When designing a project...
- Should the building adapt to the terrain?
- Or, should you adapt the terrain to the building?
I believe the building should generally adapt to the terrain, rather than forcing the terrain to adapt to the building. Working with the natural landscape not only reduces environmental impact but can also create a more harmonious and visually appealing design. However, in some cases, like urban sites with strict zoning or foundation requirements, it might make sense to modify the terrain slightly for structural or accessibility reasons.
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?
Stacking levels vertically helps make efficient use of limited land area, which is especially valuable in dense urban environments. It also allows for simpler structural systems, shorter utility runs, and more compact circulation paths like elevators and stairs.
The only example of a building that I am aware that doesn’t follow this principle is the Habitat 67 in Montreal. Its units are arranged in a staggered, interlocking pattern instead of being stacked directly on top of each other. This design provided each unit with a private terrace and better natural light while still maintaining a sense of community.
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?
Creating a new custom component in Revit is worthwhile when existing families don’t meet the specific needs of your design. For example, when modeling a unique façade pattern, custom furniture, or a non-standard structural connection. Usually cutomization is needed when accuracy, aesthetics, or design intent would be compromised by using a generic component. Otherwise, sticking with the default Revit families to save time and maintain consistency should is good enough.