Intended users
The intended users of this tool will be land owners and project developers in cities that are trying optimize the use of their plot of land.
Need you’re trying to provide a solution or support for
This tool will focus on providing the users with an optimal skyscraper design. For skyscraper project developers that just have a footprint area in a city and do not know what exactly they want to do with it, this tool will help them to identify different alternatives that fulfill their needs.
Inputs
Footprint Area: it will be important that a project developer input the land constraints (area in SF) of the site to enable the use of this tool.
Height: project developers often know a range of height that they want for their structure. Inputting this will allow them to evaluate what height will be the best choice for them
Building Shape: the project developer may want to stick with a traditional square shaped structure, or they may want to change the underlying shape. This input will allow them that option.
Building Taper: the aesthetics may be of particular interest to the user, thus resulting in a desire to induce a certain taper into the building as it gets taller.
Primary Material: For project managers that are trying to determine what type of material they want to use in the structure (concrete, steel, or sustainable alternative).
Underlying logic of the model you’ll implement
The model will utilize the inputs provided to create the structure. The footprint area, shape, height, and taper will be used to create a layout of the structure. Once the layout of the structure is created, the structure will be broken up into different floors based on a constant height between floors to allow for the total floor area to be computed. Another constant, cost/volume will be used to help compute the cost of the structure. The layout of the structure will be used to determine the volume of the structure and there will be material multipliers that impact the cost of the structure. The material inputted will be used to identify an estimate of the environmental impact of the structure. This will be a function of a few material-based constants (procurement impact, construction impact, and lifetime impact) and the size of the structure to provide an evaluation of the layout’s environmental impacts. Lastly, the building layout and material will be used to estimate a time to build the structure. A time to build the structure will be based on the material and it’s constructibility (constant based on given material), as well as how large the structure is going to be.
Outputs
Total Floor Area: Based on building shape, height, and taper. Project managers will want to know the amount of usable space in their building.
Cost: An estimate of the cost based on the building’s height and area, as well as the type of material being used.
Environmental Impact: An estimate of the environmental impact of the structure based on the material and building layout
Time to Construct: An estimate of the time to construct the building depending on the material and building layout