Conceptual Energy Analysis inside Revit (5 of ?)

How’s that for a sexy image!  I know I’m likely to have just sent most of you running for a site with better graphics – CLICK (it’s safe, I promise).  But if you can muster and stick with me, I am pretty sure it will be worth it.

The Dialog Box

We all know that energy modeling is far more about the data than the geometry.  So in this post we will explore the data that Revit uses when creating a conceptual energy analysis.  The tough part of writing about this is the tangential way things are linked into this dialog box.  Although tangents can be fun at times.  That reminds me of a story.  This one time, at band camp… Oh, sorry.  There I go, off on a tangent.  I will try to stay focused.  Maybe more coffee will help.  I like coffee.  That reminds me of a story…

Okay, let’s get into it.  We are going to take this dialog box one section at a time.  First thing to mention is a not very obvious connection.  This Energy Settings dialog is the same dialog you get by going to Manage tab>Project Information>Energy Settings.  That is one thing I think the factory did well with CEA.  They didn’t create new dialogs, they just exposed and enhanced existing ones.

Common

In this first section of the dialog, you have three options to set: your building type, the ground level and your projects location. 

The Building Types gives some 33 building types to choose from.  Each building type is associated with a set of assumptions about its operation and use.  For example, the Hospital or Healthcare building type assumes certain values for sensible heat gain, light load density, operating schedule, infiltration flow, etc., that are different from an Exercise Center.  The actual values at this stage of the project are not really what’s important.  Since this tool is best for comparing various designs, choosing a building type and sticking with it is the most important. 

The ground level seems simple enough, right?  What level of your model defines the ground level around your building.  Important to note here is that Revit will make assumptions about the Conceptual Constructions of components that occur below your ground plane.  In other words, it will treat those elements as being under ground and will analyze them accordingly.

The Location setting is another example of how the factory smartly decided NOT to make a new dialog box.  Clicking the little nugget here takes you to the same place as if you had click Location from the Manage tab.  Be sure to pick a weather station location that makes sense for your project.  It might be the one physically closest, but not always.  Watch out for microclimate elements like bodies of water, hills or valleys around your site and pick a weather station that most closely represents the same kind of geography. 

Last note on the Common settings section:  These settings affect both the Conceptual Energy Analysis results as well as analysis in Revit MEP (using heating and cooling loads) and exporting a gbXML of a more developed model.

Detailed Model Settings

This is gonna be a quickie.  Nothing in this section of the dialog box affects the Conceptual Energy Analysis.  These settings do affect analysis in Revit MEP (using heating and cooling loads) and exporting a gbXML of a more developed model.  Also, check out the difference in the Detailed Model section between Revit Architecture (above) and Revit MEP (below).

This should illustrate to you that there is more information available to put into a gbXML from Revit MEP than from Revit Architecture.  But that is a discussion for a different post.

Energy Model

This is where the magic happens!  This is the control center for the Conceptual Energy Analysis tool.  It is so simple, yet so complex!  Ah, irony.  Don’t you love it?  It all starts with a simple check box.  The Create Energy Model check box makes the rest of this section come alive (literally).  Until you check the box, you can’t edit the parameter values.  So we check the box.  If we do nothing else and just click OK, Revit chugs away and generates zones and analytical surfaces based on the default values preset for the parameters in this section.  I would call this a baseline model, at least in terms of the CEA.  So what happens when we click OK?  This is what I’ve observed.  Follow along with the description in the image above.

• Revit divided each level into 5 zones:
  • A Core zone Offset 12’ back from the exterior face of the overall mass.
  • Revit created four Perimeter Zones, equal in area, around the Core zone. 
• Revit assigned Conceptual Constructions to the zones and surfaces.  (we’ll discuss this in more detail later)
• Revit created rectangular glazing on the exterior surfaces of each zone comprising of 40% of that surface. 
• Revit also set the sill height of this glazing to 2’-6”.
• Revit did not apply a 2’ deep shading device over each glazing area as the checkbox was unchecked. 
• Likewise, Revit did not make skylights on the top surface of the mass as the Target Percentage Skylights was set to 0%.

These are the defaults settings if you do nothing to the parameter values after checking the Create Energy Model checkbox.  Of course, if you so choose, you can manipulate these till your hearts content.  If you don’t want to generate a core zone, set the offset to 0’.  If you don’t want to divide the perimeter, uncheck the checkbox.  Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

One final note.  These setting, do not affect analysis in Revit MEP (using heating and cooling loads) or exporting a gbXML of a more developed model.  They only affect the Conceptual Energy Analysis.

