Last week we chose a massing option based on site evidence. This week you had to fit a program inside it.
◦ Where did the program and the massing disagree, and which one gave way?
The program and massing disagreed when forming units because the gridlines weren't matching my lengths. The massing ended up having to be shorted so the gridlines could fit my lengths perfectly making units easier to form.Â
◦ What would have had to be true for you to change the massing instead of the program?
If the building was out of the site limits or if the client had a specific GFA goal where changing the building size isn’t an option.Â
◦ Which of this week's program decisions will the structural engineer and the mechanical engineer assume you got right?
They would assume that the site limits and GFA goals are correct because these properties affect their work. The Structural Engineer assumes the GFA and massing boundaries are right so they can calculate how many columns are needed to hold that much floor area up without increasing the GFA.
The Mechanical Engineer uses the GFA and net volume to calculate how much air, heating, and cooling the HVAC systems needed to pump through the building. If the GFA is wrong, their equipment sizes will be completely wrong.
Total carbon can now be estimated before materials are specified.
◦ How much confidence should a team place in that number at this stage?
Moderate because the analysis runs many large datasets containing other building with similar size/structure and with different materials use to give a close of total carbon to construct a building. However this could be pretty off because we are’t considering supply chains and foundations.
◦ Which decision made this week has the largest effect on it?
The biggest decision made this week that effect total carbon are the size and geometric complexity of the building. If we had a small building with a complex design they typically need more total material and energy than a bigger and simple building.
◦ How would you present it to a client without overstating its precision?
I would present it by saying the size and shape selected provides the software approximate baseline total carbon, but this number isn't final and can change as we select exact materials. However it is a good tool to aid us in comparing choices and having our footprint as low as we can.
At some point a conceptual model has to stop being conceptual.
◦ How do you know when a proposal is resolved enough to move into Revit?
When you have satisfied the requirements of the proposal, like the gross floor area and determining the type of building it is. Also if it satisfies your goals of low wind speed, lots of sunlight, etc.Â
◦ What is the cost of moving too early? Of moving too late?
The cost of moving too early is you’re going to have a concept of an idea, but with the possibility of encountering many issues. The cost of moving too late is that you spent too much time trying to make a perfect model, but may run into issues still in Revit.
◦ Which parts of your Forma model do you expect to survive the handoff?
The parts of the Forma model I expect to survive are the amount of floors, stairs locations, and other basic requirements for the building because I accounted for them and even gave them excess space. The overall structure I think won’t change, but bedroom and studio units I can see being changed.