Intended users
This design tool is intended to help the average cabin owner. It is meant to allow them to get a rough idea of the cost, impact, and structural implications of a simple rudimentary design of an A frame cabin. For many individuals looking to build or purchase their first cabin in a snowy location, I want to be able to provide them an outline of what they can expect and get an idea of a rough outline of their dream structure. The user will be able to get an idea of the dimensions which they enjoy, the cost of building that structure, and the type of design needed to be structurally sound. The structural analysis included in this study is specifically for more structurally inclined or interested users so they may get an idea of a rough structural system of their A frame cabin.
Need you’re trying to provide a solution or support for
There are not many very intuitive simple softwares which allow people to look at a sample structure. Many homeowners in general aren’t able to easily conceptualize their dream structure and the associated dimensions. This generative design tool will allow potential homeowners to through simple inputs and sliders generate a full structure personalized to their designers so that when they are making decisions about the actual construction of their dream home they are informed and have a good idea of what the dimensions of their home looks like. This tool will also provide them with rough estimates of both carbon footprint as well cost of the structure of their home. Ideally these simple models can be expanded to many different types of homes and not just A frame cabins. This will allow many users to simply flex some inputs and generate a rough outline of their dream home with a slew of outputs to help them make an informed
Inputs
- Building Width
- Building Length
- Building Height
- Height of Roof
- Number of Roof Beams
- Number of Columns along Both Faces
- Number of Stories(1 or 2)
- Constants
- Material properties of structural members
- Cost(CO2/$) of Wood
- Loads on Building
Underlying logic of the model you’ll implement
The model based on the defined inputs will need to be constructed. First off the dimensions of the outline of the A frame cabin will be constructed. These dimensions include the building width, length, and height. With these dimensions created and walls inserted, the columns along the building width and length can be added. The building then can have the roof added with the associated roof structural beams. The building can also be chosen to have either one or two floors depending on the user’s input. With the rough structure created in dynamo with inputs to the users desired taste, the outputs of cost, deflections, carbon footprint, etc can be computed and reported back to the user. The end goal is to create a generative design study so that the user can find the most optimal configuration for their dream home. The dynamo logic will therefore provide a perfect tool to create such a generative study with corresponding graphics and plots to inform the user on the gives and takes of various inputs.
Outputs
- Roof Deflection
- Cost of Structural Building Materials
- Volume of the Home
- Carbon Footprint
- Max load the building can carry