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Coding and visual programming are becoming an important component of design education, with focus on algorithmic thinking, form finding, and generative design. Programming languages like Processing are increasingly explored within shape studies in architecture, thus opening unique possibilities for creative design exploration. Most pedagogical approaches that integrate coding in exploring heritage-inspired geometric patterns focus on shape grammars and rule-based design. This exploratory paper further examines the potential of traditional geometric patterns as inspiration sources for interactivity in architectural design. We discuss the process and outcomes of an undergraduate architectural computing course at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where students implement visual programming using Processing to develop interactive architecture prototypes based on cultural heritage. Results demonstrated a variety of abstraction and translation strategies for both tangible and intangible heritage inspirations, and generation of emergent concepts for diverse architectural prototypes including urban grids, movable structures, and responsive façades