Energy Model - Building Services

The last section of the Energy Settings dialog is small but important.  Only three parameters here:  Building Operating Schedule, HVAC System and Outdoor Air Information.  The values you see in the image directly above are the defaults.

The Default value for Building Operating Schedule means that the operating schedule is being taken from the Building Type setting in the Common section.  This parameter allows you to override the default by choosing from a list of operating schedules such as 24/7, 24/6, 12/7, Year-Round School, etc.  This provides further flexibility in your energy calculations. 

HVAC System allows you to choose from among different system configurations.  Personally, I don’t know enough about HVAC systems to be able to pick a good one, so I would need to ask an engineer.  What is displayed in the image above is the default system.

Outdoor Air Information is interesting.  By default it is blank (as shown below).  You can actually make multiple selections here.  Revit will choose which one to use in analysis depending on which produces the largest outdoor air volume.  The person count is set by the Building Type you picked; the area is found in the model and the air changes per hour is based on the operating schedule set - either by the Building Type or the override set in the Building Operating Schedule [CORRECTION] the number of times in one hour that the total volume of air in the building is replaced with outdoor air.

And again, like the Energy Model section, these setting do not affect analysis in Revit MEP (using heating and cooling loads) or exporting a gbXML of a more developed model.  They only affect the Conceptual Energy Analysis.

Wrap Up

All the data that you could ever want about the settings is available in the help menu.  More graphs and charts than you could dream of.  If you need to know exactly what the percent occupied assumption is for a 12/6 operating schedule on a Thursday at 6pm, you can find that. (It’s 40%).  Check out the Reference section of the help menu…you'll find it.

Next time, we’ll talk about custom zoning and glazing tools.

Wow that was long.  I’m exhausted.  I think I was able to stay on track…all that coffee paid off.  I like coffee.  That reminds me of a story…

Conceptual Energy Analysis inside Revit (4 of ?)

So the rose (or green) colored glasses are off.  I have found a chink in the armor of my Revit CEA knight.  One of the new features of the auto-magical Create Energy Model checkbox is this.  As soon as you create a mass and assign a mass floor, Revit CEA assumes you want to include it in the energy calculations. 

(If you don’t assign a mass floor, then it assumes the mass object is a shading object…something, like an adjacent building, that could cast shadows on your building.)

However, Revit CEA cannot create the analytical zones or surfaces if multiple masses overlap and are not joined.  So, checking the Create Energy Model automatically joins overlapping masses.  It is important to talk here about a couple of ways to create a unified mass from a few discrete masses.  First there is the Join Geometry tool.  Second there is the Cut Geometry tool.  The Join Geometry tool is what I first used and is what is used by CEA to automatically join overlapping masses (if the creator doesn’t join them before hitting finish mass).  When I tried to run an analysis I got the following error message:

What to do now?  I submitted a support request….and in the meantime I kept playing with it.  At first I was stumped.  I didn’t know what I did wrong.  So after some time zooming, panning and spinning the model, toggling the view between mass zones, mass surfaces and mass floors, I noticed something.  I could only see it in the mass zone view.  A small gap in the zoning surfaces was showing.

I tried the other method for joining two solids.  That is the Cut Geometry tool which cuts one solid from another.  As soon as I hit finish mass, the zoning model changed and the gap was gone.  I was able to send it up to Green Building Studio without error.

Aaahhhh, the sweet, sweet taste of victory!

So when subscription support responded back to me I happily told them what I had discovered and what I had done to fix it (their suggestion was to review the modeling best practice tips found in the CEA help menu).

The one thing that really irked me?  I had to hunt around for the problem.  The program did not tell me there was a gap in my zoning model.  Also, unlike when exporting a gbXML file from a more developed model, there is not a gbXML browser option that allows me to see the zones and surfaces in a tree structure and review them one by one.  So if the default zoning materials had not been translucent, I might never have seen the gap!

I have since expressed this to Autodesk through their Feedback page here.

I will get back on track with my next post which will be on the Energy Settings dialog and all that it controls.

Conceptual Energy Analysis inside Revit (3 of ?)

