During December 2024, contributed to the gismo/gismo repository by optimizing memory usage in multi-patch refinement functions. The work focused on changing the refinement direction parameter type from int to short_t, reducing the memory footprint while maintaining the existing core functionality and preserving API compatibility. This adjustment aligned with established codebase conventions and set the stage for future performance improvements. All modifications were implemented in C++ with careful attention to software engineering best practices, ensuring minimal regression risk. The targeted change improved maintainability and efficiency, reflecting a thoughtful approach to incremental optimization within a complex C++ codebase. No bugs were reported.