Facade automations generate a pattern across a whole building in seconds.
◦ What does the automation know, and what does it not know?
◦ Where did the generated pattern need overriding, and why?
◦ If the automation produces something that analyses well but looks wrong, which wins?
What drives a project team's decision about floor to floor height?
◦ From a developer's perspective?
◦ From a designer's perspective?
◦ From an engineer's perspective?
◦ From a builder's perspective?
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?
Fitting different apartment types into my L-shaped building was harder than I expected. I ended up adjusting the unit layouts rather than changing the building shape because I wanted to keep the courtyard.
◦ What would have had to be true for you to change the massing instead of the program?
If too much space was wasted or the circulation became impractical, I would reconsider the L-shape.
◦ Which of this week's program decisions will the structural engineer and the mechanical engineer assume you got right?
The structural engineer will rely on my floor layouts and stair locations, while the mechanical engineer will need accurate room sizes and shaft locations.
Total carbon can now be estimated before materials are specified.
◦ How much confidence should a team place in that number at this stage?
I see it as a rough estimate for comparing options, not a final number, since I haven't decided on all the materials yet.
◦ Which decision made this week has the largest effect on it?
Probably keeping the building at eight floors, since that directly affects the amount of structural material needed.
◦ How would you present it to a client without overstating its precision?
I would show it as an early estimate, explain the assumptions, and focus more on comparing options than the exact numbers.
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 the building shape, floor heights, and main room layouts are clear enough that I don't expect major changes.
◦ What is the cost of moving too early? Of moving too late?
Too early means having to redo things in Revit. Too late means spending too much time perfecting the Forma model.
◦ Which parts of your Forma model do you expect to survive the handoff?
I expect my L-shaped massing, courtyard, and floor levels to stay. The walls, windows, doors, and interior details will probably need more work in Revit.