Now that we have developed a couple of options and run them through the Green Building Studio (GBS) “cloud”, let’s take a look at what we’ve got. Oooo, aaahhhh. Is it hot?

Or is is it cool?

I just don’t know. No, I do know…That’s hot!


Enough with the Pretty Pictures!


The pictures are nice, yes. But what do they really mean. What do they really tell you. This is where we turn to the Results & Compare tool. Within the Results and Compare window, you can select multiple analysis results (ctrl + click) and then select the all important Compare button. Now the real benefit comes out. We can look at our different Design Option runs against each other and, yes, you guessed it…


Compare!


Which one has the highest projected Annual Energy Use. Which one has the lowest projected Life Cycle Energy Use/Cost. Which one will sell more lollypops…okay maybe not that. But you can even see and compare some the Building Performance Factors like total Exterior Wall Area, Exterior Window Ratio and all the weather charts and graphs you could ever hope for. Oh joy, oh bliss…Calgon, take me away!

Now For You Skeptics



I know what you’re thinking. How are these tables calculated? These are mysterious numbers, maybe even magical numbers. Where do they come from? How do I know I can trust the data? What was that noise? Is someone watching me? I’m not paranoid…you’re paranoid!


Anywho…so I had these same thoughts…hey, I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist. ;0) So I dug into the help menu. The information found by hitting F1 is pretty detailed. All of the reference material is available. The documentation states that the data used to make the assumptions on construction assemblies, building operations hours, etc. is based on ASHRAE Standards. There are many more charts, tables and graphs. But, I needed more. I am no engineer. Nor am I intimately familiar with ASHRAE standards. And I wondered, is this the right ASHRAE data? Is this the stuff that an architect should use at the conceptual level? So I asked for help from an energy modeling expert who’s credentials are beyond debate…he really knows his stuff. I asked him those questions.


HIs answer? Yes! This is good data per ASHRAE. Good for conceptual use by architects in comparing design alternatives. However, not good for predicting actual energy use. There simply isn’t enough data in the model to do that. But that’s okay. This is intended for use at the very early conceptual stage. Detailed analysis will come as the project moves forward. True and accurate simulation will be developed further down the road.


To Sum Up


Compare the results of multiple analysis runs within Revit from the Results and Compare window. Data is good. Lots of pretty graphics.


Oh yeah, and you can export a file filled with all the wonderful GBS data from the Results and Compare window to PDF (*.pdf), GBXml file(*.xml), DOE2 file(*.inp) for use in eQuest and Energy Plus file(*.idf).


Oh, oh yeah, and you can drag and drop the charts and graphs from the Results and Compare window directly onto a Revit sheet.


Next time we will get into the Energy Settings dialog and maybe even some of the new mass object subcategories. Until then, enjoy this random thought.


“I went out to find a friend and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.”

Conceptual Energy Analysis inside Revit (2 of ?)

So now that we are all familiar with the basics of Revit’s new Conceptual Energy Analysis tool (CEA for short), let’s talk about the real power here.  That is options.  We all like options, choices, selection.  Nobody likes to be told they have no choice.  What, you didn’t want brussels sprouts for dinner, you don’t like them, tough!

Design Options

Fortunately, Revit provides you, yes, you, you pork-pie-hat-black-cap-and-round-black-glasses wearing designer you, with options.  Totally, 100% customizable until your little heart’s content, options. 

Design Options have been around in Revit for quite some time now.  However their use is still sometimes steeped in myth and misinformation.  I have been trying to come up with a good analogy to explain the best use of them…so here goes.

Think of a Design Options set as a shot glass (yes a drinking analogy) and your model as your favorite bottle of booze…the liquor is the data in the model.  If your bottle has only one ounce of liquor in it, you could pour that whole ounce into your shot glass.  However, if your bottle is full, you shouldn’t try to pour the whole thing into the shot glass.  It will spill all over the place, make a big mess, you’ll be taunted and teased with jeers like “Dude, major party foul”.  So don’t over-pour!

To put it more directly, when you use Design Options you need to think in terms of data size.  You don’t want to put too much data in your Design Options.  Too much data and/or too many Design Options will significantly impact your model size and performance.  So for example, you could use Design Options to study multiple, whole building massing configurations.  This would be a large portion of model but relatively little data.  At the other end of the spectrum, you could do a study of a couple of rooms, including walls, rooms, equipment, etc.  This would be a smaller portion of the model but a large amount of data.

