B1 - HVAC, Sensors, AI

There is perhaps no better measure of how advanced our society has become than the sheer extent of data which we generate and analyze in every facet of our lives. We live in an era marked by incredibly granular telemetry, where even our online correspondence and browsing habits are gathered and pored over by algorithms that are most of the time profiling us within a database and trying to determine the best way to advertise things to us. For better or worse, the amount of data we are capable of gathering and the means by which we gather it has never been more varied in scope, however the true mark of our advancement as a civilization comes in the form of for what purpose, and to what end, we analyze this mass of increasingly-available data. Within the engineering and construction industry, the ultimate goal is to create an efficient, resilient, and most importantly functional design that serves user needs while not overtly using more resources than necessary, and recent advances in data analysis have served this end succinctly.
One example of the ways in which data is being used to meet this need is HVAC system analysis. The Building Performance Analysis (BPA) tools available within Revit allow designers to, given a relatively simple set of required data regarding building location and orientation, analyze a building's expected energy consumption, solar radiation distribution, daylighting illuminance, and heating/cooling loads. [1] These performance metrics can be recorded and reanalyzed following various minute changes to the design with tools for direct side-to-side comparison. Most importantly, all of this can be done from directly within the Revit interface, before a design is even finalized. The ability to predict and optimize HVAC performance through data analysis will, in the right hands, lead to more efficient buildings that minimize usage costs to owners and help preserve our environment at the same time.
The per-optimization made available to designers through these Revit tools is incredible, but it is actually only the first step in building efficiency maximization. Now more than ever before, sensor-laden tools are available for building users to monitor and improve building performance from within the space itself. Take for example any number of smart devices, from the high-tech Nest thermostats to even the simplistic (by today's standards) motion-activated floodlights found along the perimeter of many suburban homes. One prime example is the Keen Home Smart Vent. Keen takes something as simple as a common household air vent and outfits it with temperature and air pressure sensors that red out to a tailored smartphone app. The sensors on the vent allow its AI to create a "profile" for the specific room that vent is in, including usage patterns. Once this database of room profiles is established, Keen's AI will be able to independently meet, but not exceed, the needs of each room by keeping vents open while in use but closing them at times when the space is unoccupied. There have been initial results along the lines of 22% reduced air vent run-time after installing the Keen system. [2]
The Keen Smart Vent is a great example of why true innovation doesn't have to come in the form of brand new inventions- There's an old saying that trying to reinvent the wheel too many times will eventually leave one with a square wheel. Our true call to action as engineers is taking what already is and finding ways to improve it and make it better serve our needs as a society. The data we need in order to create an ideal world is here, and its never been easier to access and analyze; We just have to find the most intelligent ways to use it.


[1] Stine, Dan. "Building Performance Analysis in Revit 2016 R2 with Autodesk Insight" AECBytes, 20 Nov 2016, http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2015/issue76-revit.html
[2] Rhodes, Margaret. "The Brilliant Air Vents You Never Knew You Needed" Wired, 14 Jan 2015, http://www.wired.com/2015/01/brilliant-air-vents-never-knew-needed/


Comments on Others:
Weiyi Tang
I agree that the environment is one of the largest issues facing our industry today. Environmental efficiency is wildly important. I had no idea that 80% of NYC's greenhouse emissions came from buildings, that's a really intimidating figure and illustrates the importance of developing things like the Keen vents that will improve home energy performance, even if only by a margin of roughly 22% as cited in the article. I believe there is equal emphasis given within your post to constructing new buildings with efficiency in mind as well as retrofitting existing buildings to be more efficient and I agree that both are equally important. A product like the Keen Vent will be just as effective in an existing building as it would be in a new construction.

Christian Tait
3D printing has been an interest of mine for some time, I'm glad to see your post focus so preeminently on the potential of the practice. I am very eager to see how integration between BIM software and 3D printing technology will improve over time, as I feel strongly that 3D printing has a major place in the future of construction. Automation is a scary word for a lot of people but the benefits of 3D printing are so numerous, not the least of which being reduction of the inherent danger of manned construction work alongside the expedited "design to fabrication" timeline as you have described.