tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63949362024-03-06T21:17:53.840-07:00The Perfect Architecture CompanyThe sharp point of designbbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.comBlogger933125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-66089455033816653382018-02-01T07:00:00.000-07:002018-02-01T07:00:22.246-07:00State-of-the-art 3D Printing in the Design Studio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The increased use of 3D printing in the design office will continue to be a trend in 2018. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Normally I'm more focused on architectural 3D printing – on a scale of which one can walk through – however, being smart about the adoption of technological innovations in the office is also important if one wants to build a lot of quality architecture, and here I argue desktop 3D printing has a role in potentially helping save money and increase building design quality. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A custom architectural light manufacture in California whose pieces average $3000 each <a href="http://advancedmanufacturing.org/house-3d-printer-saves-firm-thousands/">recently reported</a> a savings of nearly $90,000 over 40 projects in 18 months with the purchase of an inhouse 3D printing unit. I suspect some costs aren't captured in this estimate because there was probably some initial training required to operate the 200 Series Workbench Classic from 3D Platform efficiently. However, once the unit had a fluent operator, the designers and fabricators' ability to study the proposed design before final production was greatly increased, helping ensure the piece had the<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>form and qualities expected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Architecture and engineering firms will not be responsible for developing robotic 3D printers. That will continue to be very specialized knowledge. However, o<span style="background-color: white;">ne of the most important points to leverage in the design process is the smooth transition of data from prototype to production, with ideally as little post-production as possible. This idea scales to include architectural 3D printing as well, wherein the engineering characteristics of the model to its final production shift even more. One can't cleanly print the REVIT model without some sort of post-processing, either automated or manual.</span> This is again where the topic of data science has the potential to help the most because abstracting the problem to one of data is the type of knowledge needed to effectively design and produce such models, and it's already well established and studied through the field of computer science. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having a tangible scale-model supports the design process in other ways beyond the ability to rapidly prototype ideas. Having a model to study also increases the design team's understanding of the proposed building's spatial qualities. One company doing interesting things with scaled models of urban areas is <a href="http://advancedmanufacturing.org/house-3d-printer-saves-firm-thousands/">Chicago's Microscape</a>. These city models allow design teams see how the proposed building integrates into the urban fabric and their quite beautiful in their own right. Many clients report loving the tactile nature of these sorts of presentation features, and I think this enthusiasm should be encouraged. If I had to say why clients find such models helpful, I would suggest it's because the models offer more dimensions than 2D renderings to understand the space. This quality is important when clients are trying to understand and solve functional problems with a spatial component. And I would go so far as to say this quality is helpful to designers as well. </span></div>
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-14707235360559984232018-01-24T09:38:00.000-07:002018-01-24T09:38:07.046-07:00Sustainable Engineering with Renewable Materials<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most innovative buildings built in Canada last year might be one of its most unassuming. <b>Brock Commons Tallwood House</b> on UBC's campus was completed late last year set to be used for student housing. Aesthetically, it comes in about average. The design has stayed with a cost-effective rectilinear form, and the designers have tried where they can to accentuate the exterior facade. What is worth noting, however, is the project's use of innovative materials and building techniques. </span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/featurefriday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#featurefriday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UBC</a> Brock Commons <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tallwood?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tallwood</a> House student residence construction <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tallest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tallest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/masstimber?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#masstimber</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wood?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vancouver</a> photos: Lara Shecter <a href="https://t.co/zOxkx13qEi">pic.twitter.com/zOxkx13qEi</a></div>
— Acton Ostry (@actonostry) <a href="https://twitter.com/actonostry/status/863077549382946816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most interesting implications of tall timber structures is that it essentially deepens the number of ways buildings can be solar-powered. Steel and concrete, while contributing to the great heights achieved by modern architecture, also have correspondingly large carbon footprints. Another way of saying it is that steel and concrete are very energy intensive materials to produce. On the other hand, using timber means the growth of the building comes directly from a renewable resource, and that the Sun does most of the work. One can also assume that as time goes on, the carbon footprint of manufacturing and transporting the timber will continue to decrease as manufacturing plants and vehicles become more energy efficient (this point, of course, also applies to steel and concrete production as well). Increasing the use of renewable materials supports the AEC industry's goal of promoting sustainable design. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To date, there's not a lot of in-depth research about the effects of fire retardants used on mass timber projects. It's definitely a necessary step, as such a building can be viewed as a humongous bonfire, and fire retardants of past decades are now seen to be harmful to human health as they tend not to stay inert in the wood forever. Essentially, the fire retardants need to penetrate the deep into the wood. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">No doubt this risk was considered at some point in this project, however, I can't yet point readers to any sort of in-depth reporting expanding on the modern use of fire retardants in these types of buildings. I have also heard reports from the UK that sound transmission through mass timber structures can be exaggerated compared to a concrete high-rise. Mechanical energy waves like someone dropping a chair can travel quite far through the timber beams and columns. Decouplers installed between columns and beams can stop mechanical energy noise from transiting through the structural system, but I don't know if any were used in this project. Something to keep in mind as you try to get a good night's sleep in a timber high-rise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I really like about Brock Commons is the modular nature of its building process. Different types of CLT panels, columns and beams were used in combination to complete the structure. It reminds me so much of LEGO but its practical implications for the construction process are immense. It's another good example of how BIM technology brings the construction process earlier into the design phase. Here a lot of the credit goes to <b>Fast+Epp Engineering</b> for structuring a wooden building this tall. The modularity and pre-fabrication of the design had two main benefits of increasing tolerances (for better building performance) and speeding construction. Each of which contributes to the cost-effective and sustainable nature of the design. Timber buildings this tall are not necessarily experiential, but they are a type of specialized engineering as the types of forces put into the timber are quite different from that which normally found in the residential market. In all, I think it can be confidently stated the industry will continue to see an increase in the use of this type of technology, and readers are well advised to familiarize themselves with this type of construction. </span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Backtoschool2017?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Backtoschool2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBC</a> Brock Commons <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tallwood?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tallwood</a> House <a href="https://twitter.com/UBCrez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBCrez</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UBCcampus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBCcampus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tallwoodbldgs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tallwoodbldgs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rethinkwood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reThinkWood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FPInnovations?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FPInnovations</a> <a href="https://t.co/Iz08orccUX">https://t.co/Iz08orccUX</a> <a href="https://t.co/liDPQLQPd2">pic.twitter.com/liDPQLQPd2</a></div>
— Acton Ostry (@actonostry) <a href="https://twitter.com/actonostry/status/905854492381331456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GHtdnY_gnmE" width="400"></iframe>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-74275695052129573582017-11-08T15:52:00.000-07:002017-11-08T15:54:18.933-07:00Mobile Construction Apps In Theory and Practice<div>
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This article developed in a very unexpected way: Structures are almost always built from the bottom-up. However, the design process can also be construed as information flowing to site. This is what motivated me to research a selection of the top mobile construction apps on the market at the moment to better understand how my work was being used downstream. And this idea in turn started a long trip down the rabbit hole…<span id="goog_465900562"></span></div>
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Key to being effective in the design studio is understanding how the construction drawings I produce are being used. More and more this means my drawings are translated into a digital format appropriate for display on either smartphones or tablets. Not taking care to understand how construction drawings are being used downstream raises all sorts of risks in my mind, mostly anchored in their unexpected behaviour causing inaccuracies and then errors in the final building. Why put such great effort into creating quality construction documents then only have it marred by poor execution due to technology. If there’s something I can do upstream to help make my project partner’s lives in the field easier — inevitably something easy like pressing the right button at the right time in my workflow — I’m fairly confident this small effort on my part can raise the quality of the final building.<br />
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It was with this in mind I started investigating some of the top mobile construction project management apps available in North America. I don’t have access to a project on each platform to compare directly but it’s quite a competitive space at the moment, and there were ample materials available online to compare. One interesting theme that developed which reinforced the competitive conditions of the marketplace was that each was similar to the others across several measurable characteristics. Economist Michael Porter argues that this is exactly what happens as markets become more competitive. When any one product is lacking a feature — documentation, interface, compatibility, etc. — it harms the product in the marketplace because the lacking feature really stands out and swapping to a competitor is very easy without losing other important features. This is in contrast to less competitive fields where innovation stagnates. A product in a less competitive market can often survive with fewer features than the class leading product if it has one feature a core segment of users considers invaluable. There are multiple examples of this type of behaviour in various niche software segments.<br />
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Construction apps, on the other hand, play in the fiercely competitive field of the app store. The market is expanding with extreme rapidity, with clones of clones not being uncommon, and several software developers have the capacity and resources to produce best-in-class products at any one time. This makes the selection process by the designer or general contractor more difficult. Very fine distinctions have to be made in regards to the final choice, often assessing several variables that can never truly be balanced. The sales reps of each company will no doubt tell you theirs is the best implementation of the technology, but, if quoted as truth, this kind of statement will be born out by observation as well. But what is really striking is the degree to which these platforms have converged.<br />
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I took upon myself the burden of seeing ads for this construction app across the internet for the next couple of months as a result of researching this topic. These companies are actually quite aggressive, even displaying ads when searching for their competitors. The best way to show the convergence is visually. This is no easy task since a majority of these websites use fancy HTML5 implementations that fade and zoom graphics across the screen. Still, capturing what I could and comparing them side-by-side is illustrative. They’re all professional websites that are fairly comprehensive.<br />
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<li>PlanGrid</li>
<li>Fieldwire</li>
<li>ProCore</li>
<li>Buildcloud</li>
<li>Geniebelt</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The websites all look similar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The apps also all look vaguely similar.</td></tr>
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One thing I think many people 10 years ago underestimated was that it would be the construction industry driving technology adoption today in the AEC industry. Certainly with BIM, the previous marketing effort was mostly directed at design firms. The theory being that the technology would then flow downhill through the design and construction process. Recent conferences I’ve been to show a different outcome, with strong adoption of BIM in the construction industry because of its strength in supporting detailed scheduling and reporting tasks. Many architects still cling to the purity of hand drawings, while engineers continue to be frustrated by BIM’s perceived clunkiness, but there seems to be some level of <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15578771.2016.1202355">measurable</a> <a href="https://www.construction.com/about-us/press/Study-Finds-BIM-Offers-Substantial-Benefits-for-Construction-Industry.asp">improvement</a> in the construction industry through BIM.</div>
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Construction project management apps have seen similar strong adoption. Canadian builder Ellis Don and construction app Fieldwire presented some interesting numbers at a conference I attended earlier this year about a recent survey of its use. Two conclusions can be drawn which could be helpful to readers. Firstly, with everyone on a construction site pretty much all carrying a smartphone in their pocket and reasonably priced tablets available widely, the distribution of the app was simple and responses positive to its use. Surveys showed people generally liked using it. This really shouldn’t be surprising since we’ve all become familiar with using apps, finding certain ones essential, and others just plain addicting. Secondly, the ability for people in the field to highlight problems in construction, and then streamline the data’s prioritization through all sorts of meta-data and filters offered a measurable process improvement. This resulted in drastic reductions in the time it took to analyze and produce reports simply because the higher quality data having come from being inputted directly into a digital medium with all the accompanying metadata and tagging correctly attached automatically.<br />