Okay, now that we have gotten that bit of formality out of the way, let us move on to cooler things.

Design Options for CEA

So you have a few design ideas.  Say you are designing a tower.  You want to explore some different shapes.  First you make a shape, boring, orthogonal, rectilinear, expected.  The good thing about this shape is that it is your baseline against which you can compare your other shapes.  In your next option, you give the top of your tower a twist, say 10 degrees clockwise about the center axis.  Nice, you’re feeling groovy.  But twisting towers have been done.  So you start to push and pull your edges and you make some canted surfaces.  Awesome, now your feeling so cool, you’re hot!  That’s hot!

Now, you know you need to get real.  You want to see which one is better in terms of potential energy use.  The CEA tool will send to the Green Building Studio (GBS)  “cloud” whichever design option is visible in your non-perspective 3D view.  That’s simple enough right?  Within your default 3D view, you just need to toggle through your various options using Visibility/Graphics and send each one off to GBS via the Analyze Mass Model button.  You don’t even need to wait until the results come back.  You can just keep on firing off options to the GBS cloud.  That’s the beauty and awesome power of the cloud…it can multitask!

When the results are ready to review, you get a cute, happy little dialog that very politely tells you your results are ready to review.

This ability to analyze multiple configurations and review their energy data is the true power of this new bell.  To quote Quasimodo, “The bells, the bells, I must ring the bells”.  And so we shall continue with the next post, when we will talk about the analysis results.

Conceptual Energy Analysis inside Revit (1 of ?)

 

Revit has a new whistle!  Or is it a bell…to add to all it’s other bells and whistles.  This one has a green tint to it…literally and figuratively…even if a very dull name:  Conceptual Energy Analysis (CEA for short).  There is nothing less exciting than the word analysis.  (Okay, maybe there is something less exciting, but just work with me here).

The word analysis conjures up mental images of numbers, maybe even formula’s, boring charts and graphs, sitting in long meetings reviewing boring charts and graphs wishing you weren’t sitting right next to the boring guy talking about the boring charts and graphs so you could at least check Facebook on your phone like everyone else in the room is doing (you know who you are)…anyway, you get the idea.

Get ready to rethink the word analysis!  Analysis can be exciting!  In fact it can be awesome!

What would you say if I told you that in 6 steps, without using anything other than Revit, you could get a preliminary, thumbnail sketch of the potential energy use of your project.  I know, I couldn’t believe it when I heard it either.  But  it’s true.  Ready?  Here we go:

1. Create a new project and save it.
2. Create an In-Place Mass (or load a Mass family) and add Mass Floors.
3. On the Manage tab, click Locations to set your project Location and pick your nearest Weather Station.
4. To orient your building to True North, from your SITE PLAN view, find Orientation in your Properties palette, change it to True North.  Then click on the Project Base Point and change the value next to Angle to True North.
5. On the Analysis tab, click Energy Settings and check the checkbox next to Create Energy Model.
6. While in a non-perspective 3D view, click Analyze Mass Model, give the analysis run a name and send it off to Green Building Studio web service.  (If this is your first time, you will have to log in to the Autodesk Subscription Sign In.)

Where did it go?  It disappeared!  Is it magic?

Nope, it’s in the “clouds”.  Revit uploads your project to Green Building Studio (GBS) and then releases your Revit to allow you to continue to work.  So while you are continuing to perfect your creation, GBS is crunching away on analyzing your model.  When it is done you see a little floating Revit Alert pop up to let you know the analysis is complete.  At this point you can see it by going to the Analyze tab and clicking Results & Compare.  And whadya know, the graphs and charts are not boring.

As you can see, Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis allows designers to get energy use estimates directly from their massing models to use to compare.  And what’s even better, it works with Design Options.

This will be the first in a series of posts on the new Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis.  I don’t know how many posts, but I will go until I run out of topics on it or someone asks me to stop.  Hope you enjoy them.

How to be a Human Being

A number of years ago I went through the Dale Carnegie training program.  My wife and I had just moved from San Diego up to Portland, which was experiencing a slow job market.  So without a job prospect, I decided to hang out my shingle and start my own practice.  In an effort to set me up for success, my wife signed me up for the program.  Of course I had already read Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, but I was a little skeptical about a 12 week course on the topic.  However, by the time I was done, I had made some great contacts for my new business, I had improved my public speaking skills and I had learned some invaluable lessons on how to relate and work with people.  Really, it turned out to be a class on how to be a descent Human Being.
All of this is coming up now because I was combing through some old files on my laptop and discovered these gems.  These were the basis for the course and are the main points of the book.  I thought I would post them here and share some of this timeless wisdom.

