For 2 or More Units: Create Two New Evaluator Nodes
For this module, I used the cost of the total building based on floor levels, average cost per square foot, and directness to the Burj Khalifa as my two/three metrics. I chose the set of metrics relating costs to floor height, as this building consists of many levels and this is a very important factor in terms of production and means. I calculated the total floor value by multiplying each floor area but its value based on height, and secondly, used the mass floor input again to compute the average cost per square foot, as this is a much easier number to comprehend and make use of, as in large numbers, such as the total value, discrepancies can be lost. The second metric ties the building into its setting relating to the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which I wanted to maximize the directness of the building towards this object as it is the main attraction and is located at a perfect distance. The computer I work on is extremely slow, and was unable to deal with the large file size of the Dubai setting that was provided for us, so I made a rudimentary object stand in its place, as getting the coding right was more important, and would have been impossible with the real setting, serving its purpose just as well, with the same height of the real building.
Below are screenshots of the algorithm, going from overall scheme, to the master node, and to the two metric nodes:
Overall scheme
Master Node
Coding of the Master Node
Condensed outputs of metrics using custom nodes
Metric 1, inside the custom node
Metric 2, inside the custom node
Below is a screenshot of the simplified massing model of the Burj Khalifa in relation to the building I created, coping the position of the site relative to the real building, in order to calculate the directness effectively, without breaking my computer.
I organized the output to export to the excel sheet, pictured below, showing the input values tested (base radius and tower height) and the values computed for each of the reported parameters (gross floor area, gross surface area, gross volume, cost/sq ft, total cost, directness). Building off of module 5, I added a new input parameter and new output parameter.
The new evaluation are quite meaningful, as can be seen clearly in the cost/sq ft column of the table above. Though they seem like small enough differences, multiplied by the number of floors, the small added expenses add to a much greater total cost. Having these two metrics, and not just one, allows for insight into costs at the small level, seeing the slight differences with manageable numbers, and seeing the large differences in the total cost as these differences accumulate. However, the directness is not quite as drastic, but there is still a range that can be useful in evaluating meaningful differences between the building form alternatives.
A few other metrics that could be useful would be, for example, the natural light to the core of the building, as wider buildings require more artificial lighting without the addition of say, an atrium to bring that light into the center, which this sort of modeling does not consist of. However, the other side of this is too much heat, as Dubai is very hot and having too much sun exposure, while decreasing lighting costs, massively increases cooling loads, especially on the higher levels since heat rises. Another metric would be wind, as this would help to determine the width of the building that is the most structurally sound to wind and also takes into account the light and heat that the sun provides.