Modeling approach:
I built this in Grasshopper. The canopy is made from a set of arches placed along a curved spine, with a surface lofted between them and split into panels using Lunchbox. Sliders control all the main dimensions: length, width, height, number of ribs, and panel count — so the whole structure resizes live. For Stage 2 I added a sine wave to the spine using a Range component and an Expression that does sin(x*f)*a, so the canopy snakes side to side instead of going straight. Setting the amplitude to zero brings it back to the original shape.
Design description and parameters:
The design is a shade canopy that sits near the entrance of an Arizona Cardinals stadium. It's a row of parabolic arches following a curving path, with a paneled surface stretched between them. The same setup works at any scale, from a small side awning to a huge plaza-spanning structure.
The parameters are:
Length — how long the canopy is Width — how wide each arch is Height — how tall each arch is Num Ribs — how many arches Num Panels U / V — how the surface is divided into panels Wave Amplitude — how far the canopy swings side to side Wave Frequency — how many waves along the length Wave Resolution — how smooth the wave curve is