Become a Friendlier Person

1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest, sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
4. Become genuinely interested in the other person.
5. SMILE.
6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
8. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
9. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely.

Win People to Your Way of Thinking

10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
11. Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong.”
12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
13. Begin in a friendly way.
14. Get the other person saying, “Yes, yes, “ immediately.
15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
16. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
17. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s ideas and desires.
18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires.
19. Appeal to the nobler motives.
20. Dramatize your ideas.
21. Throw down a challenge.

Be a Leader

22. Begin with praise and appreciation.
23. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
24. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
25. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
26. Let the other person save face.
27. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
28. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
29. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
30. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

Info

For those of you who might be interested in looking into this training, check out this link.  There are local training centers all over the world.  I highly recommend this course to anyone and everyone.

Revit 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack

This deserves a re-blog.  This link will take you to David Light’s blog where he highlights some of the important new features coming out in the Revit 2011 Subscription Advantage Pack.  Spoiler Alert:  Revit Server will give us the ability to work across the WAN.  Conceptual Energy Analysis (CEA) will allow us to do energy modeling directly in Revit.

Group Behavior in Worksets

 

In Revit, a Group has both an Instance Workset and Type Workset.  Whatever Workset is active when the Group is created is assigned as both the Instance and Type Workset. The Individual Elements in the Group inherit the Groups Instance Workset.  This holds true even if you change the Instance Workset of the Group.  The Objects in the Group stay synchronized with the Group’s Instance Workset.  Confused?  Me too.  I tried to draw a picture.

So, to sum up:

1. Groups have both Instance and Type Worksets parameters

2. The Workset is assigned based on the Active Workset at the time the Group is created

3. Objects within the Group follow the Instance Workset

I can’t possibly imagine a scenario when you would want to have the Instance and Type Workset values to be different.  The best workflow I think is to maintain a Workset for Groups and make sure all your groups stay on that Workset.

One last note, when you Ungroup the Group, the Individual Elements in that Group keep the Workset they were assigned while part of the Group.  So, when Ungrouping, you will need to be sure to move those Elements off of the Group’s Workset and onto an appropriate Workset.

The Answer to the Debate

In nature, form follows function.  So why is there ever a debate of whether function should follow form?

Biomimicry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomimicry

Tiny Revit Tip

F2 starts the rename command for anything in the project browser that can be renamed.  This also works in any windows based program. 

Sound Studio Panels

Lexus has released a new commercial which shows the LFA breaking a champagne flute.  You can watch it on YouTube here.  I really like the look of the projecting triangular panels and wondered how I could make those in Revit.  So here they are.  You can download the RVT file with the curtain panel pattern family inside here.  Let me know what you think.

Little Building

 

Just thought I would share a little building I did some time ago.

AIA 2010 Conference Sessions Available Online

http://www.softconference.com/aia/

You will need to login or create an account.  All of the sessions are available on demand.  The audio is synchronized with the slide shows.  This is a great way to refresh what you already learned or to see something new.

2010 AIA Convention - Energy Analysis Using EnergyPlus

Energy Analysis Using EnergyPlus: The Next Phase of High Performance Building Design

Speakers:
Nicholas Long, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Dru Crawley, U.S. Department of Energy

This talk started with a review of the current sustainable initiatives in the US like the DOE's Net-Zero Energy program.

Why Use Energy Simulation? Inform energy decisions from earliest phases of design through construction and into operation. Help the design team and owner focus energy-use reduction efforts where they will be most effective. Permit assessment of predicted performance with established benchmarks or project goals. Size renewable energy systems and determine their likely % contribution. Evaluate alternatives through programming, design, construction, operation—retrofit, too. AND simulation is cheaper than constructing the wrong building!

