What are the principal advantages of creating a conceptual design model using masses before diving into the detailed design and building element modeling?
Creating a conceptual design model using masses is advantageous for multiple reasons. If you’re designing a repetitive structure, you can easily combine masses as building blocks, which is much more efficient than repeating more detailed designs. Also, conceptual masses allow for mass flooring, which is a highly efficient way to draft numerous floors within a building rather than designing each individually. A model using masses is also highly advantageous if modeling a structure with complex geometry, as modeling each level individually with detailed designs and then combining them into a harmonious whole is much harder. Mass floor creation is automatic, by contrast, regardless of how complex the mass’ shape is.
Should all buildings be modeled first using conceptual masses?
When is it needed/appropriate? And when not?
For example, should you create a conceptual mass model of a small house?
No, not all buildings should be modeled first using conceptual masses. Masses are most useful or very large, and or repetitive structures where detailed modeling may follow later or not be required at the current project stage. This makes masses useful for modeling office buildings, but generally inappropriate for small structures like houses, where it is more expedient to assemble design elements directly rather than sculpting an appropriately shaped mass and then converting its faces to elements.
Can you think of any examples of a real building around the world that most likely was created by exploring the form using conceptual mass models?
Please post and share images of these examples to this Notion page.
How would you abstract the essential form of these famous buildings using conceptual mass elements that you can create in Revit?
- One World Trade Center: https://www.archdaily.com/795277/one-world-trade-center-som
- CMG Headquarters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMG_Headquarters#/media/File:China_Central_Television_Headquarters_2.jpg
- Twisting torso: https://www.archdaily.com/771471/santiago-calatravas-turning-torso-wins-ctbuhs-10-year-award
- Apple campus: https://www.archdaily.com/804970/apple-campus-2-held-to-fantastical-standard-of-detail-new-report-reveals
- Salesforce tower: https://www.archdaily.com/889519/salesforce-tower-pelli-clarke-pelli-architects