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<b><i>How To Chose An Construction Project Management App</i></b>After showing examples of convergence in the marketplace, the question of choosing an app still stands unanswered. Here I am a pragmatist. I’m absolutely convinced of the utility of the technology, but their convergence in the marketplace needs to be accounted for in the decision making process. A general conclusion that should be a relief to decision makers is that, at this moment in time, it’s far more important a project utilize this technology than exactly which platform is selected in my opinion. If there is anyone variable to use in making a choice I recommend looking at the cost of per app installs. This can be quite high, ranging from $15 to $300 per device, depending on the company and configuration. In contrast to their fully-featured websites, the companies have tried to keep their exact pricing structure for large organizations obscured.</div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-80927660744672900102017-11-01T07:30:00.000-06:002017-11-01T07:30:15.909-06:00What is Minimal Design?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The connection shared by all the interiors below is that they are renovations, an important subject as we aim to increase the sustainability of our buildings through reuse and adaption. This piece features one house and two apartments, any one of which would be hard to locate in the world because the stylistic choices made are decidedly international in flavour; a point I will try to reinforce by not revealing their locations. (Though I will, of course, give the designers credit, and readers will be able to reverse engineering the project's location from that.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are no immediate hints at the regions these designs hail from. For this reason, Minimalism is an excellent foil to our architectural criticism as it's a complex style to analyze because of this feature, and therefore its details become important to distinguishing good from bad. Taken as a group, one of the broad themes seen in the examples are that it's hard to balance the good characteristics of minimal design – the refined expression of form, the bright and open interiors, etc. – without having the interiors careen into a style that's sterile and unstimulating. One can almost feel the sharp edge everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First up, designer <i>Rita Aguiar Rodrigues</i> was tasked with renovating a series of suites in a 19th century apartment block. These interiors are so spartan they barely looked lived in. And that's a sad characteristic because it's like a musical instrument that never gets played. The only dinner party I can imagine occurring in the dining room is silent without eye contact. The baseboards and trim are reduced to a minimal profile, with the original wide plank floorboards refinished and greatly lightened to brighten the interior. One standout feature of these apartments are the bathroom suites use of marble. Super beautiful and probably quiet pricy if they also sprung for the fancy nickel-plated Moen faucets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second example from <i>Atelier Barda</i> does have some important context which informs the design. The apartment was actually renovated for a high-end fashion label to use as their guest apartment for visiting collaborators. Therefore, lacking of some personal touches normally associated with a home is more forgivable in this example because of its function as sort of a private hotel. The rusticated and unfinished materials I can live with but I find the kitchen a puzzle. The dark finishes are sure to make one's food look less appetizing and hide how the drawer and cupboards operate. Have you ever been stumped as to how to open a modern cupboard door when all you want is a glass of water? This kitchen embodies that quality. It's hard to even tell where one door ends and another begins. Benches in the kitchen can also be less inviting to cosy up on, assuming one finds enjoyment from entertaining in the kitchen in the first place I suppose. The thin style of the table mores it far away from feeling substantive and grounded. All of this might be forgivable if one accounts for the use of the property as a statement for a brand. So while the architectural risk taking should be applauded, I'm not sure if the results don't land somewhat flat-footed in everyday functionality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lastly is Studio AC's renovation of a long narrow two storey house. The interior is a big improvement for a house built in the 1960s and now daylight spills into the interior. Again window and door frame profiles are kept to a minimum, but more use of warm wood textures throughout keeps the interior from feeling sterile. There are some very odd choices of architectural features like the barn-door style door on the master bathroom and fireplaces stuck everywhere but not made to be the focal point. One can look past these quirks if the client really liked them, but at the end of the day there seems to be very little storage for the family's belongings. Where are all the books and family photos? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One huge home run for this house is the kitchen. Modern cabinets guests can still open with other convenient features included haven't been overruled to make a design statement. The wood framed square arch is great; at once accentuating the form and adding warm textures to the interior. The two marble pieces featured in the island are sculptural in and off themselves, and I think are design choices that will age well. </span>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-12811953841393093312017-10-18T07:30:00.000-06:002017-10-29T18:11:54.868-06:00Evolving Types of Architectural 3D Printing<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Architectural writing allows me the advantage of taking an outsider's view and crash technologies together to draw conclusions. This is why I wanted to bring to reader's attention four current projects that blur the lines between drones and 3D printing on the construction site. This top-down approach is vital to smoothly integrating them into the modern digital design workflow. Ultimately, if my argument is that additive construction techniques are cost-effective and have the potential to raise the quality of the built environment, being open about their research characteristics now is important while they develop into mainstream products of the future. Experimental projects, while valuable learning opportunities, also tend to be prohibitively expensive as positive results are chased with near endless grants to move the subject matter forward. Quality design on a finite budget–big or small–is where most of the market is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The wonderfully name </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Ceramic Constellation Pavilion</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> recently erected in Hong Kong shows the sort of slow evolution the industry is seeing (left). This project does have precedents (the though article states "it's the first in the world") in </span><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">UCLA Berkeley's</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Bloom</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 840 piece 3D printed structure(right). The ceramic pavilion increases this to 2000 uniquely printed bricks and makes improvements in the 3D printed material. Whereas Bloom used an esoteric mix of experimental cement, the Constellation project manages to reduce costs by modifying more readily available terracotta. There's an ingenious interlocking brick design used for the structure in which each brick is unique and contributes to the overall final form of the structure, a quality only achievable with architectural 3D printing. But that leaves one important question, what poor soul was responsible for piecing this whole thing together? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Students of course! The <i>Ceramic Constellation Pavilion</i> being a project of the <b>Robotics Lab at the HKU Faculty of Architecture</b>. But I have a better idea. Or at least argue strongly for a better approach as I only wish it was my idea. For example, 2012 brought a new method to the construction site of letting robotics do the work of placing the bricks. <i>Flight Assembled Architecture</i> was a highly experimental structure, being led jointly by <b>ETH Zurich </b>for their robotic expertise and architects Gramazio and Kohler and Raffaello D`Andrea. Erected in France out of styrofoam bricks it distinctly falls short of what I had in mind. Nonetheless, it easily shows the potential for simpler modular bricks to be placed in a such a way that a more complex form emerges from their arrangement. Patterns can be programed that would drive labours crazy in the real world because of their high-tolerances. This is the exact quality which will allow construction drones to raise the quality of our buildings. It will reduce labour costs while being more effective, but the drones are also more accurate than humans can ever be. With homes and offices built to higher tolerances, one would expect a corresponding increase in quality as well. The exterior could be sealed better against the elements with better placement of insulation etc., each of which contributes to better thermal performance of the structure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since 2012, people have continued to create robots that build and design. A recent project I thought was just great for showcasing the developments in the field was <b>Arup's</b> participation in (the misleadingly named) <i>The DNA of Making</i> in London (see video below). A project in London which features the use of a crazy looking robot which balances itself on wires, controlled by AI, to create and construct the design. I end on it to reinforce that we should be open minded toward what this technology might eventually look like on the construction site. (Sorry about the obnoxious autoplay. Blame Arup.)</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="395" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://cdnapisec.kaltura.com/p/529921/sp/52992100/embedIframeJs/uiconf_id/38407421/partner_id/529921?iframeembed=true&playerId=kVideoTarget&entry_id=1_tio7u7j7&flashvars[streamerType]=auto" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-74450912952046621422017-10-11T08:01:00.000-06:002017-10-16T13:52:13.515-06:00High Performance Teams Design High Performance Buildings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This piece is mirrored from where it was originally posted on <a href="https://medium.com/@perfectarchco/high-performance-teams-design-high-performance-buildings-3f2df37f0b59">Medium.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A connection of mine on Linkedin last month posed this question on her feed: <i>“How did you become a REVIT expert?”</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This struck me as a particularly good question to ask because I think many firms at the moment are trying to improve their performance on BIM projects. To answer is with enough substance to affect change, however, requires a non-trivial effort. A challenge I am up for. Furthermore, I find leaving long replies in those little comment boxes in poor taste. So while they might not have been the right venue for substantive change, I still think a full answer has value. Therefore, though it has taken me a while to circle back around to the topic, what follows is my best attempt at answering her question honestly and thoroughly. We begin by describing some of the answer’s characteristics before turning to the ideas alluded to in the title of this piece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first step any organization can take to start increasing its expertise in BIM is to separate the issue from graphic design. This point is often missed in discussions about BIM. I advocate making a hard break between the topics because they’re two different skills sets in my opinion. To understand how they’re different it’s best to use an analogy; they essentially require different types of exercise to improve. The cause of this oversimplification is understandable when comparing senior drafters with three decades of CAD experience to recent graduates using REVIT. Thinking critically about these differences reveals new solutions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once the separation is made, one suggestion to improve drawing quality is to consider implementing more <a href="https://wower.blogspot.ca/2017/06/how-graphic-design-makes-buildings.html">Information Design in the production phase</a>. I love construction drawings; draft for fun in my free time; and would happily hang good examples on my walls. But I’ve always adopted the approach clients are better served by looking at the output of a complex physical building in 2D linework as essentially an exercise in information design, of which graphic design is a branch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having thus established reasonable limits on our discussion, I wanted to take a moment to deconstruct the system we are trying to develop expertise in to make potential solutions clearer. The formal subject of Systems Theory has a lot to say about how we should approach complex software because it immediately excludes certain problem solving strategies one often sees employed in the field which can lead to frustration on the part of the user. My six years of experience as a systems analyst at a telecommunications company has many parallels with my expertise in REVIT now because of similarities in the nature of the complex software we trying to use to solve non-trivial problems. Taking moment to quickly outline my background, my previous department of 140 people provided technical support to 3000 frontline agents. Our department was their technical helpdesk (among other duties such as analyzing order fallout). As it turns out, telecommunications systems are pretty complicated, and sometimes even helpdesks need helpdesks. That’s where I came in. A core group of 12 of us had advanced system access and training to support our team members, with the additional responsibility we try to pass on this knowledge to other team members when possible. The point to remember is that everyone in the department would have described themselves as an excellent problem solver, but how was I able to distinguish myself to join that core group of 12? I really loved the challenges of that position. It basically assured all the hardest technical problems across the country found their way to my desk; which is exactly where I wanted to be. The nature of the system meant many problems were totally one-offs––never to be repeated––mysteriously disappearing after being fixed. These are the sorts of unique non-trivial problems Systems Theory tells us to expect in a complex software platform like REVIT as well. I observed through my interactions with team members, however, many sought explicit rules to solve them, and this creates a direct obstacle to engaging the creative problem solving needed to tackle unique and uncertain problems. Experience is of limited use when faced with totally new problems like these. To start making headway on them draws upon skills that fall outside direct experience of building, such as critical and analytical thinking. Now we are truly ready to turn to what I saw in these problems which allowed me to help many team members and clients for my time there, and what makes me a REVIT expert and BIM champion now.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>The Rocket Fuel of Creativity & Curiosity.</i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Returning to my colleague’s question, my first answer by reflex was “Creativity!” but I paused just long enough to overcomplicate it, remembering that curiosity, as the twin characteristic of creativity, was also worth mentioning. Considering another, and then another point that would support my expertise, I finally thought better of leaving a long reply. One needs to turn to the strategic decision-making literature or the cognitive neurosciences for the rigorous proof that such a connection exists between curiosity and creativity––that they are indeed opposite sides of the same coin––but a story from my problem solving experiences is probably more appropriate: When I sit with a colleague and try to help them through a difficult problem, one that I might initially be stuck on too, either in REVIT or telecommunications, what becomes apparent is that I’m magnitudes more curious about how these systems work, and how to use them effectively. I’d describe it as a burning and all-consuming desire to know how these systems work. And this approach, after a period of time, indeed bears quite a body of knowledge that can be helpful to the team if shared. Creative problem solving methodologies suggest one should be able to come up with as many alternatives as possible as a way of finding a solution. As a dimension of intelligence I’ve heard this quality be called analogical thinking. Working through a problem this skill is represented by the ability to ask many questions of a it––more than anyone else. Curiosity is the engine of this approach. Where some people can think of two or three good questions, I can fill pages. And as the problems become more complex, and more ambiguous, with more uncertainty, this curiosity in fact creates structure to the problem from which a solution can be found.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">There’s actually quite a lot of further details that can be added to the model, mostly found in the two above mentioned topics in addition to the self-directed learning literature; a subject that for a long time was science’s only guide into unknown fields. The source of this creativity and curiosity in my character is a mystery to me, but I know as an adult it is not without conscious intent that I aim my creativity, which now offers us the requisite point to pivot toward how attitude plays a role in becoming a REVIT expert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">One of the best hints for problem solving at a high level is to quickly and easily admit what you don’t know about the problem, and to be able to make very fine distinctions in that regard––and again it’s curiosity that discovers ways to get that unknown information afterward. “I don’t know” are very easy words for me to say. I came into the world, and will exit it, knowing far less than all there is to know. Standing at the edge of my ignorance is like standing beside a vast and dark ocean. I don’t often get credit for this attitude because another characteristic overshadows it; I approach problem solving with great confidence and positivity. I learn exceptionally quickly; love architecture; and am so thankful that with practice I’ve gained an understanding of how things are designed and built. This positive attitude nourishes the problem solver as they encounter false starts, failures, red herrings, and more yet failure. If readers are looking for a more rigious description of how a positive attitude supports professional expertise, researchers Andreas Fink and Mathias Benedek’s in the 2013 book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17624275-neuroscience-of-creativity">Neuroscience of Creativity</a> (MIT Press) comes to the same conclusion: <i>Positive affect, and even humour, are very relevant to creative problem solving</i>. Now we finally have the background to consciously deploy these attributes on a team to more effectively use REVIT, or any software.