Lab
The Lab is an open structural research environment dedicated to computational design, algorithmic form-finding, and structural optimization. It serves as a testing ground for custom digital tools developed to bridge the gap between theoretical mechanics, mathematical geometry, and real-world architectural performance.
Rather than treating software as a passive drafting medium, these interactive applications leverage real-time physics engines and finite element analysis to explore lightweight geometries, structural efficiency, and material minimization directly within the web browser.
Below are the primary computational tools and interactive applications currently in active development.
SIMP Topology Engine
The 3D SIMP Topology Engine is an interactive computational platform designed for client-side material distribution and structural mass optimization. Operating directly within the browser using WebAssembly, the solver executes finite element analysis (FEA) to determine optimal material pathways without offloading computation to external servers.
Utilizing the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization framework, the engine algorithmically redistributes density across a defined three-dimensional domain, penalizing intermediate material states to converge toward an efficient, high-stiffness geometry based on explicit boundary conditions, target volume fractions, and defined mechanical parameters. The application supports multiple structural material classifications—including reinforced concrete, structural steel, timber, masonry, and natural stone—calibrated to characteristic elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratios, yield strengths, and dead weight considerations.
Engineers can configure discrete node restraints, spatial bounding box domains, custom point load arrays, and uniform surface patch loads. Additionally, passive spatial regions can be integrated to enforce solid bearing pads or keep-out void zones, ensuring that essential architectural penetrations and service paths are preserved during the iterative optimization process. For real-time visual assessment, the tool includes interactive three-dimensional section cut-planes along the longitudinal, cross-sectional, and height axes. Users can dynamically evaluate tension and compression stress distributions or deflection maps across the optimized mesh, with direct STL geometry export enabled for parametric CAD modeling and rapid prototyping workflows.
Visit the SIMP topology engine here.
Form-Finding Engine
The 3D Form-Finding Engine is an interactive web-based environment engineered for computational structural design, funicular geometry generation, and dynamic mesh relaxation. Running entirely client-side using a custom physics dynamic relaxation and particle-spring framework, the application simulates physical hanging models in real time, allowing designers to derive pure compression and tension structural forms without relying on expensive external compute servers.
By numerically solving static equilibrium across interconnected spring networks, the solver dynamically balances nodal masses, stiffness vectors, and applied vector loads. Users can manipulate boundary conditions, anchor supports, mesh resolutions, and prestress forces directly within the browser, observing how the geometry self-optimizes into minimal-surface shells, catenary vaults, or tensile membrane structures.
The platform provides real-time force density and internal axial stress visualizations, allowing for immediate analysis of thrust lines and bending moment elimination. The resulting equilibrium meshes can be analyzed dynamically across dynamic loading states or exported directly as clean spatial wireframes and surface models for advanced structural modeling, structural analysis integration, or direct parametric BIM workflows.
Visit the form finding engine here.