Module 3 - Points to Ponder

Why is it important to accurately model the land features of your project site with a toposurface?

• What aspects of a building design are most affected by the terrain features?
• Accurately modeling the site with a toposurface is important because terrain affects excavation limits, retaining wall placement, and material choices such as concrete or wood. It also ensures proper drainage and smooth integration of the building with the land.

When designing a project...

• Should the building adapt to the terrain?
• Or, should you adapt the terrain to the building?
• It depends on the functional requirements of the building. If modifying the terrain is necessary to secure the minimum area needed to meet those functions, it may be unavoidable. However, altering the land should be minimized as much as possible because it can affect the ecosystem, drainage, ground stability, and increase excavation and disposal costs.

What considerations affect a project team's decision-making when deciding the floor-to-floor height to use in a multi-story building?

• From a real estate developer's perspective?
• From a designer's perspective?
• From an engineer's perspective?
• From a builder's perspective?
• From an owner's perspective?

What are the advantages of stacking the levels of a multi-story building vertically?

• Can you share an interesting example of a building that doesn’t vertically stack (where the floor plates change their shaped radically between the floor levels)?
• What were the advantages or reasons for non-vertical stacking?

Why do stairs follow specific proportions with a set relationship between the tread length and riser height?

• How can building modeling help prevent the mistakes that often occur when designing and installing stairs?

Describe a case when it would be worthwhile to create a new custom component in Revit… How do you decide when customize versus using readily available components?

It is worthwhile to create a new custom component in Revit when modeling locally fabricated or site-built elements that are not available on the market, such as steel bridges or cast-in-place concrete structures. Custom components are also valuable when the final product has not yet been determined, allowing flexibility to adjust dimensions and details. However, if a specific product or material is already confirmed, it is more efficient to use existing manufacturer-provided or standard Revit components instead of creating new ones.