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cultivating a positive attitude in the office.</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Working under the assumption that the main goal of a design or engineering firm is to build a lot of valuable architecture, and accepting my suggestion that attitude is a key characteristic defining BIM expertise, then how can one get a whole team going that direction?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Identifying obstacles that come up in the office which inhibit a positive attitude quickly show how to cultivate its opposite. In a stressful environment with a micromanaging boss, it will be hard to look upon a difficult task in a relaxed and positive manner. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-adapt-disruption-through-collaboration-aec-blair-birdsell/">I’ve mentioned elsewhere in my writing</a> I take a very ancient view of leadership, believing the human condition just too complicated to ever order someone to have a better attitude, and then have that directly translate into an increase of expertise. Our aim here is to try to unleash people’s motivation. The shocking view that leadership by listening is an effective way of creating a positive atmosphere in the office will come as a surprise to some. But UK business writer Jo Owen’s research in this direction concludes many leaders who others describe as a great leader have this trait. Helping so many people work through complicated ambiguous problems, I’ve observed they will often tell you what obstacles they are facing to completing the task successfully. Ask a few more questions to understand their motivation and then that can be engaged as well. As Jo Owen notes, the vast majority of people come to work and want to do their best. But how often do we let them? Part of my success on my previous company’s helpdesk was that I was effective at passing on my knowledge (and cheerfully fixing their problem). And this hinged on my ability to listen. I was sensitive to how my teammate was thinking about the problem regardless of how I was zooming toward its resolution in my own quirky way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Design studios and engineering firms are not well served by assuming courses or experience alone bring expertise. It’s much more about preparing the ground to be fertile to positive ideas. No farmer knows how to––or would seek––to direct the growth every stalk. Instead they work to make the field itself healthy to better their chances at a fruitful harvest. This is the best frame of mind in which to try to affect positive change. Hiring for experience is a double-edged sword. Though certified expertise and length of service is an easier metric to compare across individuals, it doesn’t guarantee a hire has any inclination of giving their best effort toward the team’s shared goals, nor holds a positive attitude towards passing their expertise on to others. I leave the role of formal teaching to others who really have a passion for the subject. But I absolutely recognize that an important characteristic of good leadership is the ability to teach and pass on one’s sometimes unique and valuable knowledge in just the sort of cases discussed above. One can’t expect everyone to be at the same level initially, but it’s clear that sharing one’s knowledge is a winning strategy as it has the power to raise the expertise of an entire team over time. And if one’s goal is to build a lot of valuable architecture, the only thing better than one BIM champion, is being able to field a team of them.</span></div>
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-65341331139328912362017-09-28T07:30:00.000-06:002017-09-28T07:30:03.798-06:00Attack of the California Bungalow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taking a swipe at suburbia by being positive elsewhere, I wanted give credit in this piece to a residential style that perhaps deserves a little more attention. What a defines a California Bungalow? I realize now I’ve liked the style without a complete understanding of its characteristics. Will this post be improved if I stray into long description of the style? Probably not. Because a more narrow focus might exclude examples of good design we can learn from. Instead, we counter the risk of over-generalization by being as critical as possible toward the topic in an effort to understand its appropriateness in the 21st century. Just to put some reasonable limits on the subject so we don’t end up in the forest, three characteristics of the style as discussed below: Minimal elevation changes within the site, a bright and airy interior, and post-and-beam construction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Addressing the most trivial characteristic of the bungalow first: I’m not so strict on it being totally flat simply because a couple of steps up or down can contribute a great deal to making the design better by helping distinguish between functional areas or solving other design problems. Also, using elevation changes within a site in regards to landscaping can ultimately make the property more inviting, playing to the natural strengths of a site. There is something to be said, however, about a pure bungalow because users with mobility issues deserve good design too, and I feel this is a population that has been underserved. There is also the fact to consider that implementing a bungalow design is not the most efficient use space. And this feature absolutely needs to be balanced in terms of its appropriateness for sustainable design projects. There are strong arguments to be made that if one really cherished Nature, and the idea of Wilderness, that stacking people is a more effective way to keep tracks of ecologically sensitive areas open for future generations. The dim alternative is to only value a tree once it’s cut down, keep building for the love of freedom, and let anyone younger than a millennial learn about grizzly bears on Wikipedia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are several attributes of the California Bungalow where its light and airy nature contributes to the substance of why this style is such good design. I’ve always been attracted to the Canadian versions of this style (which are known by different names), because I’ve found the quality of interior daylight to be superior than another suburban homes. The long overhangs and skylights make the interior bright, but also limit high contrast areas of direct sunlight which aggravate the eyes. The marketplace doesn’t always acknowledge this as an important quality-of-life factor, but once people live with a space that has excellent lighting design, they notice its absence more. Drawing a larger conclusion about how our neighbourhoods are designed, and how characteristics of Califorina bungalow design can contribute to sustainable development, requires us to go all the way to Japan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Japan’s suburbia looks very different. The houses are smaller to be sure, but Japanese suburbia shares winding roads in common with North America suburbia. The easiest thing to notice by visitors to Japanese suburbia is that all the houses are oriented toward the Sun no matter how the road is placed. Of course, the designers make an effort to create a workable front entrance, but North American suburbia effectively ignores the Sun. Goodness knows how many millions of tonnes of fuel were wasted because of this choice. Japan is not more progressive for orienting their structures toward the Sun, rather it’s a design element that never left their culture in the place. As pressure builds to reduce our carbon footprint, bungalows in a California style can leverage solar power in several ways if more carefully attention is paid to the path of the Sun throughout the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another factor to consider of the open spaces in California-style bungalows is their multifunctional nature. As we strive to raise the quality of our sustainable design projects, the importance we place on spaces catering to multiple roles needs to increase. Multi-functionality is a valuable quality. A random suburban home that has a feature popular in the marketplace when built, in many cases limits reuse for a different function in the future. A slightly more granular view argues designing efficient multifunctional spaces is paramount to cost-effective and high-quality sustainable design. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lastly, we come to the post-and-beam construction many California bungalows utilize. Often this feature is faked with just a couple of timber beams accenting parts of the structure, but several of the projects highlighted in this piece ambitiously hunt for a full expression of post-and-beam architecture. Certainly this premium adds meaning to a structure. Gamble House in the arts-and-craft style, erected in 1929 in Pasadena, Califorina, is an early extravagant example which references many of the qualities that would later come to be associated with the Califorina Bungalow, especially its emphasis on the horizontal. One can dig even deeper into architectural history and draw out connections from Japanese timber architecture to California bungalows. Japanese wood joinery in architecture is probably the preeminent example of the expert execution of post-and-beam construction techniques, and it’s hard to fault home owners for not waiting years and paying handsomely for traditional Japanese carpentry. So it's with degree of acceptance we see faux versions of post-and-beam in modern bungalows as aesthetically a good thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Flavin Architects</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This firm develops new designs and renovates old bungalows. Some of the glass walls featured are very dramatic; if, that is, one is predisposed to living with their draw backs. High performance glass is expensive and some people don’t like wearing clothes at home (who knew?). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Malcolm Davis Architecture</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is an excellent modern interpretation of the Califorina bungalow featuring materials taken from the site itself. Located in San Francisco, its oriented toward the great views offered from the site and captures well the openness of a California bungalow. The reused timber looks amazing and the interior is so bright and airy it’s at risk of floating away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>William Berkes and Robert Brownell</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Super amazing house with great multifunctional spaces. This example is included to round out the category of bungalows showing they can indeed have elevation changes on site or in the design. This house on the East Coast has recently been renovated and I think was very successful at creating a timeless modern style.</span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-14086504175286186752017-09-26T07:30:00.000-06:002017-09-26T09:42:50.512-06:00Architecture Inspired by Nature<div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This topic has a long history in architecture, all the way back to the Greek and Romans if one believes the comments of Vitruvius on the need for the harmony of Nature to be reflected in architecture. This piece reduces that history into a digestible comparison of Nature inspiring each both form and function. </span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nature Inspires Form</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With the recent opening of the <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/9/8/16277638/beijing-chaoyang-park-plaza-mad-architects">Chaoyang Park Plaza</a> in Beijing, good design takes another step forward. Though some may quibble at the use of all-glass facades and the implications for the surrounding urban fabric of such large buildings — and those points are fair when perfect architecture is the goal — ultimately we try to celebrate architecture on this blog and therefore recognize the project for its creativity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The nearly 400,000 sq. ft. multi-building project mixes residential and office spaces in an area that was on a long downward trend before the project reversed its fortunes. Some of the landscape topography of southern China looks quite alien to Canadians, but was expressive and unique enough to traditional Chinese artists and poets to stir their creativity. MAD Architects state an ink-and-brush technique called </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Shan Shui</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> was their direct creative source for these buildings. Why use the art of nature instead of nature itself to inspire? The architects themselves are mum on why but it’s reasonable to assume that one of the historic talents of Chinese artists was their ability to synthesize the essential characteristics of these landscapes in to a poetic form. The two tall residential towers are reminiscent of the ancient wind and rain eroded mountains of southern China, and the other tiered business tower is meant to echo the eroded stone outcroppings one would find along a river. Literature for the project stresses this design program is meant to facilitate a harmonious relationship between the project and it’s surrounding community, and formally I think the project’s final form was a great success.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Nature Inspires Function</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If broadening our investigation to multiple fields, Nature has continually shaped science’s progress. Cancer drugs inspired from the alkaloids found in garlic; nanotechnology progress drawn from the scales found on butterfly wings; etc. Therefore, it should be of no surprise to readers architecture has also relied on Nature to help solve many pressing design problems. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most counter-intuitive requirements of a skyscraper’s structure is the need to allow a certain amount of engineered flexibility in the design. This is in stark contrast to our direct intuition about large structures as being static and solid. Taipei 101's structural system borrows exactly from this analogy to defend against earthquakes native to the region and the effects of strong wind during typhoons. Bamboo has a wonderfully playful nature in which it always pops back into place after the exerted force is removed. Here the architects chose to express bamboo in the final form of the building as well, but it’s bamboo’s characteristics of flexibility and strength that make it a perfect model for skyscraper design. </span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-91915191767326840822017-09-13T07:30:00.000-06:002017-09-13T07:30:24.234-06:00The Cost-Effective Characteristics Of Additive Construction Techniques<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been waiting excitedly all Summer to return to the topic of architectural 3D-printing. Finally the latest news coalesced into something of a coherent point about where this technology is going. I first wrote about the above friendly-looking MIT-created robot earlier this year, and it continues to be a convenient reference point from which to start our story: Construction drones and 3D printing are converging in ways nobody expected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The design studio is still responsible for the design, but the algorithms used in its construction challenge the traditional architecture or engineering firm with a very particular type of expertise. It's a gap in skills I'm not sure exactly how best to respond to; except perhaps to invite in a 3rd-party. In time, machine learning will no doubt come to have a dominant role in streamlining the significant amount of processing needed to make designs machine-readable by construction drones. Some thought will also need to be put into the large geospatial datasets which have now come to represent the construction site, and the structure's coordination within it, because this process has emerged as an area of expertise. Construction drones et al. have to know where they are in 3-dimensions in order to be effective. These challenges might seem daunting to traditional firms, but in reality represent the strengths of digital technology. MIT's research, once refined and commercialized, will offer significant cost savings and increased accuracy when deployed. The construction site might ultimately come to have less people on it, but one, those are the client's savings, and two, lets not forget this shift is creating jobs too, just elsewhere. Getting back to my main point that additive construction techniques are more cost-effective, I argue that firms who start to learn and develop expertise in these areas will begin to gain a competitive advantage against others in the marketplace by potentially offering a cheaper building on a per square foot basis.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">A good analogy for why additive construction techniques are so cost-effective can be seen in the use of 3D-printed sand cores in the metal forging industry. