Working share link to your Forma project
https://app.autodeskforma.com/buildingdesign/pro_48zfcr0lyh/40b5f300-1bc6-4ca9-9a33-ada6bae155c1
One page facade comparison showing both options with their metrics
Typical floor plan image with unit types or zones labelled, plus the unit mix schedule
One AI render of the chosen scheme
Design memo of 300 to 500 words: how the massing changed from Week 2 and why, what the facade studies showed, what you chose, and where you overrode the automation
How the massing changed from Week 2
I kept my Week 2 pick, A Courtyard Block, and turned it into a detailed building in Building Design. I didn’t change the footprint or height because it already hit the program: 7 floors at 11 ft and 102,395 sf GFA (target was 100,000 +/- 10%). Floors 2-7 are one typical plan stacked six times, with a double loaded corridor that follows the U. Each floor has 14 units: 2 studios, 6 1BR, 4 2BR and 2 3BR. That’s 84 units total, a 14/43/29/14 mix and an average of 803 sf. It’s close to the 15/45/30/10 target but a little big, mostly because the corner units of the U came out large. The core is two stairs at the ends of the arms plus an elevator at the base of the U, lined up on every floor. The farthest door is about 130 ft from a stair. The ground floor is two shops and a lobby. I kept 11 ft floor to floor, which works for apartments but is tight for ducts and low for retail, so I’d raise the ground floor later.
What the facade studies showed
Option 1 used the WWR automation at 40% with band windows and no balconies. Option 2 used the balcony module, so every unit gets a balcony and WWR is about 47%. Daylight is what really separated them. Option 1 had more daylight inside (sDA 79% vs 70%), but 60% of the floor got too much sun, compared to 50% for Option 2. The balconies also cut about an hour of winter sun on the windows under them. Carbon barely changed: 191 vs 193 kgCO2e per sf over 60 years. That’s because Forma’s carbon tool only looks at WWR, not the balconies.
What I chose
I went with Option 2. It’s the only option that gives every unit a balcony, it has less glare and overheating, and it only costs about 1% more carbon. I’d only switch back to Option 1 if daylight became the top priority.
Where I overrode the automation
The module automation put residential balconies on the ground floor shops, and it wouldn’t let me add doors to a wall it controlled. So I took the module off Floor 1, gave it a 60% storefront WWR, released it and added 3 doors by hand. The default module was also 57% glass, which is over the 50% limit. I edited the module and swapped the tall side window for a shorter one, which brought it down to 45%.