What Can Energy Simulation Do for My Buildings? Typically used for studies of individual buildings:

• building overheating
• heating, cooling equipment design
• predict the dynamic response and performance of buildings
• compare different design or retrofit options—load calculations, energy performance, peak demand, and cost-benefit implications
• simulate complex and ‘green’ technologies
  • naturally ventilated, passive, and mixed-mode buildings
  • daylighting
  • overheating in unconditioned spaces
  • advanced controls operation
• regulatory compliance
• integrated views of performance
• points for green building ratings

Next was a review and demonstration of the EnergyPlus plug-in for SketchUp call OpenStudio.

What is EnergyPlus?

• Fully integrated building & HVAC simulation program
• Based on best features of BLAST and DOE-2.1E plus new capabilities
• Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, Linux, Mac
• Simulation engine and basic utilities only
• Interfaces available separately
• Info at www.energyplus.gov

What is Google SketchUp?

• Intuitive, easy-to-use 3-D drawing software
• Available from Google as free or pro versions
• Popular among architects
• Powerful API using Ruby programming language for plug-ins

What is OpenStudio?

• Adds EnergyPlus functionality to SketchUp
• Create and edit building geometry with standard SketchUp drawing tools
• Work with daylighting related input objects Daylighting: Controls and Output: Illuminance Map
• Add people, lights, electric and gas equipment, infiltration rates, and ideal loads air systems
• Save as EnergyPlus input file (idf)
• Opens any EnergyPlus idf file
• Run EnergyPlus simulation and display results

The handout has tutorials included in it that are easy to follow. Also see tutorials on the AIA website for Learning Units here: http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB079836.

Link to PDF handout

2010 AIA Convention - Building Reuse: Modern Tools, Modern Performance

Building Reuse: Modern Tools, Modern Performance--Predicting Facade Performance in Reuse and Refurbishment Design

Speakers:
Scott Bondi, Ph.D., P.E., LEED® AP, Arup
Neil McClelland, CPEng, Arup
Tali Mejicovsky, P.E., CPEng, LEED® AP, Arup

Reuse of existing building stock is vital to sustainability. Retain components that can continue to perform. Remove and replace those than can not. Retrofit and refurbish those that are in between

Often these goals are in conflict with cost, aesthetics.  It is labor intensive to retain over demolish the work and often conflicts with how contracts are awarded in construction.

This presentation centered around two topics. The tools used for facade and glazing design, namely Laurence Berkley National Laboratory’s Window, Therm and Optics and a demonstration on how they can help design glazing and window assemblies.

To open, the discussion centered on some of the codes involved. These include the National Fenestration Rating Council (FNRC) referenced by ASHRAE 90.1 which in turn refers to LBNL suite of software.

Next, they put a brief spot light on the limitations to what the standards and software. NFRC doesn't very well cover louvered openings or grazing systems with integrated (internal) shading devices. The applications that use U-value have a hard time with double-skin systems. Also, applications that use the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) do not take into consideration shading devices or light shelves.

Finally, the talk honed in on some methodologies. First, one must understand external conditions. This includes weather data and weather history. Second, one must understand internal conditions. Using computation fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is a great way to see what is happening with temperature and airflow inside the building. Then use the tools from LBNL to create the right façade and glazing system to meet the requirements. And don't forget to do real life testing of mockups.

Link to PDF handout

2010 AIA Convention - Integrated Practice

Integrated Practice: Generative Knowledge--Sharing Expertise Early in the Process

Speakers:
Renee Chow
Paul Endres, AIA
Susan Ubbelohde, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

This was another disappointing session. It opened with an argument for as to why BIM and Integrated Project Delivery do not go together. Essentially the speakers were saying that people were relying on the tools too much and just confusing the use of BIM for really integration. A shared model does not necessarily mean shared knowledge. Then they launched into project reviews, which took the discussion completely off topic.

