Topic: Future residential house

Final report type: 90% paper, 10% design

Explanation: The basic idea of this project is to learn about future residential buildings and trying to design a sample model. The model will only be used to help to give a clearer explanation for the future building, and the evaluation paper for it will be short.  

Introduction

• Background of future buildings
• Why are we curious about future buildings? (Motivation)

Nowadays’ residential houses

• What can the current houses do for the hosts?
• What needs to be improved? and how?
• What improvements are in progressing? and how?

Future residential houses

• What can we expect for the future houses?
• Different ideas from the professionals (the architects, engineers, constructors, and owners) and from the public (who are the customers, the other major students and any other).
• What are the common parts of the ideas?
• What are the different parts of the ideas?
• Challenges

Discussion

• The main aspects of improvements:
• The exterior of the building (Architectural ideas)
• The house system with database controlling (Engineer ideas)
• The environmental friendly control of the building (Scientific, Environmental engineer, and public ideas)
• Group members’ thoughts about future residential buildings based on the above information.

Model

• Pictures showing the sample BIM model designed by the group members with simple explanations.
• The evaluation of the BIM model.

Conclusion

• Summary
• Difficulties while doing the project
• As a future engineer, what will we do for the future residential houses?

The reason why we choose to talk about the building in 10 years is because our group is so curious about the changes in future. We watched a lot of videos in class, and also find many information related with the designs in future. There things are so interesting, and as architectural engineers we really need to be familiar with new BIM technologies. Therefore, we chose this topic, and set some requirements for ourselves.

In our project, we mainly focus on the future buildings; how does the technology, and material will affect the future buildings. Like, in 10 years, the building will be more convenient with all voice or mobile control, and maybe the AI is going to be used in the buildings. And, maybe some new materials will be used to change shapes as the owners' wishes. Therefore, in our project, we will build a simple model with BIM-Revit, and the most of information will be displayed on writing parts. And in our report, there will be five main points: background information, imagination of future buildings, model description, discussions and conclusion. And for the model, floor plans, sections, and 3D view are necessary. Our primary goal is to design a 2,500 square feet and 2-story house in future 10 years based on our research and imagination.

In the discussion, I think my group will talk about the different design concepts in the future and how does the systems change and vary ways to control the system. Also, we may talk about environmental ideas: how to make the building become more environment friendly and how to make the building has the minimum energy consumption. And at last, we will put each members’ opinions about the changes in 10 years later, and to put evidence why these imaginations are possible.

At the end of report, the summary and challenges will be provided. From our thought, the most difficult parts will be the new technology may be created, and how does the construction area changes, robotics.

Comments:

Hanyan, I really like your idea about the BIM. With development of technology, the creativity and innovation are necessary for every designers and engineers. Because the owner will have more and more requirements. and once the designers and engineers want to meet these requirements, creativity and innovation are important.

Alec, your post is interesting. As we known, robotics is one of most important things in the future which will affect a lot of areas, and it’s also going to change intelligent building area a lot. Because we talked about in class, the robotics will release intensive labors, and with enough energy robotics can work 24 hours a day. Moreover, some robotics have already been used in our life. For example, the cleaning robotics, cooking robotics, and construction robotics.

B4 - Project Outline

Introduction

1. AE 391 project description
1. Programmatic elements
2. Base class requirements
3. Clear definition of the ways in which this project was an extension
2. Background on team members’ previous Revit experiences
3. Motivations for project choice
1. Further Revit expertise
2. Exposure to non-structural Revit disciplines
3. Introduction to BIM management techniques (file sharing, linking files/views)
4. Introduction to Dynamo to automate tasks

Summary of Modeling Timeline

1. Architectural model
1. Daylighting/location
2. Topomap
3. Rendering
4. Stair creation
5. Roof development
6. Scheduling/occupancy for life safety design
7. Sheet creation/annotation capabilities and limitations
2. Structural model
1. Interoperability with RAM (?)
2. Full modelling of structural systems
3. Custom family modeling of girder/truss elements (?)
4. Column scheduling
5. Automated beam systems to expedite modeling for short window
3. Mechanical model
1. HVAC System
2. Plumbing
3. Potential incorporation of  Dynamo 

Dynamo Introduction

1. Lynda tutorials
2. Identification of potential uses
1. Dimensioning
1. Solve missing dimensions upon relinking files
2. Scheduling
1. Export to Excel for report/presentation
3. Automation of repetitive tasks within MEP
3. Walking through challenges and development process

Reflection

1. Points of growth
2. Possible changes if redone
3. BIM as a tool to expedite design on a condensed timeline
4. How to go further with the building
   

Our AE 510 project is an extension of the work that we are performing in our Junior Design (AE 391) course during Winter Term. Our building will function as the new home for the CAEE department and the Architectural and Interior Design programs within the College of Media, Arts, and Design. There are also commercial and retail components within the program that have been fulfilled. The site is adjacent to Main Building at the current location of Lot F.

The motivation behind this process was to implement some of the tools and processes that are being covered in AE 510 to enhance our AE 391 project. The format of Junior Design allows for our group to explore BIM applications in preliminary Architectural, Structural, and Mechanical designs and realize its immense value in coordination of these disciplines. Because of this, we will be fully modeling our systems in Revit, which far exceeds the requirements for the course. We view this as an opportunity to extend our basic BIM knowledge and begin to explore the ways in which it can expedite design using real problems come across in our project.

As seen in the outline above, our report will consist of first and overview of our building’s program and our approach to the project. We will then go over the ways in which we implemented Revit/Formit interoperability in massing design, including energy simulation and daylighting capabilities that exist within these programs. In the structural design phase of the project, we will explore interoperability possibilities between Bentley’s RAM software package and Autodesk’s Revit to learn about the advantages and hurdles that still exist in this realm. The system will be designed and integrated using the architectural program as a guide, simulating real-world design. Additionally, we will be applying BIM coordination and management techniques to streamline workflows and perform our tasks most efficiently. This includes the process of linking files and coordinating views/underlays properly. The final stage is a mechanical design, during which we will employ some of the simulation processes explained previously to inform our design. Because our group includes structural engineers, we will be relying on Revit’s calculation tools most heavily in this section. An underlying theme of our project will also be staying aware of opportunities to implement Dynamo scripts to automate mundane design processes and help us produce a finished product under a condensed timeline.

Comments on other projects:

Kyle,

I am intrigued to hear about your findings on 3D printed steel members. With some of the more abstract forms being created using advanced modeling techniques (some of which we have been showed in class) it will be necessary to have the fabrication techniques that can keep up with these ambition design ideas. I am especially interested in your evaluation of these techniques’ feasibility in terms of being implemented into real-world projects

Hanyan,

I think it is interesting that you are choosing to focus your research on BIM in residential development. In a time when so much residential construction is dominated by large builders, the opportunities for BIM implementation in residential design are likely considerable in boutique scenarios.

Adam,

I am excited to hear a BIM perspective that is focused on construction management. I think that a lot of the applications that we are hearing about in this class are focused in the design sphere and how this will help to optimize/expedite the work of engineers and architects. However, as we learned about in the Whiting Turner presentation last week, BIM’s capabilities can be equally if not more helpful on the construction side.  

B4 - Project Outline

Topic: Development of BIM and Impact on Residences

Team member: Hanyan Chen, Yidi Li

Type of project: Paper

Outline

1. Introduction
1. What is BIM
2. How does BIM work
2. History of BIM
1. The Beginning
2. Development
3. Why is it important
1. Advantages, benefits in Construction and Design
2. Disadvantages
4. Why is it important to Residence
1. Current application of BIM in Residential Design & Construction
5. Impact of BIM to Residence
1. On Design Style
2. On sustainability (Adaptable Housing)
3. On Construction
4. On Real Estate Industry
6. Future of BIM
1. Brief description of future of BIM
2. Implementation of BIM
3. Challenges BIM might encounter
7. Conclusion

The topic of our project will be Development of BIM and Impact on Residences. Residence is a type of building that relies most on individual preferences. Therefore, the adaptivity of the house becomes the biggest challenge for designing and constructing a residence. “More creative and innovative perspective on designing residential buildings which will accommodate adaptability is needed to enhance building performance, through design concept for adaptable residential buildings (Raji and Gomez, 2012).” “A sustainable building is not a building that must last forever, but a building that can easily adapt to change (Graham, 2006)” BIM can help architects to provide multiple iterations for different preferences. It also let the owner and designer to create different phases of a project, which gives a future assumption of the project. In this case, it gives the owner ability to track over time how the project or assets changes and what changes can be made in the future based on his or her own preference.

In the paper, we will discuss the history or development of BIM and current applications in residential design and construction. We will also talk about the importance of BIM in the industry while addressing the advantages and disadvantages. Then, we will discuss the impact of BIM to residences in aspects of design style, sustainability or adaptability, construction and real estate industry. In the end, we will look into the future of BIM and challenges that BIM might encounter.

Comments: 
Yicheng Li, 
I really like the villa you chose to model. It is a great model to start with and the work you have done is pretty neat. I am really excited to see what the model will be at the end and what you have improved, both for the model and your skills of Revit.
Ren, 
I really like your topic with healthcare building design. It is an aspect that is important but being neglected. As our project doing BIM for residences, I am looking forward to see what is the difference between these two types of building.
Weiyi Tang, 

The topic of future residential house is really interesting, and it is great to have a model built up to show a better explanation. I am looking forward to see how it looks like and compare to what we researched as the development of residences by the influence of BIM.

Blog 4

Construction advances along with engineering and one of the most connected ways that they advance together is 3-D printing. Our group project will be a paper taking a look at what the future is in 3-D printing for both engineering and construction.In order to best do this in the allocated space to write this paper it was decided that the best option would be to narrow it down to one material. It was between glass, concrete and steel with the final choice being 3-D printed steel. For the engineering portion of the paper the properties of 3-D steel will be examined such as strength and fire resistance. The other end construction  will be a more qualitative look than the engineering side. It will mostly focus on constructability improvements, cost benefits and then finally if it is practical to use 3-D printed steel at this point or if it should be saved for future use. This is how we plan to examine the future of 3-D printing in construction and engineering.

Comments:

Ren, the outline you have developed is well thought out and will help make writing the paper easier. The crossover between BIM and specifically healthcare buildings is a good approach with those buildings standing to benefit the most from BIM advancements. That all being said I am a little confused as to the why of your paper, I can make some inferences but I may just be missing something.

Yicheng, I think the simple yet clear cut outline will make it easy to further develop your project while also maintaining a specific direction. To me a villa seems like a charming place so I am equally enthused for your creation using BIM. I feel like this type of project has a lot of potential depending on how in depth the details are in the program you use.

Richard, The schedule you have provided seems to have a very clear cut plan which will be of a huge help later down the line. Dynamo is a program that I personally do not have any experience in and it gets me excited to see that my fellow classmates are taking a stab at it. I will be interested to see what you learn from using this program and how user friendly you find it to be.

Project: Robotic Curtain Wall Assembly (Maalik Kaptue)

                My project started with robotics replacing the manual labor of everyday construction workers, researching developments of AI machinery that are able to preform construction tasks. Some of those tasks involved placement of masonry, structural alignment of steel rebar, excavation, etc.  I intended on further discussing the advancements and the paradigm shift of using AI-centered robotics on the construction worksite. This study would dig into what capabilities of different AI machinery currently possess and how they ultimately contribute to the success of the project (from a cost and time standpoint). I would further analyze how this will impact the future of the construction labor workforce. In conclusion, I narrowed down the area of operation, as the research I found focused on the adaptive role that robotics play in the installation of curtain walls in commercial buildings. It focuses on the hardware design and analyzing how that has changed the way these curtain walls are now installed.

      Comments

      Adam - I think your outline of BIM use in construction is great, as it details how you will research BIM in terms of its current impact and its future challenges with the progression of technology in construction. I find it interesting how developers and engineers are creating BIM models in different dimensions, as BIM allows for the modeling of as they pertain to the construction process. This muti-dimensional approach (in whatever forms it comes in) will allow all parties in the construction phases to further analyze the complexities of construction. 

  

      Ren - I think your outline and your research of the applications and benefits of BIM in the design healthcare centers is very interesting. It is well-known how BIM programs is develop healthcare buildings through the lens of an architects, as it can create walls and floors with different systems like HVAC, structural electrical, etc. And this can be done through layout plans, envelope design, and construction drawings. The advancements of BIM that adds a new element of functionality and analysis is BIM applying the features and aspects of these facilities to visualize and analyze the facility's efficiency and functionality from the operational standpoint to ensure the building is fulfilling its purpose at optimal levels. 

   

      Weiyi - It is cool to see how the everyday residential homes will be changing and adapting in the future and how this is being done through BIM. That comparison between homes today versus what is expected in the future is interesting. Discussing what role engineers, architects, owners, and general public in the decision process will be great. 

Week 5 Blog Post - Project Outline

Term Project Outline

Schedule:

            Week 5

                        Submit project outline

                        Learn basics of Dynamo

                        Write a simple pseudocode

            Week 6

                        Create Revit model of building and HVAC system

                        Create appropriate Revit families

            Week 7

                        Use Dynamo to place light switches next to doors

            Week 8

                        Use Dynamo to calculate HVAC pressure drops

            Week 9

                        Finetune, problem solve, troubleshoot

                        Submit project and project reflection

            Week 10

                        Final presentation

Description:

            Starting in week 5, we will begin to learn the basics of Dynamo. Neither of us have previous experience with the program so we are both learning it from the very beginning. Week 5 will be used to familiarize ourselves with what the program can do and ways to use it efficiently.

