Overview
Replace this text with your reflections on your design journey through class from a higher level and share your insights about the entire experience. What were:
- Key / Essential / Unique Design Features that you explored in your project.
- Scenery
- Slope Roof
- Atrium
- Natural Air Circulation
- Roof Garden
- Shading
- VAV Unit
According to the results in Solar Analysis, the main building runs north-south, and the roof slopes to the south can collect more solar energy. So solar panels on the roof of main building are tilted at an angle to make better use of the sun's energy.
The central area of the building has an atrium, which is constructed by curtain wall. It is conducive to lighting at the entrance and ventilation at crowded places. Make people have a bright and spacious feeling when they just enter the hall.
Natural wind can enter the building through the central atrium and exit the building through slant opening gaps, enhancing air circulation.
The roof garden where people can enter, provides a good place for people to have food and relax.
The building has a sun visor on the sunny side. As can be seen through daylight and shadow, the visor blocks the sun from the southern windows during the summer afternoons when the sun is at its strongest.
A sun shield is provided on a whole curtain wall. When the sunlight comes from this side, most of the sunlight is blocked, and the floor of the room casts shadows.
When installing HVAC systems, I use VAV unit to control the airflow, which can save the energy consumption.
- Your Big Successes -- what worked very well and what features you're most proud to share as examples to inspire others.
After changing some key factors like roof construction, PV panel efficiency and PV surface coverage, the energy consumption of my building is lower than benchmark (Architecture 2030). And by setting PV panel on the roof, the building can generate 187871 kWh/year, which means $28181 energy savings.
- Your Big Challenges -- what aspects of the project created the biggest challenges and what would you do differently (in hindsight) to avoid or overcome these challenges.
- Structure
- Mechanical System
In the design of the structure, thinner beams were chosen in order to keep the floor spacing high. However, large span of some beams may lead to excessive mid-span deflection. So in the larger span should increase the beam height or use trusses.
When I set the HVAC system, I found it’s hard to avoid conflicting between two different types of pipes. So the better way is to set them at different heights.
Another challenge for me is when I try to connect pipes automatically, it sometimes says “REVIT could not find a matching pipe segment in “pipe types: standard”. So I need to connect the pipe manually.
- Lessons Learned -- what sage words of advice would you share with other students who are embarking on a similar project.
- Make plans
- Think twice before taking actions
For a big project whose time period is very long, it's necessary to make a schedule first. From a general plan to specific details, it’s important to set time nodes to avoid leaving everything at the end or rework.
Sometimes in order to save time, I would start laying pipes or facilities directly, only to find that the elevation was forgotten or the space reserved was not enough. So I think it is important to check that all parameters are set before modifying the model.
Video Presentation / Tour of Your Project Features
Replace this text with a link to your Video Presentation / Tour.
- PPT
- Video