Computational Design Skills

A Claude Code Skills Plugin for Computational Designers

18 interconnected skills covering computational geometry, parametric modeling, generative design, structural computation, environmental simulation, facade engineering, digital fabrication, BIM scripting, and machine learning for AEC. References 50+ pioneers, 30+ tools, 6+ analysis engines, and hundreds of numeric benchmarks. Includes 7 Python calculators for geometry, structural checking, solar analysis, panel optimization, mesh analysis, material estimation, and fabrication costing.

35,000+ lines | 75+ files | 18 skills | 7 Python calculators

Quick Start
How It Works
Skills Reference
Computational Design Calculator
Knowledge Base
Architecture
Example Prompts
Stats
Author & License

Quick Start

Option 1: Use as a Plugin

claude --plugin-dir "/path/to/Computational Design Skills"

Option 2: Copy to Your Project

cp -r skills/ your-project/.claude/skills/

Once installed, just ask Claude anything about computational design, parametric modeling, generative algorithms, structural analysis, facade engineering, or digital fabrication. The system activates automatically - no slash commands required for most tasks.

How It Works

Computational Design Skills uses a progressive disclosure architecture to stay lean while encoding deep technical knowledge:

User asks anything about computational design
        |
        v
cd-foundations (auto-fires, invisible to user)
  - Applies baseline knowledge from 50+ frameworks and pioneers
  - Routes to specialized skills as needed
        |
        v
Specialized skill loads (e.g., parametric-modeling, facade-computation)
  - Follows structured workflow
  - Loads deep reference files on demand
        |
        v
cd-calculator provides precise computations when needed
  - 7 Python scripts for geometry, structural checking, solar
    analysis, panel optimization, mesh analysis, material
    estimation, and fabrication costing

Three-Layer Context Management

Layer	What Loads	When	Size
Layer 0	Skill names + descriptions only	Always in context	~16KB
Layer 1	Full SKILL.md body	On skill invocation	~350-900 lines each
Layer 2	Reference files, templates, scripts	Only when explicitly needed	Varies

This keeps the context window efficient. Claude never loads knowledge it doesn't need for the current task.

Skills Reference

1. Foundation (Auto-Activated)

`cd-foundations`

Invocation: Automatic (invisible to user) - Claude-only, not user-invocable

The foundation layer. Auto-fires on any computational design context and provides:

Pioneer Quick-Reference Matrix - 25+ pioneers with key contributions, methods, and computational paradigms (Frei Otto, Greg Lynn, Patrik Schumacher, Mark Burry, Achim Menges, Robert Aish, and more)
Computational Design Taxonomy - Classification of 12 computational paradigms: parametric, generative, algorithmic, evolutionary, agent-based, physics-based, data-driven, topological, mesh-based, voxel-based, graph-based, and ML-driven
Geometric Primitives & Operations - NURBS, B-splines, subdivision surfaces, mesh operations, boolean operations, convex hulls, Voronoi, Delaunay, offset curves, lofting, sweeping
Tool Ecosystem Map - 30+ tools cross-referenced: Rhino, Grasshopper, Dynamo, Revit API, Houdini, Processing, OpenSCAD, Blender Geometry Nodes, Unity, Unreal, TouchDesigner, FreeCAD
Anti-Pattern Catalog - Common computational design failures: over-parameterization, mesh quality collapse, solver divergence, fabrication-ignorant design
Skill Router - Decision tree that activates specialized skills based on user context

Reference files (loaded on demand):

pioneers-and-movements.md - Full treatment of all pioneers and computational movements
core-concepts.md - Complete mathematical and geometric reference
tools-ecosystem.md - Detailed tool comparison, API surfaces, interoperability matrix
learning-pathways.md - Beginner-to-expert learning roadmaps by tool and domain

2. Core Design

`parametric-modeling`

Invocation: /parametric-modeling or auto-activates on parametric/parameter-driven context

Parametric design methodology and pattern authoring: