What are the principal advantages of creating a conceptual design model using masses before diving into the detailed design and building element modeling?
It can help to see the overall concept of a building before providing all of the details. When it comes to the design process, it helps to start with a very general idea and then develop that idea and add details after more iterations. This way, you can see how much you like the overall idea and how well it interacts with its surroundings. If the overall idea or general shape doesn’t look good, there is no point in developing it further or adding in a lot of details.
Should all buildings be modeled first using conceptual masses?
No necessarily. A small house or even a larger one may not need to be developed as a general shape or form at first. In fact, you should really focus more on the flow of a house or a concept that you want the house to have rather than its general shape. For instance, focus on how the light interacts with it and how the people living in it interact with it first. These houses will also have necessary parts like a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen How will the family flow between these rooms? That is more important than the box that the house is inside of.