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ExOneCo/">ExOne</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/voxeljet/">Voxeljet</a> are two such companies offering the service. Complex sand cores can be built up of whatever component the client needs greatly shortening the production cycle for the final part. There are also active projects researching methods of printing metal directly from a metal-based ceramic-polymer or powder. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Formlabs/">FromLabs</a> is probably the best known but the field is competitive and many different companies are growing quickly. The fascinating thing about 3D printed metal is how it's managed to advance the subject of material science itself. With all the innovation that's occurring in the field, materials have started to emerge that blur the lines between what is a metal, ceramic or plastic. Australia's Swinburne University of Technology's recent work refining the cementitious material mixture used in architectural 3D printers shows promising results in this vein. The process uses sand and various polymers to create a 3D printed material that shares many characteristics in common with sandstone, but with the added benefit of allowing customization to better suite the goals of the project. Scaling up, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DShape3DPrinting/">D-shape</a> is a UK-based company trying to achieve structural 3D printed concrete. Again – very exciting technology – but limited by its structural qualities. Cementitious 3D printing has the advantage of not requiring formwork, saving both time and materials, and highlighting the fundamental cost-effectiveness of additive construction techniques.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">Another way 3D printing is fermenting radical change in architecture is by opening up the possibility of new architectural forms. Again we turn to MIT to reference developments in a new type of structural system made possible (or at least made greatly easier) with 3D printing. Force-line structures have a healthy background in applied mathematics and engineering, but now find expression on the construction site through MIT's research on <a href="https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/mits-robotic-arm-3d-printers-take-stress-architecture-118012/">Stress Line Additive Manufacturing (SLAM)</a>. Precise placement of the extruded 3D printed material is key to these structures' strength. With time, methods can be found to optimize material usage and that, combined with the lack of formwork, potentially makes the technology very cost-effective to deploy.</span>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-17939129687099001012017-09-07T10:14:00.004-06:002017-09-07T12:09:31.733-06:00Old vs. New: Masterclass <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though what follows is my most passionate praise of good design, I wish to be open from the beginning about my process for selecting examples. The point is not to settle the question definitively, but rather celebrate architecture. Contrasting these periods furnishes us with information and techniques that help elucidate good design in our own communities. Hopefully readers can forgive me for leaving so many excellent architectural examples off the page. This is especially true for a lot of the smaller more intimate projects which I would have included but do not have enough quality reference material available online to draw upon for illustrations. At some point the research has to stop, and celebration of architecture begin!</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Villa La Rotonda, Italy. </span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Andrea Palladio 1508 – 1580. </span></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gently easing us into the subject, we first visit a canonical example from art history. Designed using the ideas of Roman architect Vitruvius, Palladio’s Villa La Rotonda from the late 1560s represents a sharpening and uniting of many architectural ideas before the extravagance of the Baroque and Rococo periods took over in Europe. Ideas of Humanism and the early Enlightenment influenced the structure and are represented in the main central rotunda, around which the whole plan is organized. The plan uses a piano nobile design where the main rooms are located on the first floor above ground level. There are practical reasons for this organization in a historically agricultural societies, but I think the design has benefits in modern times as well, but mostly these benefits draw on Eastern influences (like Feng Shui). Real skill is displayed in achieving the plan’s symmetry. Using symmetry as an organizing principle can contribute to the unity of the whole project. For the most part, however, the method has fallen out of favour in modern times. A result of the broader cultural shift away from Classical and Neoclassical styles because they have come to be associated with what many people would consider retrograde periods of history. Achieving perfect symmetry is a very challenging proposition in any design program however. In my opinion, this difficulty is one of its attractive characteristics. Investigating the site as a whole, how the structure relates to the site also reveals a lot about the how Palladio wanted to shape the building’s relationship with the environment. There’s really no effort made to make the building harmonious with the natural landscape. Instead, it’s full speed ahead to dominate the space with formal gardens which lead the visitor to the Villa. Interestingly, to increase solar efficiency, the building was rotated 45 degrees off the cardinal directions so that each room had quality daylight. Today the building is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is in good condition for visitors. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Himeji Castle, Hyogo, Japan. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Ikeda Terumasa 1565 – 1613, Tokugawa Ieyasu 1543 – 1616.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of the art history I’m most familiar with, Japanese architecture ranks near the top. Many smaller and intimate Zen temples, whose builders’ names are now lost to history, is where my true heart lies. However, with only only one crack at selecting a building to represent the past, Himeji Castle of Hyogo prefecture, Japan, is a bold choice. The whole site is sublime. Established in the 1560s by Tokugawa Ieyasu, its military heritage is not hard to spot, with slots for archers chillingly placed around the grounds to triangulate on attacking troops. However, essentially once completed, Japan began several centuries of peace, which is why the structure handed down to us today in such good condition and has been deemed a World Heritage Site. There’s an abstraction to the layout that will be familiar to modern users, especially with the use of white to define the major forms. The terracotta tiles of the roof form elegant curves which highlights the care that went into its design. There are only aesthetic reasons to pick such a complex design because the people at the time ascribed such meaning to it. Inside the structures, one will see an also absolute tour de force of timber construction of a type we are not likely to see again in modern times. I’ve actually had the chance to tour inside these buildings and the timber construction is amazing. Some of the core vertical timbers are much wider than one could possibly put their arms around. The lack of nails or metal brackets in its construction is one of the factors that gives it such flexibility in this earthquake prone region, but is also a unique characteristic that is quite hard to execute. The rarity of Japanese joinery expertise and the decreasing availability of high-quality slow growth timber of massive dimensions contributes to its limited use in modern times. Himeji Castle is an example that stands alone in the quality of its construction and is not likely to ever be duplicated. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Xiangshan Campus, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Wang Shu, 2007.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">China Academy of Art’s Xiangshan Campus has to be an inspiring place to work. Phase II by Chinese architect Wang Shu, completed in 2007, has many playful touches, but instead of seeming silly, we see a master at work deepening the meaning of every detail, exactly how good architecture should be executed. The structure measured quickly impresses upon the viewer its sharp form and rectilinear design. However, upon reflection, feature upon feature is revealed (only some of which can be addressed in this short piece). Firstly, it should be noticed that the building is actually conforming subtly to an uneven hill side. If one were to walk the perimeter of the building, one would see its extremely complex relationship with the site’s topography. All is controlled and resolved elegantly in Wang Shu’s design. The sort of randomly placed windows mirror the creative and playful interior, but a lot of coordination is needed match the interior with the stair feature wrapped around the exterior which is defining its circulation patterns. The wooden strands woven through the railing is a nice artisanal touch, but close inspection of the stairs show the real conceptual genius executed perfectly as it links the various levels. Many projects would struggle with such a complicated feature (nor would changes in stair dimensions necessarily be allowed). The difficulty of the stair feature justifies this building’s inclusion in this piece but the whole is so much more. Hopefully, when placed side-by-side with Himeji Castle, some of the abstract qualities that we assume are modern, are revealed rather to be timeless. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Pritzkers Residence, Colorado, USA.</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Renzo Piano, 2013. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">A modern villa which compares favorability to Palladio’s is Renzo Piano’s house for the Pritzkers (yes those Pritzkers) from 2013. It’s reasonably safe to assume the clients are of good taste, and indeed the completed project is an architectural jewel. Located in Colorado, the house makes great use of timber to add a steady visual rhythm to the interior. A characteristic of Piano’s designs are great space planning and certainly in this building everything relates to everything else perfectly. I find the spaces so well considered. Each space is proportioned to the others other without anyone ever thinking: This space is too small or too large for its function. The multi-functional requirements of each room are well realized. It must be very interesting to live in such a house. The project is leagues more sophisticated than Palladio in terms of its relationship with the site, the structure being both placed harmoniously within the hillside and playfully cantilevered out. Arguments exist that the sort of Zen-like placement of different site structures is more sophisticated to both design and interpret, but I still think perfect symmetry with the same degree of functionality is more difficult. Another contrast modern readers will appreciate between Palladio’s villa and the Pritzkers Residence is that the building services are so much more sophisticated and complex today. There’s a purity to Villa Rotunda because the major skill necessary to design and build it was structural engineering. A good aesthetic sense is probably helpful but modern buildings and the architect’s role have changed drastically as the need to include other building systems in the design have grown. Residences are still great laboratories for design because their smaller scale allows for greater design risks. The increased complexity doesn’t seem to have phased Piano.</span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-37180573893218083732017-08-16T07:30:00.000-06:002017-08-16T07:30:23.242-06:00Business Analysis of Sustainable Design Best Practices<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Press releases don't often make for a very interesting read, nor are they known for being places of discovery for great blog content. However, in this one case I must break tradition and write about a press release from a structural engineering firm in the States, which, in fact, communicates one insightful idea about how AEC firms can profit from the larger global shift toward sustainable design. So rare is the information that I partly think they might not have intended to put up this sort of competitive information in the first place. I immediately saw the value in it, and assume others did as well, mostly because the information and strategies reported in the release can easily be transferred to other firms. In other words, it can be reversed-engineered. Once understood in the context of one's own firm or project, then it's time to ask the serious question: "How can we do what they're doing but better?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The press release states its purpose is to celebrate the firm's 20,000th solar installation certification. Exercising some discretion, I can report the firm works all over the States on small and mid-size solar installations and certainly to see the sustainable design market mature in size is a good sign of its health. However, I was not expecting the press release to be as forthright was it was in its description of how the firm achieved this milestone. Though I can see their logic, as online marketing values authenticity and sincerity now, and here they have tried to share their expertise transparently. In the end, however, there were definitely elements which stood out that could be learned from and applied elsewhere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The press release notes they improved their numbers by diligently streamlining their workflows. All elements were considered, from their national network of engineers, to drawing up plans, and then certifying them with letters to jurisdictions across the country. There's a balance to strike in a professional environment of limiting endlessly mindless tasks and having policies which contribute to the coordination of the project. What should be recognized is how focusing on and streamlining workflows helped expand their margins for this service. The firm in question proves thinking strategically and critically about workflows and best practices does pay dividends. Inside design studios across the world there barely ever seems time to catch one's breath as deadline after deadline passes. These are not good conditions for the type of reflection and strategic thinking necessarily to accurately set up these workflows so they support users, and don't work against them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I recently made the above image for a post about <a href="http://wower.blogspot.ca/2017/07/how-digital-design-supports-modern.html">how digital design supports sustainable infrastructure projects</a> but wanted to share it again here in this context because it's a good place to start discussing other areas where streamlining workflows and channel efficiencies have benefits. Nowadays in the AEC industry it's common to see larger firms try to capture several phases of the construction and building services industry (vertical integration from pre-construction to post-occupancy). Many of these firms have started to look closely at how to integrate all these different aspects of BIM in one core set of services. Digital design makes clear there are a lot of ways these phases overlap, possibly reducing rework. But this whole cycle only runs smoothly if there's coordination between phases. High-performance teams are going to want to aim for the perfect configuration of coordination policies that balance the features referred to above. Another channel to consider is the sales channel. It's sort of self evident from the image there are competitive advantages to be gained if firms can encourage clients to stay locked into their firm's cycle. There are aspects to the firm/client relationship that can be cultivated</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and invested in to make it more likely a client would choose a certain firm for a project and thereafter see value in a continued partnership. </span></div>
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-49502702649805666472017-08-09T07:00:00.000-06:002017-08-09T07:00:02.896-06:00Will 3D Printing Make the Construction Industry More Sustainable?<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">Reporting on the successes of architecture 3D printing, </span><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qvpw5b/3d-printing-will-make-the-construction-industry-more-sustainable" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; text-align: center;">Motherboard</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> updates the status of a project to 3D print a skyscraper in Dubai. Two takeaways from the piece:</span></div>
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<li>As the first 3D printed skyscrapers are being planned, there is little evidence to suggest we should expect current generation concrete 3D printers' CO2 footprint to be any different than traditional concrete-building techniques. This is a concern insofar as concrete production is a particularly energy intensive industry and thus at conflict with some of the carbon-neutral goals of sustainable design. More can be done to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete in general. </li>
