Tool · draft
Software (mainly Rhino/Grasshopper, but not only) used to calculate metrics.
| Platform | Rhino/Grasshopper |
| Category | Ecology & landscape |
| Developer | R&D McNeel Europe (Verena Vogler, Eleftherios Kourkopoulos, Luis Fraguada) with ecologist Jens Joschinski; research partners University of Angers BiodivAG lab (Anne Mimet) and Studio Animal-Aided Design |
| Website | rhinoecologic.com/ (domain did not resolve when checked 2026 |
| Licence | free |
| Status | draft |
Also known as: RHINO.ECOLOGIC® · Rhino Ecologic · RHINO.ECO.LOGIC
What it does
Ecological simulation framework for Rhino/Grasshopper that voxelises landscapes, urban sites or building envelopes and simulates how plant communities grow, compete and change over time. Designers get biomass, species distribution and biodiversity as measurable outcomes alongside soil and light maps.
What it can calculate
- Spatio-temporal plant species distribution maps (3D, voxel-based)
- Biomass accumulation per species over time
- Biodiversity / species richness indices
- Plant abundance and voxel occupation
- Soil condition maps (type, depth, water retention capacity)
- Light availability maps from geometric shading
- Plant community succession, competition, dispersal and mortality (Joschinski model)
Status
Pre-release. CDFAM reports alpha testing with 100+ testers and beta in preparation. Taught in a McNeel Europe paid workshop (May 2026), where the tool is provided to participants. Described as ‘free’ by CDFAM; final license unverified. designforam.com page could not be fetched (HTTP 429), so facts come from CDFAM, the 2025 DLA paper and the Rhino blog.
Connections
- Metrics it can calculate: Native species richness, Biodiversity net gain
Something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction