Creating Forms with Revit Conceptual Masses
For this assignment, I used one of the provided conceptual mass families from the shared library to explore how parametric changes affect high-rise tower geometry and building performance metrics. I selected a twisting rectangular tower mass and used Dynamo to flex the Twist parameter while maintaining the overall tower dimensions.
Using Dynamo, I connected the conceptual mass parameters to a number slider and tested several different twist values to observe how the building geometry dynamically changed. As the tower twist increased, the building envelope became more complex and the overall surface area increased while maintaining a similar overall volume.
The conceptual mass was divided into mass floors using Revit levels, which allowed the model to automatically calculate:
- Gross Floor Area
- Gross Surface Area
- Gross Volume
These values updated dynamically as the parameter values changed in Dynamo.
Point to Ponder
What’s the advantage of exporting the values to Excel?
Exporting the values to Excel provides a much more efficient way to organize and compare multiple design alternatives. It also makes it easier to analyze trends between parameter changes and resulting building metrics without constantly reopening the Revit or Dynamo models. Additionally, Excel allows the data to be shared more easily with other team members who may not have direct access to the modeling software.