Yuvraj GuptaOverview
Reflecting on my design journey this quarter, I am genuinely proud of the holistic approach I adopted, blending architectural innovation with sustainability in my exhibition center located in São Paulo, Brazil. This experience vividly underscored for me just how deeply interconnected the architectural, structural, and mechanical systems of a building truly are.
Key / Essential / Unique Design Features:
- Daylight & Solar Optimization: By strategically placing curtain walls on all facades, I leveraged São Paulo’s abundant sunlight, maximizing natural daylight in interior spaces and making it aesthetically striking and functionally essential. This significantly reduced the building’s reliance on artificial lighting, simultaneously enhancing occupant comfort and energy efficiency.
- Passive Design Strategies: Offer flexible, open layouts that foster comfort and engagement for visitors and staff.
- Structural Efficiency: Opting for steel framing spaced systematically allowed for large, unobstructed exhibition spaces. The strategic placement of columns and beams successfully balanced structural integrity with spatial openness, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality.
- Decentralized HVAC System: Transitioning to a decentralized HVAC approach improved zoning flexibility and efficiency, ensuring customized comfort for varying occupancy levels across different zones.
Your Big Successes:
One of the most significant successes was effectively integrating various sustainability goals—such as energy generation through photovoltaics, passive solar design, and daylight optimization—without compromising aesthetic quality or functional space planning. I am particularly proud of the façade optimization analyses that reduced the building’s initial EUI from approximately 386 to around 50 kBtu/ft²/yr. This substantial improvement demonstrates how meticulous design choices directly translate to environmental performance. Furthermore, the decision to maintain consistency across systems (structural, HVAC, plumbing) simplified coordination, easing the complex integration process. One big success for me, due to the use of curtain walls, was the amount of daylighting I was able to obtain in the space. This was one of the main goals of my project, and there was so much daylighting in some spaces that special glazing was required for many parts of the building. This is to ensure that the space wouldn’t get uncomfortably bright. Another success was the rooftop exhibition space which was the the main attraction.
Your Big Challenges:
This was my first time being introduced to Revit. I struggled in the initial weeks to get a hold of the basic commands. Once I got comfortable with every project template, it was a smooth transition. A major challenge I faced was balancing initial aesthetic ambitions with practical mechanical constraints, particularly with the decentralized HVAC system. Early design choices, such as the comprehensive use of curtain walls, required meticulous thermal analysis and rigorous planning of HVAC distribution. Coordination across different systems initially presented significant challenges, especially when attempting to avoid structural and mechanical clashes. In hindsight, clearly integrating mechanical and structural considerations from the earliest stages would have streamlined subsequent adjustments and minimized rework. I also had to consider solar heat gain and insulation. Incorporating vertical shading elements was one of the solutions, but it required careful placement to maintain the building’s energy efficiency. Plumbing posed a unique challenge due to non-aligned washrooms across some floors, which required independent piping systems that later merged into the underground sewer system. In hindsight, I recognize that clearer coordination between architectural vision and mechanical systems from the project’s inception would have streamlined subsequent stages.
Lessons Learned:
The lessons learned throughout this experience have been invaluable. Above all, interdisciplinary coordination from the beginning proved critical. Understanding how initial architectural choices influence later structural and mechanical considerations was essential. Proficiency with tools like Revit was not just helpful but crucial; early and deliberate model linking prevents tedious rework. Site selection also emerged as pivotal; overlooking initial site constraints significantly complicated subsequent design decisions, emphasizing the importance of carefully aligning site characteristics with project visions. Finally, systematically working through each module, actively engaging with instructional resources, and maintaining a clear schedule greatly enhanced my design process, reinforcing the value of structured yet flexible project management.