The Rhinoceros® Plug-In RhinoVAULT by Matthias Rippmann emerged from current research on structural form finding using the Thrust-Network-Approach to intuitively create and explore compression-only structures.

Using reciprocal diagrams, it provides an intuitive, fast method, adopting the same advantages of techniques such as Graphic Statics, but offering a viable extension to fully three-dimensional problems.

The goal is to share key aspects of the research in a comprehensible and transparent setup to let one not only create beautiful shapes but also to give the user an understanding of the underlying structural principles.

In 2014 RhinoVAULT was awarded in the category ‘Structure / Physics Formation’ at ALGODeQ, an international competition for algorithmic design programs.