<li>The article highlights the cost-effective nature of 3D printed structures but I am doubtful this should be stressed as the most important quality of sustainable design. In certain constructions of the topic, including issues of housing-accessibility and housing-security in the goals of a sustainable design project is appropriate. But a broadening of the topic is also important to ensure all sources of value in an additive construction tool chain are studied and adapted for business. </li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To put one last important characteristic of architectural 3D printing in perspective, additive construction technologies' ability to apply different optimization techniques in order to save materials and increase strength should be highly leveraged in a digital design workflow. This process has the potential to make the built environment look much more organic as these optimized forms share much in common with natural biological processes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Returning to the skyscraper in Dubai, the research and development the project is leading will continue to be of interest to anyone trying to stay abreast of developments in the AEC Industry. If the method is as cost-effective as they are suggesting, this would be welcomed technology indeed. However, there are many questions remaining as the technology shifts into the mainstream, such as the longevity of the structures after decades of exposure. Modelling from similar materials' behaviour is the most direct way estimate its performance to date. It's worth remembering, jurisdictional approval of such projects depends on the availability of robust engineering data or special approval for the project. Neither route is ideal for large developers looking to reduce risk in design and construction workflows. Jurisdictional and technological issues are unpredictable obstacles on the road to success. </span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-80175959447255658442017-08-02T07:30:00.000-06:002017-08-02T09:00:48.867-06:00How To Achieve Sustainable Postmodern Architecture Through Renovation And Repurposing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Normally, I gravitate more toward complex large-scale projects like a moth to a flame. I balance this attraction by consciously keeping an eye on the renovation market for innovative ideas because some of the strongest arguments in favour of sustainable design are best achieved through the renovation and repurposing of existing structures and materials. </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nadaaainc/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">NADAAA's </a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">recently completed </span><a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/15/nadaaa-overhauls-brick-rock-creek-house-virginia-ample-glazing-plywood-interior/?li_source=LI&li_medium=bottom_block_1" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rock Creek House in Washington D.C.</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, is an interesting case study of how far this paradigm can be pushed. With this study it's hoped ideas and methods will surface that will be of benefit to the community of sustainable designers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was initially introduced to this modern-looking building the same way many others discover new buildings these days: Through my social media feed. (I apologize I no longer remember which platform but I know way more about the building now anyways.) The project initially stuck out to me because it looked like such a good example of postmodern architecture. The asymmetrical placement of the windows is well balanced. There is great detailing around the windows. And the texture of the exterior brick was very unique; almost ancient, but also deep. However, I was surprised to learn the original house was built in the 1920s, and then bowled over when I learned how radical the renovation had been (as the below image attests).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The use of brick many in residential and commercial projects is lamentable. Bricks themselves have several desirable characteristics such as their cost effectiveness and thermal properties. However, too often the material seems to be used without any meaning attached to its use. It can lead to the brick looking out-of-place in these cases. Leaving aside that one design issue for the moment, Rock Creek House leveraged some of its best qualities by reusing the original house's exterior brick, but drastically reworking its configuration. I think this was a really good choice for the project. The diverse range of tones from a grey-brown pallet gives the exterior a great texture. Care has been paid to the window casing details, which in all images of the building are about as slim and clean as construction allows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Moving to the interior. it's drastically different than the 1920s original as well. The designers have gone in a much more conceptual direction. The main stairs' railing is the best example of how radical some of the interior features are. Each will fall where they may as to if they like it or not. I don't mind the boldness except for where it becomes inconvenient and nonfunctional and for the most part the features seem designed with functionally in mind. I find echoes of Japanese design in some of the plain surfaces throughout the house. Great interior lighting from the big windows. On the sustainability front, the design team did an excellent job elevating the use of sustainability sourced plywood in the interior, with again the feature stairs highlighting its use in a parametrically-derived form. </span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-71736733658340771062017-07-26T07:30:00.000-06:002017-07-26T07:30:06.922-06:00How Digital Design Supports Modern Sustainable Infrastructure Projects<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Waking up every morning wanting to improve one's knowledge of BIM is a welcomed characteristic in the AEC industry. Expanding the group of stakeholders who could potentially benefit from the use of BIM in their project is the focus of this article. "Building Information Modelling" has it right there in the title: we should focus on buildings. This misconception contributes to one reason why I've slowly been shifting from strictly describing the use of REVIT or Sketchup as BIM, and have adopted them as tools in a more comprehensive digital design strategy. Infrastructure projects are a good example of where this technology is expanding to. These tend to be projects where construction is going on, but it isn't necessarily building related. This field is an important area of application for BIM because these projects benefit from same positive characteristics of BIM as vertical building: that being better coordination, earlier visualizations, more streamlined production workflow, etc. (I'm assuming my audience is well-acquainted with the benefits of BIM.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The AEC industry is therefore faced with a choice to either focus more broadly on digital design, or continue to distinguish between horizontal building projects, like rail interchanges and mining concerns, and traditional vertical building projects. My advice is to ignore the debate over whatever to call it – it's a question that doesn't need to be answered at this exact moment. The far better goal, which is also more difficult to achieve, is to make sure </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">your organization is fully dedicated to capturing the value of digital design on every level of the project: that being mostly found in the characteristics of collaboration and coordination, and analysis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An example using computational architecture in a production workflow.</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Say I've been tasked with laying out 300 km of pipe across some terrain in beautiful Southern Alberta (seen above). It's a very linear problem: There are not a lot of features on either side of the pipe to help orient oneself to the project. However, there is a good chance that despite the problem presenting itself as highly linear with many repeated elements, a great deal of engineering detail is subtly chan</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ging along the length of the pipe that </span></span><i style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">absolutely</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> must go on the drawings correctly. <span style="background-color: white;">"Here the ability of computational architecture and programming skills to setup overview templates and routines which 1) automate the precise and equal spacing of views along the pipeline track and 2) cross-references engineering specifications contained within the view to some other human-readable format (the subject of data visualization).</span> T</span><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">his translates in a production workflow as a nice cheat sheet that always references the important engineering data scaled to an appropriate layout of the project. This sort of script could be as sophisticated or simple as a firm's programming skill and project resources allow and benefits in terms of efficiency gains and increased accuracy will follow proportionally. In navigating these questions the topic of software development is the most likely source of information about the problems currently facing the AEC industry. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lastly we come to Circular BIM which has implications for many firms wishing to offer the market a full suite of building services from pre-production to construction to post-occupancy facilities management. I don't remember where I first heard this idea but after applying it consistently for a period, the concept continues to shed light on how firms can attract projects at any stage of their lifecycle. Interpreting from within an economic framework of BIM, it's hard to ignore the many applications of digital design and data science to the field. Take for example the strong growth in the market for scan-to-model services of existing buildings. The real estate and development sectors see great value in digital models in the facilities management field. The decommissioning process is also another natural area to apply BIM.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> As counter-intuitive as it may sound to long time readers, situations arise where BIM for decommissioning and demolishing is the perfect digital platform for the project, supporting many automated quantifying tasks with only a little post-processing of the scan-to-model data. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is contrasted to how BIM was framed as just a building tool at the beginning of the piece. Firms wanting to expand in any market are going to want to invite clients </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">to start their project anywhere on the BIM circle. Smaller firm might what to focus on only a couple of BIM phases to gain a competitive advantage in them. Larger firms will have an easier time establishing a complete tool chain to capture projects anywhere in the cycle. </span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-52578900124368723002017-07-12T07:30:00.000-06:002017-07-12T07:30:12.427-06:00How to Reuse Materials in Architecture with Help From Robots<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Normally I don't write about this sort of topic, instead preferring slightly more serious subjects, but a new Sketchup plugging, <a href="http://www.robertkovax.com/trussfab-fabricating-sturdy-large-scale-structures-on-desktop-3D">Trussfab</a>, caught my eye, and I've only now had time to look into the technology further. The research project aims to combine several technologies – 3D printing, structural optimization, and construction tracking – to build pretty much whatever you can imagine out of recycled/reclaimed plastic bottles. I found the playfulness of the project's aims really engaging. My creative side sees many useful applications for theses types of structures, all the while putting an exclamation point behind the awesomeness that is sustainable design.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't think it occurred to me that such a recycling program was ever executable, which I guess is what prompted me to learn more. Most of the process will be familiar to causal Sketchup users, and the plugin allows specially created forms in the shape of tetrahedrons and <span style="color: black;">octahedra to be placed by users. The program keeps track of all the modularity for you. The plugin also has a built-in </span><span style="color: black;">structural analysis tool which warns users about possible weaknesses in the design. The last step is to fabricate the connectors. Again, computation to the recuse. With another set of analytical tools the program figures out all the needs for hubs and connectors and outputs them to the 3D model file format of your choice for 3D printing. Installation is a breeze because the program tracks all the pieces and prints a unique ID on each. </span><span style="color: black;">Below attached is a time lapse from last month's </span><span style="color: #333333;">CHI'17 robots conference in Denver, CO. and shows how the structure was built and fills the space. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">In an effort to make architecture seem more dangerous and alluring, I guess we should point out some of the things to be careful of if attempting a plastic bottle truss project:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because of the inherent lightness of plastic bottles, there is little risk of severe injury or damage if a structure happens to topple over during construction. However, that is not to say there isn't a point where its possible to build a structure so large failure would be catastrophic. All that to say there is a point in these projects where an engineer's services will definitely need to be engaged. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reclaiming a product for another use can absolutely be put in the win column. However, it's important to remember plastic is a diabolical substance, literately saving lives in certain surgical situations, but at the same time also slowly poisoning the environment. These projects don't so much as stop that process but hold it off. I think many are starting to make better long-term choices about plastics, but there's a heck of a lot in the environment now or on its way there directly, which I had no role in putting there. And while I'm not placing blame on whoever thought it was a good idea to just allow ships to toss there garbage overboard, nor do I really have a good idea about what to do about it. (But I would plead we please leave some fish in the ocean for my grandchildren.)</span></li>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The connection between these types of applications and Calgary's Beakerhead events or any world engineering festival is easily made. This program so greatly lowers the threshold for constructibility on these types of structures that it effectively gives a much larger population access to this technology. This is a bit of a double-edged sword in and of itself. While these sorts of projects popularize and demystify the field of engineering for students, the ease from which these structures can be built and made to look infinitely complex can dilute their artistic impact. Hence the important role of architectural criticism in all this; to be always pushing for a deeper meaning and good design</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also wouldn't count out some innovative uses for this type of technology in regards to low-cost structures like temporary or emergency shelters</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. The world is so big that I have no doubt creative people will look at this tool chain and imagine completely novel applications that haven't been considered yet.</span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-41757264416266773032017-07-05T10:37:00.001-06:002017-07-07T09:19:50.450-06:00How Computational Engineering Supports Better Building Quality <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">News of Dynamo's achievements are starting to spread widely, but that's not to say it can't be helped further. I'm normally a bit more focused on the production side of computational architecture but this use case for computational architecture by ARUP and Populous really highlighted some of the benefits of using this technology. Populous is a small firm with a growing international presence but in this project's style and trends were not the only factors driving the early design phase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The </span><a href="http://blogs.autodesk.com/bim-and-beam/2017/06/26/arup-national-football-stadium-in-sydney/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">linked case study</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> explores how ARUP provided Populous with 12 detailed structural options in 12 weeks for Australia's proposed National football stadium. Without the computational support the article states they would have only produced 3 or 4 options in the same time period. From the perspective of the client, this increase in design options represents a better search of the total solution space. This translates for the building design manager as an increase in building quality. The source of this extra value is in the application of iterative design techniques. One of the characteristics of this application worth pointing out is the detail contained in the options. Dynamo was as much responsible for increasing the number of options analyzed but also, importantly, increasing the detail. In this data-intensive age where econometrics is replacing economics, the increased level of model detail drove more accurate cost estimates, certainly for materials, as ARUP's specialty is structure, but also I assume construction costs as well, which depends heavily on the complexity of the geometry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A last point to note is where ARUP stopped using Dynamo in the project: At the building performance analysis stage. ARUP owns a software company and therefore probably has little need for other 3rd-party software to analyze their projects to the quality they want. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, Dynamo is not optimized for the types of calculations seen</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in structural analysis, nor its interface, </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">giving 3rd-party products an advantage.</span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is beginning to change as Dynamo matures as a programming language. A team in Europe has spent a great deal of effort putting together an Dynamo-based structural optimization package called </span><a href="https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/dynashape-published/11666" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">DynaShape</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. Considering its aim, the software is a bit complex to use. And I can't speak to the quality of its output either, that being a whole other complicated subject. But the code is open-source so those curious enough can find out for themselves. There are some videos included in the link as well which give a clearer idea about the capabilities of the package, though I wish they were longer. </span></div>
