What are the principal advantages of creating a conceptual design model using masses before diving into the detailed design and building element modeling?
The principal advantages of carrying through a conceptual design model using masses are time and efficiency. To make a large building, a skyscraper or anything close to the sorts, it would cost both time and money to start the process in Revit that is building the space from the bottom-up. By using this top-down approach, not only can more iterations of building modeling forms be made, but the time and cost get cut down drastically. By starting out with a mass form, it was very easy to be able to then cut this form down into floors and subsequently refine and alter the shapes and floors, walls, roofs, etc. As briefly mentioned, the mass modeling also allows for quick and easy iterations to evalutate alternatives of building design. The generalization of programs like Forma allow for building shapes to be easily flexed and evaluated to then choose the best option to refine. This also saves a lot of time and money.
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.
There are several examples of real buildings that likely were created by exploring forms using conceptual mass models due to their unique shape and complexity. These unique shapes were most likley created by exploring a mass model due to their challenging and intricate shapes. It would be unlikely that a designer started from the bottom up in Revit to sketch these designs. Below are some examples:
- The Vessel in New York, NY
- Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia
- Dancing House in Prague, Czechia
- 160 E 22nd St in New York, NY (this is where I got my inspiration from for this assignment!)