Link to PDF handout

2010 AIA Convention - The New York Times Building

The New York Times Building: A Tool for Evidence Based Design--The Role of Research and Energy-Related System Databases in Informing the Design Process
Speakers:
William Maiman, Director of Marketing, MechoShade Systems & Adjunct Faculty Member, Fashion Institute of Technology
Bruce Fowle, FAIA, LEED AP Founding Principal, FXFOWLE Architects
Glenn HughesPresident, Glenn D. Hughes Consulting Associates
This was a very good presentation and very detailed. Lots of good ideas, references and a fascinating process of discovery through research and testing. The handout is very detailed as well and can almost stand alone without the narrative that went with it.
First speaker: William Maiman
Recommended reading: Evidence-Based Design for Multiple Building Types by D. Kirk Hamilton, FAIA and David H. Watkins, FAIA
Started with a review of how evidence is gathered using the scientific method. “The basis of Evidence Base Design is research methodology Based on multiple techniques rigorous science, and scrutiny Begins with the “WHY” question, Usually has a “major “WHAT” component, Constructed with a “HOW” element. The results form basis of answers and can be proven by others.” He then talked about the complications, caveats and nuances to scientific research. For example, making sure the sample research time period is appropriate for the data being gather. An illustration of this would be making sure to collect lighting data from solstice to solstice.
He then talked about certain codes and standards. The example cited was ASHRAE Standard 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The main comment here was that standards will apply whether or not they are referenced or specified. This is because these standards are a part of the standard of care.
Second speaker: Bruce Fowle, FAIA
This portion of the talk was an overview of the physical building itself. Many of the stats are noted below.

• Stories: 52
• Height: 830 feet, 1046 feet including mast
• Client: New York Times / Forest City Ratner
• Gross AREA: 1,600,000 square feet
• Tenants
  • NYT : 827,928 sq. ft.
  • Forest City Ratner: 606,181 sq. ft.
• Completion: 2007
• Core is 42.5' away from window wall for daylight penetration
• Glass skin with veil of ceramic tubing
• Exposed external structure
  • requiring intumescent fireproofing
  • required analysis of thermal affect of solar radiation

He then talked about the project team and some of the challenges of the building design. The key points are bulleted here.

• Elements for Success
  • Clients Committed to Design Excellence
  • Clients Who Understand the Value of R&D
  • Resourceful and Creative Design Team
• Team
  • Renzo Piano Building Workshop (architect)
  • FXFOWLE Architects (architect)
  • Gensler (interior architecture)
  • Flack + Kurtz (mechanical, electrical & plumbing)
  • Thorton Tomasetti Engineers (structural)
  • AMEC (construction manager)

Ceramic Tubing Research and Development.

This part of the presentation was very interesting. See pages 16-19 for images of the testing process of the ceramic tubing. They engaged materials experts to figure out the exact configuration of the ceramic materials. They tested multiple material configurations. Thermal and humidity was most important. They then gave the materials technology to manufacturers. This point was stressed. Materials research was conducted by the design team to be sure of design and performance. Then they paid a $50,000 stipend, directly out of the project budget, to 4 manufactures to do a 2 story mockup.
The result was:

• Allowed Manufacturers to Develop, Test & Understand Solutions
• Determined Real Costs / Eliminated Scare Factor Prior to Bidding
• $250 -$300K Investment by Client for R&D
• Saved Millions of Dollars in Buy-Out
• Ensured Design Quality and Performance of Final Product

Third speaker: Glenn Hughes
Review of design research and post-occupancy performance. It is important to continue to do research during the project. The objective is creating a body of knowledge that was not previously there. The design team took advantage of many research organizations: CBE, LBNL, Lutron, NaturalWorks, AnyHere Software, WSP Flack+Kurtz, Loisos & Ubbelohde, DeMontford University, MechoShade Systems, Arizona State University, and funding sources: NYSERDA, DOE, CEC, NYT.
Point of the research is to prove that the design meets the requirements. It was stressed how important it is to establish a building performance database to reinforce the use of successful design.
The Mock Up
The mock up included final furniture and finishes. It was used as a test of “constructability”, get employee feedback, and as a lighting experiment that included solstice to solstice metering. Over 100 sensors were used tracking things like thermal comfort and glare. The result was optimization. The data gathered was used to inform the design. Now, all lights are dimmable, variable luminance based on tasks - 5 to 50 foot candles and all lighting and shading is tracked in a database. This provides evidence for future design.
Link to PDF handout

2010 AIA Convention - Roof as Floor

Roof as Floor: Lessons Learned from 30 Years of Designing Green Roofs
Speakers:
Susan Weiler, FASLA, Partner, OLIN
David Rubin, Partner, OLIN
Unfortunately, I felt this presentation was one big marketing campaign. There were over 140 slides almost all of which were pictures of projects done by the sponsoring firm, OLIN. The only thing I really got of use was the following points.
· 3" of soil is minimum for small plants and run-off control
· ventilation is important
· structural coordination is important
· understanding the finish floor elevation is important
· but drainage is the most important
· and of course water proofing is really important too.
Link to PDF handout

