How much detail should you include about wall, floor and roof composition at different stages?
â—¦ Conceptual design Conceptual masses or generic surfaces without thickness or defined materiality.
â—¦ Preliminary design Overall thicknesses should be established.
â—¦ Design development The specific material types to be used should be specified, alongside architectural drawings.
â—¦ Construction documentation Technical specifications for all materials, installation methods, and detailed construction drawings.
You moved a design from Forma into Revit this week.
â—¦ What survived intact, and what did you rebuild? In general, the model behaved like I expected and the main volumetry (masses) survived intact. I had to rebuild the stairs and the windows, which was a problem generated because in Forma I decided to move the windows manual instead of using fixed parameters.
â—¦ What does that tell you about what each tool is for? This confirm that Forma is a tool for fast conceptual iteration, environment analysis and mass definition, while Revit is the definitive tool for detailed parametric modeling, specialties coordination and technical documentation.
â—¦ Knowing where the handoff lands, what would you do differently in Forma next time? Knowing what elements are lost or require rework, next time I will focus strictly in the macro-geometry (GFA, orientation, main shafts location) and I will not lose time modeling or adjusting fine details like windows or stairs in Forma, leaving them to model them directly in Revit.
The core is located early and moved rarely.
â—¦ Why does it get fixed before most of the building? Because the core is mostly modeled as the spine of the building. In there are also located the elevators and shafts. If you move it later, it affects the whole structure and all the floor plans.
â—¦ What are the consequences of a core that does not stack vertically? The concept of the vertical spine of the building is lost, having to re-think the escape routes and the elevators location. Also, the structural loads and the MEP pipes can't go straight down, forcing to make horizontal transitions that take up space and are more expensive.
â—¦ What did locating the core force you to change about your Week 3 layout? To comply with the stipulated apartment distribution, I had to change the stairs position in module 3. This resulted in an excellent decision for module 4, since in the Revit details I didn't have to change the shape of the building.