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-69505160095010064632017-06-28T06:00:00.000-06:002017-06-28T06:00:01.821-06:00Celebrating the Architecture of Zaha Hadid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There have been various tributes to Zaha Hadid over the past year and now it's my turn to contribute. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I accept an architect's portfolio can vary in quality over time. However, I didn't have any problem picking out four of my favourites for this piece, leaving Wangjing SOHO and her work for The London Science Museum's Architects' Mathematics project as close runners up for inclusion. Hopefully this piece strikes a loud celebratory tone, even if I can't help but mention some of the buildings' neglected details. What I really want to throw a party for is Hadid herself. She has an amazing story and I really admire her tenacity to build. It's definitely something I can identify with. Her extraction from the Middle East and representation of that culture in modern architecture has improved our cities immensely. She had the honour of being the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004. I will end by saying if you enjoyed the post, please consider sharing it with at least one friend that needs a smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan, 2013</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">A small problem about this building cropped up in the preparation for this post: It looks good from every angle. This fact made it difficult to pick a favourite perspective. Once in view, it's a hard building to take one's eyes off of. Hadid really seems at her most inspired here. The interior is a bit strange, with the main entrance foyer in pure white. I know it's to accentuate the forms but the atmosphere has always struck me as a bit sterile. I've never heard any reports back as to the auditorium's acoustic performance but I imagine its relative remoteness plays a factor in that. Returning to the exterior, it will be interesting to see how the future treats the glass finishing, the main building tiles using a glass-reinforced polymer and the plaza a glass-reinforced concrete.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Jockey Club Innovation Center, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2014.</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This building in particular does such a good job channelling the futuristic style of Japanese science-fiction anime. I don't know if that's what Hadid was aiming for when she designed this building, but overall, the building's stance does an excellent job communicating its forward-thinking purpose; the perfect message for a university. Many buildings in our communities don't stray far from the traditional rectilinear form and wear their value engineering as an aesthetic. I really applaud the clients for their open mindedness in this project. The way the facade twists and wraps around the exterior adds a lot of visual interest to the building.</span></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Library and Learning Centre University of Economics, Vienna, 2013</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This building is also really interesting from the air but I liked this view of the main entrance better. The interior, for the most part, sticks to all white again but I think the spaces are much better handled in this project and don't seem so sterile or monolithic as the Heydar Aliyev Center above. Here I think the comparison to postmodern Japanese architecture is also apt because that is a category of architecture which also highlights the sophisticated possibilities of pure white interiors.</span></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Investcorp building, Oxford, 2015.</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I wanted to include this smaller project from her studio because it showcases her excellent conception of novel interior spaces and approach to matching modern architecture to traditional settings. Sometimes whacky curvilinear rooms never really work functionally but much of Hadid's work pulls off this difficult balancing act between form and function. The interior views of this building confirm how much planning and effort went into designing these spaces. The exterior is where I see the most Middle Eastern influence but have been struggling to find the words to express it. Housing some of the facilities for Oxford's School of Middle Eastern studies, I imagine this project was meaningful to Hadid. It's parametric roots are obvious but somehow it's proportions exemplify the dignity of the region that couldn't be accomplished by a Japanese of North American architect. That said, perhaps others will see this building distinctly in the modern international style that could be placed anywhere.</span></span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-19559377885840867292017-06-14T07:30:00.000-06:002017-06-14T08:25:28.907-06:003D Printing in the Design Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Surveying the complete field of architectural 3D printing, this week instead of studying structures large enough to walk through, we introduce two firms broadly implementing 3D printing across their offices. The </span><a href="http://www.atimes.com/article/3d-printing-became-super-tool-aedas-architects/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Asia Times article</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> is interesting for its insights into this transition, but also what questions it never asks which I think are important from my involvement with the field. Starting with a bit of context, while my architectural education jumped directly to 3D printing, I don't think architectural model-making is going anywhere, but it's important we keep the tradition in a proper modern light, recognizing what's good about scale models and why they're so helpful to the design process. Like many things, digital technology has changed the dynamics of what scale models can do for a design project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">International architecture firm Aedas had the goal of introducing 3D printing to all of their offices in China. In their reason for establishing the goal Benny Chow, director of sustainability at Aedas, states “We are architects, and we love and understand design. But all customers do not understand design. By using 3D printers and models, we can explain and illustrate our thoughts. It makes it easier for our clients to understand and to make decisions.” Very true. The article goes on to state, "Cost-wise, the investment in 3D technology is minimal compared with the savings." Well anyone responsible for building design management will welcome cost savings in the design process because of better decisions earlier from the client. The characteristics of providing a professional service (as opposed to a consumer good) means the marketplace is also competitive on qualities not necessarily representatives in the cost alone, such as quality, which leads to my second point: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here my I go further than the Asia Times article, stressing the role a scale model can play in helping designers understand the complex 3D relationships of a form and different 3D qualities of the form, such as shadows and perspective. This helpfulness is, to a great extent, detached from how the 3D scale model was produced. Establishing a rapid iteration workflow with 3D printing combined with the superb communicative properties of scale models raises the quality of buildings. While Aedas seems to focus on 3D printing benefits to clients, B+H Architects' Toronto studio's <a href="https://www.bharchitects.com/en/2017/02/28/%E8%AE%BE%E8%AE%A1%E5%B8%88%E5%B7%A5%E5%85%B7%E7%AE%B1%EF%BC%9A%E6%B2%9F%E9%80%9A%E3%80%81%E5%8D%8F%E4%BD%9C-%E6%8A%80%E6%9C%AF/">piece talking about taking delivery of a Stratasys 3D printer</a> comes closer to illustrating my second point, here quoting at length:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Designers use scaled models to demonstrate the fundamental form of buildings. 3D printing models enable the possibility of presenting several options at once. For example, possible designs can be made to fit into a scaled contextual layout of the surrounding area (e.g. a city block) to understand how a proposal will integrate into its immediate environment. A physical model can demonstrate that a building will comply with view corridor restrictions and it can also show how a design will complement the neighbouring cityscape as it impacts form in the area.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Advanced tools and technology can multiply possibilities and create endless opportunities, but at the end of the day, the people using technology are integral to project success. Despite the many things that technology can do, people are essential to the curation of data during the process and designers offer a skilled eye for composition to understand what can and can’t be achieved. In the end, comprehensive design solutions are the result of careful curation where possibilities are vetted for sheer aesthetic and other criteria like material availability and cost. Designers can anticipate needs and intuitively connect with what makes the most sense for the context — and there’s no technology in the world that can teach that…yet."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So assuming your firm is humming along taking full advantage of all the benefits 3D printing's offers, there is one last reminder about 3D printers in offices worth repeating: Depending on the printer model, some are really <a href="http://wower.blogspot.ca/2016/02/indoor-desktop-3d-printing-warning.html">not meant for indoor use</a>. The types Aedas uses which are producing models 24/7 365 days a year require their own specialized room with upgraded ventilation. I'm keeping my hopes up for an environmentally sustainable closed-loop printer. But until then, office design will once again adapt to include an additive manufacturing suite in the design studio. </span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-8486927034153979692017-06-08T07:30:00.000-06:002017-06-08T09:54:57.937-06:00How Graphic Design Makes Buildings Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVJLEmEkSOnagieDWVx0Gzku0c0HS6VS-rP9tqLu6xcUtDAArWY3qVk0Rj2N-j3T6pmMj-xNFbug7za5ZzqqXsKmndFCnn74IcrgaDQEG033t0h0NGNZFM66GdhJ94Ko5kPlQ2Q/s1600/ugotta222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVJLEmEkSOnagieDWVx0Gzku0c0HS6VS-rP9tqLu6xcUtDAArWY3qVk0Rj2N-j3T6pmMj-xNFbug7za5ZzqqXsKmndFCnn74IcrgaDQEG033t0h0NGNZFM66GdhJ94Ko5kPlQ2Q/s320/ugotta222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Over the last couple of weekends, in honour of Edward Tufte's work on information design, I drafted a visual example of one helpful principle from his lifetime of work. His work is so helpful in this particular instance because, beyond describing the importance of clarity in linework and colour selection, he also offers guidance on how best to choose them. Each should be proportionally chosen by their "smallest effective difference" relative to other elements (which the below image tries to represent; click to enlarge). The middle panel shows my best attempt at perfecting the balanced linework, with the two extremes set to each side, one with the line differences exaggerated and the other using all the same line weight. </span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Why: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Competency in information design is core to the fluent and detailed expression of architectural ideas. The reason I meet the subject with such intensity is because I recognize construction documents as central to the design process and building awesome structures. The graphic design characteristics of construction documents are actually responsible for communicating things with completely nontrivial risks attached to them like structural loads and electrical capacities. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These documents have to go out perfectly. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My appreciation of construction drawings and architectural renderings extends into the artistic, and a well-rendered architectural section would not be out of place on my apartment walls. We all sort of have an intuition there's something scientific about graphic design, but Edward Tufte's work was significant because it established the field in a larger scientific context borrowed mainly from the cognitive neurosciences and statistics. I return again and again to the three books I own of Tufte's:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Visual Display of Quantitative Information</i> (1983)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Envisioning Information</i> (1990),</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative</i> (1997)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">They are exceptionally good books and I've never felt the need to expand past them (with the exception of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/39248.Ellen_Lupton">Ellen Lupton's</a> excellent work for Princeton Architectural Press).</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>How: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I think more than anything my accomplishments in graphic design lay in the intensity with which I bring to bare the topic. Having understood information design's central role in construction documents and architectural renderings, I attack the subject with zeal and make no apologies for being a perfectionist when it comes to the graphical quality of my work. Assuming one is properly motivated to summon the care necessary to match the challenge, these particular images were all made in Adobe Illustrator CC. Two of the references are from Francis K. Ching and the top parapet is from one of my building science texts.</span></span><br />
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-79859177104445359322017-06-06T07:30:00.000-06:002017-06-06T07:30:02.432-06:00How to Build Strong Narratives in Architecture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In response to some of the positive feedback I've been getting about </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/perfectarchco/" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">my writing over on Instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, I thought it would be nice to collect some of the best here in one spot for easy reading. If you enjoy the content, please consider sharing. It's all meant to put a smile on the face of anyone involved with the daily struggles of building and design.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are two reasons we should be concerned about supporting quality architectural writing: Firstly, as a reaction to the deteriorating quality of architectural writing in general. This trend has very little to do with the architectural profession itself, but rather is being driven by the negative qualities the internet tends to exaggerate. Short attention spans in this case. Here architectural writing is just as much a victim of the need to feed the content treadmill as other industries. This trend isn't set to reverse itiself anytime soon. The numbers I've seen from 2016 seem to confirm that sharing lower quality content more often works better than only sharing good quality content less often. I'm only one person, so when I see numbers like this, my response is to zig when the rest of the field zags. I reject letting the need to feed the content blackhole take over my life, so that means doubling down on quality. This leads to the second reason why we should strive for quality in architectural writing; the subject of architecture deservers well-written stories driven by strong narratives, whether fiction or nonfiction. Architectural writing might seem like a small field, but it has a disproportionately large effect on the built environment we inhabit everyday. The better the writing, the better our analysis and the more people will be moved by the substance of the work.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I think two reasons my work stands out on the platform is because of my background in creative writing and the strong narratives I'm able to develop. My process at arriving at each of those characteristics is a bit more nebulous; in the sense that creativity occurs inside a mystery box we can't see into. Having received some success with writing in high school, I now see that positive feedback in the late 90s as key to establishing my skill through practice during the intervening decades. If one is able to develop a strong narrative, even in a limited space, then I think it's possible to tap into very ancient parts of humanity everyone shares from when groups huddled around campfires and told stories. Tapping into those feelings, but bringing them to bare on topics relevant to modern architecture such as 3D printing or collaborative design, is a major goal of my work. As I've matured as a writer, I've come to recognize that I treat skill in design and skill in writing as very distinct. This affects how I write insofar as I think the skills of writing should be subservient to the skills of design. Excellent communication skills – as this piece about writing and Thursday's piece about graphic design illustrates – are core to the fluent expression of architectural ideas, either abstract or detailed. And for those that love architecture; that is where the game is played. Writing, drawing, are just extensions of that passion. Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQdeASFg_Ax/">February 13, 2017</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A boy is playing with LEGO. A radical idea pops into his head. Not only should his house have a space port, can't it also be made of wood and raised on stilts? Is there room for a candy store, pool, and swing set? Will a Pokemon arena fit between the bunkbeds and science lab? There's no time to lose! Think big and remix architecture!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRUY_GqAuJ7/">March 7, 2017</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">152 words.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Engineer sat quietly at the computer. His other team members had left hours ago for other commitments but he was determined to stay right beside the computer until the solution was found. 5.2-billion data points; almost 3 months pre-processing the data for the run; one very bad quality assurance meeting; finally the day of the computation had arrived. Estimates suggested they should have their answer in less than 24 hours. The Engineer was determined to sit there all night if he had to because he knew it was a historical day. They wouldn't get a design proposal. Not a first draft. Not a concept. They would have the perfect solution. 24 hours passed. 48 hours. 72 hours. Something was wrong. A week. 2 weeks. Meetings started about how long they should wait. Preliminary investigations begun into what went wrong. 3 weeks. 1 month. Perhaps the perfect building wasn't possible after all.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BReXoiQAKHh/">March 10, 2017</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">121 words. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The professor stood at the edge of the silent construction site. No amount of raging at her assistants would restart the project. They needed to be smart. The professor took a deep breath and sighed as she looked over to her struggling grad students huddled around the unmoving timber-producing 3D printer. All the wires and pipes checked out. Scanning the 3D printer code again on her laptop, nothing stood out to her that could be causing the issue. Out of frustration the professor kicked the pulp tub beside her. With a *glurp* and a *swoop" the 3D printer whirled to life. The grad students cheered. Ok, that time they just needed to be lucky. Thanks for following! Good luck next week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSMKTeOAZLI/">March 28, 2017</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">202 words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The search and rescue drones had departed a week ago. Now all that was left was a silent site and massive pile of twisted steel. Sharp and tangled, it looked like an uninviting challenge. Our hero engineer stood at the edge of the site looking on with contempt at the disaster before her. This needed to be fixed? With her army of construction drones? With the robotics engineers she led? With her double engineering degrees in structural engineering and computer science? This mess didn't stand a chance! She had a plan, she had her digital model, all that was left was to hit the return key to start the building program. She paused, disgusted other humans could do this to beautiful architecture, but confident she and her team could raise another better building in its place. The robotics engineers murmured behind her doing the final calibration checks of the drones and geospatial dataset. With excitement rising, the reports of all clear came back to her one-by-one. With a deep breath, she pressed the start button, and with it the site came alive with the sounds of whirring, clicking, beeping, and buzzing which now mark the 21st century construction site. Build build build!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSeiBRbgAqC/">April 4, 2017</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">128 words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Slumped in her chair, she had heard "No" all morning. From her boss; from her team; even from the coffee shop in the lobby who were out of dark roast. This did not bode well for her presentation on sustainable architecture in the afternoon. As junior partner she had worked hard for weeks developing an impactful presentation and be as prepared as possible for any client question. The proposal included an aggressive water conservation program to be sure, but she had never been the sort of person to aim for mediocre. She didn't get out of bed every morning to do average. Now the horizon looked darker and goal totally uphill. It was time for her secret weapon to swing momentum back in her favour: Cake for everyone!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BTbfVsWg59I/">April 28, 2017</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If I had to write a story about harnessing the power of BIM to support facilities management, I'd start with a frustrated character, unable to see what they're aiming for. There's so much at stake, so many moving parts, and at the end of the process an owner expecting a perfectly operational building. But the designer can't see all of this. The modern-day digital operation of a building is intense. One might as well take up brain surgery for all there is to know about the details of digital building ownership. But what if the designer had a map? Would that help them see the field? Now they would actually know what they're aiming for, but with the added benefit of not needing to know every detail, just like a real map. After hitting the target, the designer becomes a hero to owners and developers; babies smile, unicorns frolic, and Spring arrives! Thanks for following!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUKGAniAYy0/">May 16, 2017</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The three students finally found each other on the sprawling Minecraft map and set off to find the perfect location for their building. Carefully prepared at school all week, during language arts and math, lunch and recess, the design now contained every conceivable feature a castle/cave/mansion could ever need: Slides, pools, huts, and potatoes. Now standing at the top of a mountain after school Friday, the three students looked determinedly at the plains below where they planned to build all weekend. Those luckily enough to have played with LEGO when they were younger will be familiar with how time flies when the brain shifts into this creative gear. Suddenly it was Sunday night, the castle only three-quarters done, and delicate negotiations going on between parents and students about bedtime. With good intentions the discussion started, "yes, learning design is important and your teamwork is admirable, but..." In the face of the students' commitment to design and build the arguments finally wilted and took on a desperate tone "...just because!" If you feel the urge to build and create, please don't resist and build build build!</span></div>
bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-37469963824532237582017-06-01T07:30:00.000-06:002017-06-01T10:41:37.624-06:00Computational Architecture in a Production Workflow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Besides maybe writing about Japanese architecture, one of my favourite topics to write about is computational architecture because its study so directly applies to those serious about building a lot. Knowledge of parametric and computational design techniques are increasing within the AEC industry. However, the use of this technology to define the form of high-concept, high-design projects – while very dramatic – represents only a small portion of what actually gets built every year. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which really need to be unpacked here, because the substance of this article is concerned with expanding the range of buildings that could conceivably be supported by parametric and computational architecture techniques. A much larger area of application is indeed on the production side; harnessing computational architecture to facilitate efficient production workflows to design and build as far as the eye can see.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The uses of the DynamoBIM visual programming interface within the production environment is pretty much unlimited, and different firms will have different pain points they might possibility want a tool like Dynamo to fix. A <a href="http://therevitkid.blogspot.ca/2015/04/marcellos-dynamo-bim-tutorial-list.html">long list of Dynamo production tutorials</a> representing a range of functions put together by The Revit Kid author Jeffrey A. Pinheiro illustrates this point. From a strategic and organizational perspective, in the design studio it's important to remember problems still exist within the spaces between tutorials, and problems exist between those spaces too, and so on. Therefore, what follows doesn't focus so much on coding specific scripts, but rather offers guidance on how to think about Dynamo when faced with a problem in REVIT, either design-wise or technical. Encouraging a perspective that comes directly from business school, the first and last measure to use when navigating this question is whether it's cost prohibitive or not to use Dynamo when the same thing could be accomplished in REVIT alone. But even this framing of the question doesn't capture its full complexity because some scripts will take a lot of effort to initially code but could offer substantial gains to subsequent projects. I love the complexity of this topic, which is exactly what a modern building project is, so we press forward:</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Coding efforts that can be reused and have a reasonable chance of being brought to fruition on time and on budget are good candidates to consider when trying to expand an organization's application of computational architecture on the production side. Luckily, we've have a huge body of knowledge about how to do parts of this process from the software development industry. As a mature industry, they have lots to say about expertise in programming, and the factors which influence software development. However, the depth of this field also results in an extremely wide range of talent coming into the AEC industry. There is a huge range in programming skills. What would take me hundreds of nodes in Dynamo could be accomplished in a block of Python code by some members of the DynamoBIM forums. Is their code objectively better? Probably. But these scripts and programs need to make it back to the production environment, where their success is judged on a physical building, therefore, this specific knowledge in programming needs to be balanced with specific knowledge of building science and building design management.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I can imagine some uses of computation architectural in the conceptual stage for more conventional projects. Building performance analysis, for example, delivers lots of useful information to drive high-performance sustainable design efforts without necessarily aiming for the Pritzker prize. But really the use of Dynamo can start right at the very beginning of the production cycle to set up comprehensive REVIT project templates that are both more complex than previous and more accurate/consistent (because use of Dynamo can drastically lower the threshold for implementing quality assurance steps within the development process). Coming from a structural engineering background, I've seen some egregious carelessness in studios setting up grids. They always get coordinated and fixed before documents ever start going out, but what boggles the mind is how they crop up in the first place. Interfacing with Dynamo, precise control of the grid layout is increased, but the workflow to return helpful information to the design team about its accuracy is also reduced. This extends to any object in REVIT where coordination and precision is key. The example sits at the core of why Dynamo is so helpful: Complex operations can be done to the 3D model easier, but information can also be taken and structured from the model just as easily.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Establishing a library of reusable DynamoBIM scripts can eventually grow into a valuable knowledge management asset for an organization. However, sometimes these challenges in the design studio require one-off solutions to fix. One can take elements from the modelling environment and manipulate them in all sorts of complex ways using formulas that would be impossible to accomplish in REVIT alone. This feature can solve many problems if some skill is gained in coding and controlling lists in Dynamo. So if only a certain configuration of elements needs to be updated, computational architectural is the tool that allows these operations to be carried out on the digital model with greater accuracy and efficiency than ever before. Both the ability to reuse powerful scripts and having a computational architecture Swiss army knife to assist problem solving each combine to increase productivity in the production stage. ArchSmarter writer Michael Kilkelly has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxxIm8HGgGs">an excellent video up</a> showing some advance MEP scheduling of >1000 pieces. If one has the power of MS Excel to shape schedules, these sorts of operations become trivial. It's so important in the production phase to be constantly harnessing the efficiency and accuracy gains offered by computational architecture. There is so much positive feedback to be gained in these sorts of systems as the team's skill at programming improves and library of quality scripts grows.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The market battleground where sharp computational architecture skills will be an advantage in the future is sustainable architecture. Building performance analysis is still very much a black art in the AEC industry. REVIT's out of the box optimization and analysis packages are wildly inaccurate but at the same time building performance analysis still has all sorts of valuable insights to offer the design process. Streamlining building performance analysis with DynamoBIM has all sorts of benefits, though the main obstacle to increasing accuracy remains outside the scope of Dynamo alone to fix, and will require more industry research and coordination. There is no easy to way navigate the helpfulness of Dynamo in the design process (and the risks of inaccurate analysis) except to encourage an intelligent case-by-case approach. Some types of solar modelling or structural optimization will be at low risk for these types of inaccuracies, energy modeling on the other hand, probably most useful for jurisdictional reasons, remains defendable territory for specialist firms.</span><br style="color: #222222;" /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">One more variable sits at the heart of computational architecture which is only visible to control when adopting a collaborative design approach. There is a point in any computational architecture project where it might become more advantageous to reach outside the firm for expert help than struggle along oneself. If a design studio encounters a skills gap, do they try to jump it alone, or hire out? Lots of BIM consulting firms are starting to pop up to cater to the demand created by this skills gap. However, it's still up to the project manager to aim and direct this effort, and there is very little room for error with budgets and schedules so tight. Ultimately, adopting a multidisciplinary approach on every project softens the panic at having to integrate different specialities in the modern design studio. I wish to leave readers with the impression a computational architecture interface such as Dynamo or Grasshopper should be treated just like any other BIM input tool like a mouse or keyboard. This is what distinguishes a BIM manager from a digital design expert and BIM champion; the comfort one has using their tools.</span></span>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-68570659758600613782017-05-25T07:30:00.000-06:002017-05-27T18:23:57.379-06:00Solar Powered Sustainable Architecture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How to incorporate solar panels is only one facet of an integrated design approach to sustainable architecture. I'm hoping technology will solve some of the current problems with solar panels, increasing their design features and lowering costs. But there are many qualities of the sun's power to consider in design. The quality of interior daylight connects to higher productivity levels and better employee health. This is why the quality of interior daylight is considered a factor in several sustainability certification programs, LEED being the best known. