What are the primary goals of creating a building model? Who are the key stakeholders?
The primary goals are to explore design ideas, show how a building functions within the context of a site, and lay out the information needed to construct the design. A model helps everyone understand spatial relationships that can be hard to visualize from separate drawings. The key stakeholders of a building model most often times are the client, contractors, architects, and engineers.
◦ What does each of them need from the model?
From the model, the client needs to see their vision being well represented and a clear understanding of all costs. Contractors need all the dimensions, materials, and installation constraints. Architects need to understand the relationship between human activity and the space, ensuring that they’re proposing the best plan for an equitable design process. Engineers need to refer to the model’s structural geometry and dimensions to make sure that the design can be replicated in real life.
◦ What do they care about the most, and where do those priorities conflict?
The client may care the most about the long-term sustainability of the building and comfort. The contractors may care the most about labor efficiency and coordination. The architect may care the most about design intent, appearance, and functionality. The engineers may care the most about safety, stability, and an efficient system. These priorities conflict when an architect might want a large open space, while an engineer needs additional support columns or beams, which may result in higher costs for the client, and so on.
A drawing is a picture of a building. A model is a description of one.
◦ What questions can you ask a model that you cannot ask a drawing?
How does light permeate the space? How does the material of the space provide the intended feeling to the occupant?
◦ Are there things a drawing still communicates better? Give an example.
A drawing is able to direct the viewer’s attention to one specific view. One example of what a drawing (plan or section) may more clearly communicate is the area of each space. With a floor plan, all dimensions can be seen at a glance.
You will make hundreds of modeling decisions this quarter.
◦ Which ones are worth being slow and careful about?
I would be more slow with decisions that establish the model’s basic organization. I would double and triple check dimensions and details that could affect safety or accessibility.
◦ Which are worth being fast about, accepting that you may redo them?
I would work more quickly with ornamental details and selecting materials at first. Although they are important for the final presentation, the model’s simple geometry should come first.
◦ How would you tell the difference before you have made the mistake?
I would ask how many aspects of the model depends on the decision to prevent .