About Rhino.Ecologic
Rhino.Ecologic is a research-driven ecological simulation framework developed within the Rhino and Grasshopper environment. It brings ecological processes into computational design workflows, allowing biodiversity, biomass development, and environmental performance to be evaluated directly from spatial models. The project originates from research at the intersection of landscape architecture, computational design, and ecological modeling. It combines individual-based simulation, voxel-based spatial representation, and environmental analysis to embed ecological dynamics within the design process. Rather than treating vegetation as a static layer, Rhino.Ecologic models plant communities as evolving systems shaped by geometry, environmental conditions, and time.
Team
Rhino.Ecologic is developed within the Research & Development group at McNeel Europe, by an interdisciplinary team spanning design and ecological science. Verena Vogler and Eleftherios Kourkopoulos work as architects and computational designers; Jens Joschinski is a computational ecologist. Together, the team keeps the system scientifically grounded while fully integrated into the parametric design environment of Rhino and Grasshopper.
Verena Vogler
Head of R&D & Product Manager, Rhino.Ecologic, McNeel EuropeVerena leads the R&D team and product direction behind Rhino.Ecologic, overseeing the framework’s development from concept to implementation in Rhino and Grasshopper. She holds a PhD in Computer Science in Architecture from Bauhaus University Weimar, a Master’s in Computational Design from IaaC, and a Diploma in Architecture from HTWK Leipzig, and works at the intersection of architecture, computation, and ecological design.
Eleftherios Kourkopoulos
Software Developer & Computational Designer, McNeel EuropeEleftherios implements the computational design and software workflows that turn Rhino.Ecologic’s research into functional, user-facing tools within Rhino and Grasshopper. He holds an MSc and a Dip. Eng., and brings experience from research and development roles at leading architecture offices, with a focus on data-driven design, immersive technologies, and digital twin frameworks.
Jens Joschinski
Computational Ecologist & Data Scientist, McNeel EuropeJens leads the ecological modeling behind Rhino.Ecologic, including the individual-based plant community model that powers its simulation engine. He holds a PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) from the University of Würzburg and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Ghent University, researching insect seasonal adaptation and risk management, before working on plant community models.
Status
Rhino.Ecologic is currently in beta testing, with over 100 participants across more than 60 institutions worldwide, roughly 85% from the AEC industry, the rest from academia. The system is now being prepared for beta release.
Rhino.Ecologic is an evolving framework, built through ongoing research, real-world application, and collaboration across computational design, landscape architecture, and environmental modeling.
Rhino.Ecologic is a free Grasshopper plugin for Rhino 8 and Rhino BETA for Windows.
Contact
For further information, collaboration inquiries, or technical questions, please contact:
R&D McNeel Europe
Roger de Flor 32–34
08018 Barcelona, Spain
Website: rhino3d.com/mcneel/contact/emea
- METHODS → Understand the ecological & environmental models behind the simulation.
- DOCUMENTATION → Everything you need to run your first simulation.
- RESEARCH → Explore the science behind the scene.