optimization tool. It enables exploration of trade-offs between often conflicting goals, such as sunlight versus density or views versus compactness.

Thanks to its “repair method,” each proposed solution respects predefined geometric, regulatory, and functional constraints, allowing users to test various design variants within a precise framework. This plugin is the result of five years of in-depth research on generative design at architecturestudio, led by Claire Duclos, a researcher at AS Explore and associate professor at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-La Villette.

Here are some applications of Urchin:

– Placement of buildings on complex plots
– Orientation of façades to optimize light, ventilation, or solar protection
– Sizing of openings based on daylight factors (sDA, UDI)
– Creation of thermally efficient envelopes
– Programmatic zoning
– Typological morphogenesis or structural optimization

Urchin is designed for advanced digital designers familiar with Grasshopper and algorithmic optimization logic.