2010 AIA Convention - BIM for Building Skins

BIM for Building Skins: The Future of Facade Design, Engineering, Fabrication, and Construction
Speakers:
Joseph Burns, FAIA, LEED AP, SE, Thornton Tomasetti
Mark E. Dannettel, AIA, LEED AP, ASCE, Thornton Tomasetti
In this presentation the stress was that interoperability between software was the key to their success. Turns out MS Excel was the center for the BIM exchange (see page 6 of PDF). The case study was on the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. The key to making the design work was to rationalize the surfaces. The goal was to turn a 3D problem into a 2D problem. The presentation outlined the various methods for making the 3D to 2D translation (see page 10 of PDF).
One problem was that glass is not cut. To make it into shapes, it is scored and then broken. So when dealing with odd glass shapes, the manufacturer had to oversize the panels to be able to break them into the correct shapes. There was quite a bit of waste. (The presented slide show had some graphics in it that are unfortunately not in the handout)
Another problem was in getting the exact dimension tolerances. With irregular shapes of glass, the design tolerances were far more stringent than the construction tolerances. Tolerances had to be achieved with edge grinding. It was however, that edge grinding tolerance is equal to one half of the pane’s thickness. This may not always be close enough.
Link to PDF Handout

2010 AIA Convention – Award-Winning BIM

Award-Winning BIM: Lessons Learned--Case Studies from Six Years of Technology in Architectural Practice BIM Awards
Speakers:
Stephen Hagan, FAIA
Calvin Kam, Ph.D, AIA
Tony Rinella, Assoc. AIA
This session was a review of the history of the BIM Awards. The speakers outlined some of the noted trends in BIM. They pointed out the move away from a few BIM flag wavers towards many users. BIM adoption going from 1 heroic advocate to large groups of advocates working in concert.
About the awards themselves, the key point made was that the awards emphasize achieving design results that could not be possible without BIM.
Review of awards categories and criteria (these are changed for 2010 and beyond)
Category A: BIM Excellence Awards: for projects advancing theory and practice of BIM use, demonstrating new capabilities and achievements incorporating outstanding design and construction integration, exceptional quality of both process and technological performance/innovation, and leverage to operate the building to the fullest extent of its design potential. (up to 3 awards available)
Category B - Design/Delivery Process Innovation: outstanding example of use of BIM in Integrated Project Delivery, integrating design and construction to gain design and client benefits (single award available)
Category C - Outstanding Sustainable Design: exceptional example of integrated use of sustainable, energy, life-cycle, and ecological technologies and processes in the design execution of a building project. (single award available)
Category D - Academic Program or Curriculum Development: Outstanding new curriculum development incorporating BIM and IPD concepts. (single award available)
AIA TAP BIM Awards Program
Link to PDF handout 

2010 AIA Convention – Building Design for the New Decade

Building Design for the New Decade: The Role of Right-Brain Thinking in a Modern Economy
Speaker: Daniel Pink
It is hard to capture essence of an inspirational speaker in notes. I left feeling encouraged of our position and value in the market place. Also with thoughts of how we can add the kind of right brained design services that will speak to everyone.
The talk was about the Left Brain versus Right Brain an economic metaphor in our current times. The left is logic and linear while the right is creative and can multitask. Let brain stuff is getting outsourced or automated. Routine is being sent off shore.
Architects need to give high concept and high touch to our design work. This is the right brained stuff. We should always tell a story. What is the narrative of our design work?
He also pointed out that as right-brain users, we should be able to teach people to see design. We need to work on our ability to empathize with our clients and speak in terms and words they understand. Want to know if you are empathetic?
Try this experiment: with your dominant hand trace a capital E on your forehead.
Did you draw the E so you could read it or so someone looking at you could read it?
This economy favors right brained people. In this economy the Architectural profession can and should focus on providing clients with the right brain stuff.
Link to PDF handout

Blend in Motion

Verb

• Blend is to mix smoothly and inseparably together or to mix in order to obtain a particular quality, as in technology and architecture.
• Motion is the action of moving or of changing place or position, as in hand motions of a pencil or hand motions of a mouse.

Noun

• A Blend is a kind of geometric shape made by many 3D modeling software programs. It is made of 2 or more profiles or curves whose edges are rationalized together to make a smooth face or solid.
• A Motion is a proposal made to a group of people for thoughtful consideration.