Module 9 - Design Project Brief: Performance-Based Design

Overview

In this assignment you’ll use the models of your proposed design for the multi-story office building that you created in Modules 6 and 7 as the basis for analysis and performance-based design. 

Based on your interests, you can choose to do any two of the following activities:

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Turn down the toggles to see a preview of steps involved in each option.
Option 1: Perform a building energy performance analysis on your architectural model using the Insight cloud-based performance analysis tool.

One example of building performance analysis is predicting the energy that will be used to operate the building over time.  You can use your building model to do this by:

  • Creating an Energy Analytical Model from the surfaces of your conceptual mass architectural model.
  • Specifying the building use, operating hours, and materials properties.
  • Use the Insight interface to visualize and explore the impact of changing key characteristics on the predicted energy performance.
Option 2: Create a 4D simulation of the construction sequence for the elements in your structural model using the Timeliner tool in Navisworks Manage

You can create a 4D simulation of the construction sequence for the structural elements in your structural model using the Timeliner tool in Navisworks Manage.  The steps typically include:

  • Exporting the elements from your structural model to Navisworks as a Navisworks Cache (.nwc) file.
  • Creating a task timeline in Navisworks or importing one from a project scheduling tool.
  • Attaching elements to the tasks and simulating the construction process.
Option 3: Create a model-based estimate for the structural elements in your structural model using Autodesk’s cloud-based Assemble software.

You can create a model-based estimate for the structural elements in your structural model using Autodesk’s cloud-based Assemble software.  The steps typically include:

  • Publishing the elements from your structural model to Assemble.
  • Filtering the model elements in Assemble to decide which should be included or excluded from the estimate.
  • Choosing the units to be quantified for each type of model element.
  • Assigning unit costs to each type of model element.

What’s Expected

Option 1: Building Performance Analysis
  1. Using your conceptual mass architectural model from Module 6, analyze the predicted building performance of your proposed design using Insight.
    • Create an Energy Analytical Model in Revit.
      • Set the project location.
      • Choose the Use Conceptual Masses mode to create an energy model using the surfaces of your conceptual mass model.
    • Generate Insights.
    • View the results of the building performance simulation in the Insight interface.
    • Test the impact of changing specific design assumptions on the overall building performance.
  2. Based on the building performance analysis in Insight, choose:
    • An overall building performance goal that your design will achieve (for example, Architecture 2030).
    • Specific settings for the most impactful design factors that will help your proposed design reach this goal.
  3. Present a brief one-page summary of your recommended settings to reach your building performance goal. Be sure to include:
    • Your recommendations for the top 10 most important factors (excluding HVAC). For each of the factors:
      • Take a screenshot showing the range of values that you selected to be included in the analysis.
      • Briefly explain (in a sentence or two) why you’ve narrowed the range down to the values selected.
    • A screenshot of the Benchmark Comparison graph showing the overall prediction for energy use given the settings selected.

Option 2: 4D Simulation
  1. Using your structural model from Module 7, create a 4D simulation of the construction sequence for the structural elements in your proposed design using the Timeliner tool in Navisworks Manage.
    1. Export the structural elements from your structural model as a Navisworks Cache (.nwc) file.
    2. Open the Navisworks Manage application. Be careful not to open Navisworks Manage for BIM 360 — a similarly named application — that works with projects saved on the Autodesk Construction Cloud. For our purposes, Navisworks Manage is the one to use to import your locally stored .nwc files.
    3. Create a new Navisworks Manage project and append the .nwc file containing the structural elements.
  2. Create a task schedule for the structural elements. For this visualization, a very simple schedule with 20 to 30 construction tasks would be an appropriate level of detail.
    1. You can create this task schedule using a project-scheduling tool, such as Microsoft Project, or use a simple table created in an Excel or Google Docs spreadsheet.
    2. image
    3. This table shows a simple example of a pattern that uses a repeating sequence of erecting columns first, followed by beams, then beam systems (joists), and finally floors at each floor level.
  3. Create tasks in the Timeliner tool, entering a title for each task, an expected start date, and an expected end date.
  4. Attach your model elements to the associated construction tasks in the Timeliner tool task timeline.
  5. Run the Timeliner simulation to verify that the construction process illustrated feels accurate and realistic.
  6. Export your 4D simulation as an AVI file.

Option 3: Model-Based Estimate
  1. Using your structural model from Module 7, create a model-based estimate for the structural elements in your proposed design using Autodesk’s cloud-based Assemble software.
  2. Create a 3D view that includes only the elements to be included in your estimate.
  3. Publish your model elements to Assemble.
    • Option 3A: If you’re using a virtual machine and cannot modify the software in your environment, you can import your Revit model from within the Assemble project interface.
      • Upload your Module 7 structural model to your ACC Docs folder.
      • Login to Assemble at https://stanford.tryassemble.com
        • You’ll have access to an Assemble project with a name that looks like [Academic Quarter] - CEE 120A/220A.
      • Open this project.
      • Click the Add/Update Models link to select the model to import from your folder on the ACC Docs site.
    • Option 3B: If you can modify the software in your environment, you can publish a view directly to the Assemble project from within Revit.
      • Install the Assemble plugin for Revit.
      • Open the Revit model view containing the elements to be published to Assemble.
      • Open the Assemble > Publish tool and connect to stanford.tryassemble.com.
        • Choose the [Academic Quarter] - CEE 120A/220A project.
        • Turn on the Filter using current view’s visibility/graphics overrides checkbox.
      • Click Continue.
  4. FIlter the model elements in Assemble to decide which should be included or excluded from the estimate.
  5. Then, for each of the elements to include:
    1. Choose the units to be quantified for each type of model element.
    2. Assign unit costs to each type of model element.
      1. This model-based estimate — created using a very early model of your structural design — will necessarily be very high-level and based on just a few major elements that typically drive the construction cost.  For your estimate, you can use these very rough cost guidelines:

      2. Cost of Fabricated Structural Steel: use $1,800 per ton. For our purposes, you can assume structural steel weighs about 490 pounds per cubic foot.
      3. Cost of Concrete : use $125 per cubic yard.
      4. Cost of Wood Beams and Columns: use $120 per linear foot (including installation)
  6. Export a summary report presenting your estimate for the major structural elements in your model.

Share Your Results

Please paste screenshots and summary reports showing your analysis results (based on the options you chose to complete) to this linked Notion submission page:

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Module 9 - Design Project Submissions: Performance-Based Design

Option 1: Building Performance Analysis
  • Paste a screenshot of the Benchmark Comparison Graph showing the overall prediction for the energy use given the settings selected.
  • Upload your brief one-page summary of your recommended settings to reach your building performance goal to Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360) Docs and embed a public link to it in your Notion posting.
    1. Be sure to include your recommendations for the top 10 most important factors (excluding HVAC). For each of the factors:

    2. Take a screenshot showing the range of values that you selected to be included in the analysis.
    3. Briefly explain (in a sentence or two) why you’ve narrowed the range down to the values selected.
Option 2: 4D Simulation
  • Paste a screenshot showing the ending point of your 4D simulation.
  • Upload the video file showing your 4D simulation to Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360) Docs and embed a public link to it in your Notion posting.

Option 3: Model-Based Estimating
  • Paste a screenshot showing your building model in the Assemble web interface.
  • Upload your summary report presenting your estimate for the major structural elements in your model to Autodesk Construction Cloud Docs and embed a public link to it in your Notion posting.

Points to Ponder / Wrap-Up Questions

Please choose 3 of the following Points to Ponder questions and share your comments on this linked Notion page.

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Module 9 - Points to Ponder