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Soon the Apple headquarters mothership will be <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/05/apple-park-new-silicon-valley-campus/">landing in Cupertino</a> and it reminded me I wanted to find out more about this building as their stated goal was to build the best office building ever. The project has seen Apple make a significant statement about sustainable architecture but how was this achieved? The design's 850,000 sq. ft. of solar panels almost cover the entire electrical operating costs of the 12000 employees. Furthermore, the very shape of the building is well adapted to maximizing the area of the interior where quality daylight is possible. The designers have gone further and modeled exterior louvers to match the site's orientation toward the sun throughout the season. An earlier example of Foster + Partners experience with advanced solar modeling is the London city hall, whose form is highly optimized toward the sun giving the building its distinctive oval shape. It's expected the quality of interior daylight will be excellent in Apple's Infinity Loop project and other features of the project, like giant 4-storey doors that mechanically open to the outside on nice days, will make this an excellent place to work. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2017/05/23/arup-associates-jaguar-land-rover-sawtooth-factory-architecture-industrial-west-wolverhampton-midlands-uk/">ARUP's Jaguar Land Rover</a> plant in the West Midlands of England has a design feature on its roof I've been advocating for years. I actually noticed a similar approach at LACMA in Los Angeles on their exhibition pavilion. Returning to the Jaguar plant, the sloped roof plays a large role in increasing the quality of interior daylight. The client was quite happy to support the performance and health benefits such an architectural program provided. North facing windows bathe the interior in diffused sunlight while a continuous strip of glazing wraps the bottom of the building to encourage transparency. 21,000 solar panels face south and provide 30% of the building's power. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The 10-storey Elithis Tower in Dijon, France has some <a href="http://inhabitat.com/elithis-tower-the-first-energy-positive-office-building/">interesting numbers to report to readers</a>. With 330 solar panels on top it provides 70% of its own power but part of this rests on the excellent interior daylight quality which makes it comfortable to work inside with limited need for electric lights. The eye-catching solar shield on the front eliminates the building's need for air conditioning which contributes significantly to the building's high performance. Hopefully potential developers will see these examples and want their buildings to have strong solar strategies as well but it will be hard to reproduce the success of Elithis Tower because some of the design work was done by the client themselves, Elithis Engineering. The French firm of Arte Charpentier Architects also contributed their talents to the project. Renewable wood and recycled insulation was utilized throughout but total costs were kept to around $10 million (in 2009) which supports the idea high-performance architecture is coming down in price. </span>bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-3710516180996342182017-05-17T07:30:00.000-06:002017-05-17T07:30:22.785-06:00Wonderful Renewable Wood in High-Performance Buildings<div style="color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instead of breaking down a number of buildings in single post, today we expand on just one. The building, located in Portland, </span><span id="m_-7185931542938696243m_-7394566402385247668m_-4249510158246945095m_7637183203070766528gmail-m_-79915466316955375gmail-m_1074979264529431927m_-1453314865395885914:12d.1" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oregon</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, has gained some popularity since 2015 by <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/868048/one-north-holst-architecture">capturing several sustainability awards</a>. Only having time to return to the subject now, I wanted to focus on three characteristics of the project: It's form. It's materials. and it's sustainability goals. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The story of this building doesn't stray far from the city of itself and represents how regionally specific modern architecture can be compared to how we think of it as an international style. With the design team led by local-firm Holst Architecture, they set out to be visually ambitious. On that account, I think they were successful, having established the project's architectural value through awards and commentary. Official literature for the project states Antoni Gaudí as an influence but I also see a final form that's classically modern and will age well. The touches of local and regional materials and expertise throughout is great. The warm texture of the wood is timelessly inviting but the deeply inset windows on the exterior create a delicate balance on the exterior. From all the pictures of this building these apertures look very well detailed. In addition, I suspect they help support the quality of the interior daylight. There are three buildings placed on the site, all of exceptionally high performance, but only two share the characteristic curvilinear form. The use of sustainable timber continues inside with its use featured in the open and spacious common areas of the two buildings. The project also has a large outdoor courtyard spearheaded by landscape architect Lango Hansen. Its contemporary style is inviting and I appreciate the design's use of regionally appropriate plants. But it's that renewable facade that draws the eye from blocks away that bares some critical thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A good reference point for sustainable wood products in the AEC industry is the widely known Forestry Stewardship Council. On the One North project, the clients and architect were committed to <a href="http://pushing%20beyond%20that%20industry%20certification/">pushing beyond that industry certification</a>. In the end, the project (in coordination with the general contractor) sourced materials privately and independently from a local landowners cooperative organized just for the project. Though not reclaimed, the wood is all 2nd-growth, which means no centuries old ecosystems were disturbed to secure its procurement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Industry sustainability certifications absolutely have a role. There are economies-of-scales to be leveraged within the industry by pre-qualifying products and streamlining the certification process. However, this economic structure in some ways disincentives organizations from attempting to go above and beyond, retarding an engine of improvement and advancement within the AEC industry. It took leadership to decline industry-specific certifications and real skill to execute a world-class sustainability program nonetheless. I really discourage any suggestion sustainable architecture is a paint-by-numbers affair. Here we see an example of a multidisciplinary project establishing a high performance mark with great artistic merit. The power of metrics and certifications is derived from the motivation to improve the state of sustainable architecture. That's the proper perspective on such information. Engaging the fundamental drive of a group to build excellence architecture seems like a much more valuable characteristic to harness, from there the tiniest details of sustainable design can be placed. </span></div>
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-29737214615763956482017-05-11T08:41:00.001-06:002017-05-11T09:04:19.579-06:00Advanced BIM Workflows in the Digital Design Office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">I came across the below linked video last month and instantly knew there was something to learn from it. However, the video </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">format </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">– a recording of a live meeting – was extremely limited as a medium to transfer the knowledge I so desperately wanted, and so had to come back to it later. I don't consider this the fault of the good folks at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/9404426/">EvolveLAB</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdZJr6Bo4pwBu3lQqcxlDsw">Autodesk Fromit</a>. Quite the contrary in fact, I think they should be celebrated for releasing whatever they can to the community. I love learning and am more than happy to take up some of the responsibility for learning a complex subject myself. That said, one method of learning any subject is writing about it. Here I thought I would share my description of the class after draining all useful information from the video and reconstituting it here for my readers in a much more inviting and engaging form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The almost hour long video is notable for how it links together several software applications. Transitions between software programs have traditionally been a pain point in BIM projects because the complexity of the digital model can inevitably lead to the introduction of small bugs that result in unexpected behaviour. Anyone in charge of supporting parametric design in the office should be aware that to support an architect's vision at a high level, a fluency in the topics discussed here on the blog continually, or specifically today in the video, is fundamental. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Autodesk's Formit 360 is mentioned. Great little program. It's a lightweight modelling environment for conceptual design which integrates with each DynamoBIM, Revit, and the Cloud. I love REVIT but it's a heavy weight champ when sometimes nimbleness is required. Fromit was made with this goal in mind. The helpfulness of this software rests on the undercurrents of digital design the AEC industry is currently transition to. The ability to have a robust and flexible conceptual workspace supports iterative design techniques so prevalent in data-driven design methodologies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The presenters show DynamoBIM still growing in its role as a complementary tool in an a world-class digital design workflow. Here we see Dynamo used very effectively in a conceptual environment. Many firms could use this skill set to make amazing architecture, but I'm not sure all firms are ready to take the plunge, at least in Canada. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Certainly from an architectural criticism perspective I don't know if this is totally a good thing either. But in an empirical way – taken in context of a suite of digital design software – this tool allows optimization of the design which, in turn, can drive building value for all stakeholders in a project, especially users. Two other characteristics of computational architecture and Dynamo not illustrated in the video but important applications nonetheless are 1) Dynamo has many functions in a BIM production workflow not mentioned in the video; and 2) there is a subtle but important difference between computational architecture optimizing a conceptual design and production workflow versus optimizing a building materials or performance through analysis. Computational architecture needs to be attacked from both angles to maximize the benefits of digital design. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Lastly we introduce Autodesk's Project Fractal initiative. Certainly this isn't as big a piece of software as REVIT but it has some interesting characteristics for sharing parametric designs that have implications for teams designing distributively around the world. Basically it's a way for parametric models to be processed and hosted in the cloud for users to inspect and review. It's nice to see lightweight mobile options continue to be developed along side enterprise-level creative software. </span></span><br />
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bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394936.post-29816515163796865292017-05-04T07:30:00.000-06:002017-05-04T07:30:06.933-06:00Data Science in the Service of Architecture.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I've been carefully reading articles about the impact of data science in architecture but haven't felt any cover the topic particularly well. This concerns me insofar as these changes are zooming toward the design studio. By comparison, there doesn't seem to be a lot of haste in communicating to firms the tools they'll need to adapt. Furthermore, the big data landscape is getting increasingly competitive. Firms without experience in data science will be at a disadvantage. Data science conversations are becoming more and more commonplace within the AEC industry and general public and, secondly, it's important to recognize excelling at any one type of big data application can require a deep understanding of the underlying math and science behind the data. This is a specialist knowledge many big data firm already have, and small and mid-size architectural and engineering firms will struggle to get. Venture capitalist Matt Turck's </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/firing-all-cylinders-2017-big-data-landscape-matt-turck?trk=v-feed&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_content%3BBiptw96ZsYhfdT9ttWkPLA%3D%3D" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">2017 Data Landscape poster</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> graphically represents the competitiveness I'm trying to express in writing. There are an absolute ton of smart, driven, and hardworking firms coming for your dollars. My hope with this article is that a defence can start to be built, and, on a whole, we can get data science working for architecture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Before proceeding, it's worth describing some reasonable constraints on our approach to the topic. The rapid growth of big data in modern life brings many different characteristics of the field forward; here we are going to discuss the topic strictly in terms of building design management, that being the study of architecture in terms of economics and business analysis. Left aside for the moment are more existentialist questions related data science's role in architecture, such as whether it's a good thing or not to let an algorithm totally determine the form of a building. Instead I favour of questions of adaptability. This technology is coming toward the design studio and we need to try to get out ahead of it. Where I need to admit bias is that I have a strong belief data science can help myself, and my readers, build more valuable architecture.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It's the math itself which really distinguishes the study of data science. Many fields of math intersect at various points with data science, any one of which is worthy of its own international conference. Every subdomain of the topic is deep. How to bring all of this together in a single firm is one of the main goals of building design management. There are three broad areas to consider if facing a big data request in an architectural or engineering setting:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Computer Science</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><i>Infrastructure.</i></b> This refers to all the physical characteristics of the system or network to be used for work and is meant to be as broad as possible. Questions regarding multiple monitor computer setups all the way to browser-based BIM software hosted in the Cloud are all valid objects of study. Having a firm grasp of the computer and network infrastructure used in the AEC industry, including its costs and capabilities, and how it scales, all create the framework necessary to support technology users carrying out the following two points within a firm.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><i>Computer Science. </i></b>At the core of this category is supporting the needs of a high-performance computation architecture department or some other per project application of the subject. Distinguishing performance in this field is signalled by a depth of knowledge with several types of programming used in the industry (or fluency in several different programming languages). This includes familiarity with generative design (which encompasses branches of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks) and geometry (mostly within the field of finite mathematics, such as combinatorics and graph theory, but also classical and differential geometry). On the horizon, leaders will soon be expected to support additive construction techniques within a firm like architectural 3D printing or construction drones. Finally, how predictive mathematical models are developed and relate to statistics has a substantial influence on our last category.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b><i>Analytics. </i></b>If above was about programming expertise in data science, this category is about getting the answers you want from your data. Having been involved in the field now for years, asking good questions of your data still seems to be more art than science. Several different branches of mathematics, such as linear algebra, matrices, and discrete optimization techniques, are involved in analyzing data. Network analysis can also be a powerful tool because as the data is analyzed, it often starts to reveal all sorts of complex connections within the data to that can be exploited (such as adjusting a product's supply chain). Building performance analysis in its many forms – thermal, structural, etc., – are all examples of activity in this field. Once all this data is in the model, it's time to analyze its form and predict its behaviour.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion. </b>Ultimately, all three areas should be addressed on every project. This framework will help support better decision making about data science topics in architecture. Assuming one of the hallmarks of creativity is open mindedness, if the architectural and engineering field considers themselves creative at all, it's important we be openminded to welcoming data scientists and robotics engineers into the design studio. The creativity of the field can also be a source of adaptability.</span></div>
<br />bbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05453529919587756183noreply@blogger.com0