            Since this project will require us to have a Revit model, we will use week 6 to create this model. While we both have used Revit before we feel that spending a whole week on the model and the HVAC system will allow us to get the model done and overcome any roadblocks we run into. We will also use Revit to create families that we will need for this model.

            Weeks 7 and 8 are where the bulk of the Dynamo usage will take place. We decided to work on the two Dynamo tasks sequentially rather than simultaneously so that we can one task fully completed rather than two tasks in progress. We decided to attempt the light switch task first as we feel that this would be more representative of the depth of what Dynamo can do.

This project idea was inspired by the talk given by Kayleigh Houde in week 2. I have been self teaching myself various coding languages outside of the classroom as I am interested in being able to code and program moving forward. I feel that there are ample opportunities in the AEC industry to create programs that automate menial tasks that could be completed much quicker with a few lines of code. There are plenty of bookkeeping tasks that could be automated in this way. I did not think that programming could be used within Revit and in the actual building models until Kayleigh gave her talk. Now that I am aware of that capacity I am very interested in learning how to do so. My overall career goal is to help to make things more efficient wherever I work by employing either traditional programming or visual programming.

To Yicheng Li
I am very interested in seeing the end result of your project. Your preliminary design is well done and I am sure that as you undergo this project it will improve. I also think that this kind of project is invaluable as a learning experience.

To Albert Hanan
Hey Albert, I think that your project will be very interesting. I am excited to see the outcome of your building. I have not taken AE 390 or 391 yet so your project will be a good sneak preview of what I can expect to see in those classes. I am very interested since you said you will be going above and beyond what that will look like.

To Kunlun Ren
I am interested in seeing what you come  up with in regards to the use of BIM in healthcare. I think that there is much potential in the uses of BIM in healthcare. The benefit being that BIM allows for interconnectedness within a building. Healthcare would really benefit from something like that.

B4: Term Project Description

My project is an investigation into the automation of basic HVAC design, using Dynamo and manually created mechanical Revit families. The basic principles of Dynamo and family design for mechanical system components will be researched and then applied to a sample project, and then once refined, applied to my AE 391 building project. The family creation will not focus on in-depth modeling of the system, but more so generalized blocking of components to demonstrate how quick self-created, “dummy”, families can be used in conjunction with Dynamo, to perform a quick and accurate analysis for early HVAC system design.

The design will be applied to a simple project for testing and to my AE391 project. The AE 391 project is a building design project for a new academic, commercial and retail space on Drexel’s campus in Lot F. For the project, each of the building's systems, except electrical, must be designed. I intend to use Dynamo to simplify and automate the early mechanical analysis for the building.

My initial project idea was to create a detailed and fully complete mechanical family with numerous components. However, I decided to alter my project premise because I found the likelihood of an engineer at a firm actually creating a complete family quite low. Most companies already have their own sets of standard families for consistent design across the entire company, and if for specific design cases, equipment manufacturers typically have downloadable Revit families of their equipment.

I chose this project to develop my own skills with both Revit families and Dynamo, in order to acquire a better understanding of their capabilities and applications in the AEC industry. Hopefully, by the end of the project, I will have enough of an understanding of Dynamo to be able to apply it to my next Co-op or full-time job post-graduation, whenever automation possibilities arise. I am hoping that after completing this project, I will be able to identify things that can be automated in the daily regimen for a designer in the AEC industry, whenever I come by them in my career.  I think my biggest difficulty with this project will be the Dynamo programming due to my lack of Dynamo experience and the learning curve that comes with any new software.

Comments:

1) Albert,

It seems we are both trying to combine this project with our AE 391 project! I am excited to see what Dynamo scripts you come up with and what you are able to automate. Your idea to automate the dimensioning of the walls is a good one, considering how much time that took for our architectural assignment. I think I will also look into Lynda tutorials for Dynamo. I am hoping that by completing this project, I will become better at identifying tasks which could be automated. Good luck!

2) Maalik,

Interesting research topic! I like how specific the topic is. It seems you will have a lot of information to dig into for curtain wall assemblies. I know nothing about how curtain walls are installed, so I appreciate that you are planning to detail the conventional installation for curtain walls, and then how robots will affect or change that assembly. The potential of robots in construction seems to affect every discipline. It will be interesting to see how robots affect something as specific as curtain wall assembly.

3) Christian,

Once the technology becomes more accessible, augmented reality seems like it could be really interesting and effective in conjunction with traditional floor plans. I was also surprised by Derek’s discussion of AR, and how his firm is currently using it in some building designs. He made it sound like their current use of AR was quite limited, but the use of it at all is quite remarkable. The idea that you could directly compare as-built conditions with the model in real time, exactly where the forms are to be projected in a 3D environment sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. I am very interested in learning more about the current state of AR for the AEC industry from your project.