Drew McCathernOverview
- Key / Essential / Unique Design Features that you explored in your project.
- Your Big Successes -- what worked very well and what features you're most proud to share as examples to inspire others.
- Your Big Challenges -- what aspects of the project created the biggest challenges and what would you do differently (in hindsight) to avoid or overcome these challenges.
- Lessons Learned -- start early (especially if you don’t have prior modeling experience!) and take time to deliberately consider how you want to bring your vision to life. I had no Revit experience prior to taking this course, and the first 1-3 weeks of modeling took much more time than I originally anticipated, because I didn’t know useful tips/tricks to accelerate processes along the way. Also, if you struggle to define your vision and end goal early in your project, you will end up bound by constraints and pigeon-holed into designs by your previously placed elements. This tripped me up a few times along the way and caused significant rework at time as I sought to undo previous decisions that restricted my design. If I could do it again, I would consider myself a 1-person architecture/design firm and put myself in the shoes of other engineering disciplines to try and better forecast obstacles before getting too deep into the model. Above all else though, enjoy the learning opportunity and soak up the access to all of the great content and facilitators you have at your disposal. Failures along the way are an inevitable part of any iterating process. They’re only an issue if you don’t learn from them!
As I look back on our project, I was most excited to explore daylight harvesting, water conservation, and access to nature, because those were the common tropes I found in all of the buildings that have inspired me in my travels. Additionally, as a mechanical engineering undergrad, I also was happy to dive back into the world of HVAC equipment to understand how I could best optimize my system for efficient delivery while providing occupants a comfortable environment and enjoyable experience.
I am really happy with the final layout I achieved (see rendering below) because I didn’t have to compromise sustainable initiatives in order to make the design work. In particular, I consider the green roofs/garden areas, plumbing systems, and solar exposure* / shading elements to be the standout features of the building. Through passive design decisions (e.g., orientation, zoning, dedicated mechanical spaces… etc.) I was able to incorporate them all and deliver a complete product that accomplishes sustainable objectives across each of the engineering disciplines while enhancing a visitor’s experience in the space. *I was primarily considered with daylighting, as there are many benefits that can be gained by optimizing the sun’s exposure (for occupants and the building). Getting light deep into structures can be challenging, so coming up with creative ways to work around that issue was very fulfilling to me and has shaped the way I view and appreciate building design.
For me, my biggest challenge early in the process was overcoming a lack of Revit experience. Through oversight or lack of understanding I created significant rework for myself and had to restart my model twice because I had made critical errors (e.g., improper dimensioning/alignment, incorrectly linked systems… etc.) that were too time-consuming to try and pinpoint. Once I overcame the initial learning curve, my biggest challenge was being constrained by prior design decisions (e.g., floor height, room/hallway/wall widths… etc.) when I went to place mechanical elements into the building.
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