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?
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?
A drawing usually limits you to what you see from a singular perspective, often leaving you with many assumptions. For instance, a building’s measurements. You can ask a model for the exact dimensions of your building and its features (ex, window, door, etc.). You can also ask a model about a building’s interactions with its surrounding environment, specifically its interactions with people.
◦ Are there things a drawing still communicates better? Give an example.
Sometimes, a drawing can communicate the building’s intended purpose. For instance, if someone were to want their building to have a strong presence, their drawing may include a distorted environment (surrounding objects may be smaller to make the building appear larger, thus portraying this building’s strong presence). In a model, these objects would appear more proportionate to one another, defeating the person’s goal of making their building appear strong and bold.
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?
One practical consequence is that it limits collaboration. Multiple collaborators cannot work efficiently if the model they are working on together lives on one person’s laptop. Another practical consequence is that if the model is deleted from that person’s laptop, the entire model is gone because no one else has a back up on their own laptops.
◦ What changes when the model lives in the cloud, for the designer and for everyone else?
When the model lives in the cloud, it is easier to have multiple collaborators working on the same project. This way, no one is waiting around for their teammate to finish their part of the project. The model is also safer in a cloud.
You will make hundreds of modeling decisions this quarter.
◦ Which ones are worth being slow and careful about?
Modeling decisions that are worth being slow and careful about are ones where there are some benefits to the building, or where there are some negatives to the building’s surroundings.
◦ Which are worth being fast about, accepting that you may redo them?
Modeling decisions that are worth being fast about are ones where there are obvious benefits to the building and/or the building’s surroundings, with minimal negatives to either.
◦ How would you tell the difference before you have made the mistake?
If the decision impacts something larger, such as drastically increasing a building’s energy usage, then I would take my time making this decision. However, if the decision solely impacts whatever I’m deciding on and will no longer come into play for the rest of my model, then I will make a fast decision.