What are the primary goals of creating a building model? Who are the key stakeholders?
◦ What does each of them need from the model?
◦ What do they care about most, and where do those priorities conflict?
The primary goal of a building model is to create a shared representation of the building that different stakeholders can use to design, document, coordinate, and eventually construct it. Architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, contractors, and owners all need different information from the model. For example, architects may focus on the building's appearance and spatial organization, while structural engineers may focus on the structural system instead.
These priorities can sometimes conflict. For example, an architect may want a large open space or unusual geometry, while the structural engineer may need additional columns or walls to make the design feasible. A good model allows these different priorities to be considered together rather than having each discipline work independently.
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?
◦ Are there things a drawing still communicates better? Give an example.
A model can convey relationships between different elements of a building that may be difficult to understand from an individual drawing. For example, you can use a model to see how structural, architectural, and MEP elements interact and identify potential conflicts between them. A model can also provide information about the building as a whole, such as material quantities, total floor area, etc.
Drawings can communicate important information quicker because they simplify the building and show only what the viewer is prioritizing. A floor plan, for example, can make the organization of rooms and circulation much easier to understand than a 3D model. It can also be easier to measure dimensions on a drawing than shifting around a 3D model.
This course splits the work across Forma, Revit and Forma Data Management.
◦ What is gained by using a different tool for concept, documentation and coordination?
◦ What tends to get lost in the handoffs between them?
◦ Who on a real project team is responsible for making sure nothing is lost?
Where should a building model actually live?
◦ What are the practical consequences of a model living on one person's laptop?
◦ What changes when the model lives in the cloud, for the designer and for everyone else?
A model living on a single person’s laptop can be problematic for several reasons. For example, it is susceptible to loss or damage if something happens to the person's computer, such as theft or water damage. It is also inefficient because buildings are large projects that are typically worked on by many people, rather than a single individual. If there is only one copy of the model, passing it between team members makes it difficult to ensure everyone is working with the most up-to-date information. It can also slow down the project because people may have to wait for someone else to finish their work or send them the latest version.
A cloud-based model allows for better collaboration because multiple people can access the same information and work from a shared source. This can reduce communication issues because changes can be shared more easily across different disciplines and updated in real-time, helping everyone stay coordinated. A cloud-based model can also provide better security and backup compared to relying on a single local hard drive. Overall, moving the model to the cloud allows it to function more effectively as a shared resource for the entire project team.
You will make hundreds of modeling decisions this quarter.
◦ Which ones are worth being slow and careful about?
◦ Which are worth being fast about, accepting that you may redo them?
◦ How would you tell the difference before you have made the mistake?