Overview
Replace this text with your reflections on your design journey through class from a higher level and share your insights about the entire experience. What were:
first floor reception area:
cafe area:
third floor and the skylight view:
green roof:
second floor:
escalator:
structural design:
plumbing system and grey water system:
- Key / Essential / Unique Design Features that you explored in your project.
- Exterior Structural Design: Inspired by ancient Chinese temples and the traditional architectural structure of "Ding" and "Dougong" in Chinese culture. The design features tiered levels, with each level gradually decreasing in size from top to bottom, providing support for the upper levels while the larger area of the upper levels serves as a natural canopy for the lower structures.
- Interior Structural Design: The first floor is divided into two parts, showcasing China's overall development history. An open-air escalator from the first to the second floor allows visitors to enjoy the scenery. The second floor features a large glass walkway platform, providing excellent natural light and views. This level is dedicated to a historical exploration journey, displaying Chinese history, ancient artifacts, and traditional culture. The glass walkway connects the two parts, leading visitors through a progressive journey from historical development to cultural immersion. The third floor introduces visitors to modern China, showcasing current technology and economic development, and discussing sustainable development with the global community.
- Sustainable Design Features:
- Wastewater recycling system: Utilizes advanced filtration and treatment technologies to reuse water for landscaping and non-potable purposes, reducing overall water consumption.
- Green roofs: These not only provide insulation and reduce the urban heat island effect but also create habitats for local flora and fauna, enhancing biodiversity.
- Natural shading energy-efficient design: Utilizes architectural elements such as overhangs and louvers to reduce solar heat gain, lowering cooling demands.
- Large roofs for solar panel installation: This design harnesses solar energy to generate electricity, contributing to the building's energy independence.
- Special Architectural Features:
- Large skylights on the top floor provide an excellent viewing experience for visitors while also saving energy through natural daylighting.
- Atrium design: Each level has open spaces to enhance interaction and connectivity between different floors.
- Your Big Successes -- what worked very well and what features you're most proud to share as examples to inspire others.
- Structural Design: The successful implementation of the Dougong-style structure not only provided a unique aesthetic that pays homage to traditional Chinese architecture but also proved effective in offering support and shade, enhancing the building's functionality and sustainability.
- Spatial Design: The thoughtful design that leads visitors from ancient to modern China is a major success. This journey through time not only educates visitors about China's rich history but also showcases the country's rapid modernization and technological advancements, creating a comprehensive and immersive experience.
- Sustainability Goals: Achieving sustainability objectives is a significant accomplishment. The strategic reduction in the use of walls and glass, the careful selection of insulation materials, and the incorporation of green roofs and solar panels demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency, setting a benchmark for future projects.
- Adaptation to the Environment: The building's design harmonizes with its surroundings, making it a standout feature. The dual-section design of the first floor, which leverages natural breezes for cooling, is particularly noteworthy, showcasing an innovative approach to climate adaptation.
- Your Big Challenges -- what aspects of the project created the biggest challenges and what would you do differently (in hindsight) to avoid or overcome these challenges.
- The design of increasing floor area with each ascending level posed challenges in terms of support. The steel structure required careful calculations and special designs, such as adding a ring of steel structure on the outer layer and using inclined steel columns for support between levels.
- The atrium design was challenging, requiring careful planning for floor and ceiling shafts to ensure space circulation, and consideration of beam structures and spatial design.
- The HVAC system design was complex due to the unique interior space design of each floor. Designing individual air circulation systems for each level, connecting ducts, and ensuring sufficient airflow while maintaining duct capacity were challenging aspects.
- Planning the vertical spatial heights was a significant challenge. Determining the appropriate heights for floors, ceilings, drainage pipes, air ducts, lighting fixtures, and beams to avoid conflicts and ensure a seamless architectural appearance required careful consideration and integration in every design aspect.
- Lessons Learned -- what sage words of advice would you share with other students who are embarking on a similar project.
As a complete beginner in Revit, I learned a lot from this project, from knowing nothing to being able to independently create a building design with structural, lighting, piping, and electrical systems. My main advice is:
(1) not to panic. Focus on doing each design step well, and you will naturally achieve a complete and excellent design. (2) Managing a complex project like this teaches valuable skills in organization, time management, and problem-solving. It's important to break down the project into manageable parts, set realistic deadlines, and adapt to unforeseen challenges. (3) As a Revit beginner, this project provided a steep learning curve in mastering the software. It's important to embrace the learning process, seek help when needed, and practice regularly to improve proficiency. (4) The project reinforces the importance of design thinking - considering the user experience, sustainability, and aesthetics. It's a reminder to always approach design with empathy, innovation, and a holistic perspective. (5) In addition, I learned to gradually grasp the balance between the whole and the part. When designing the part, I often had to consider the intersection, integration and overall effect of other systems, so that there would be no conflict in the end (6) Revit is fascinating, and there is much more to explore.
