Stage 1 - Part 1
For Part 1, I decided to use the rectangular twist model provided in the shared Google Drive. I chose to keep the general base and top dimension parameters the same and only adjust the twist parameter. This allowed me to stay at or near the gross square footage requirements outlined in the project specifications.
I added levels at approximately 12-foot intervals, except for the first level, which was set at 18 feet, typical for a skyscraper lobby level. The levels extended up to 700 feet so the design would remain within the height limit while also avoiding unnecessary construction costs associated with additional height.
The results of flexing the twist parameter can be seen in the table below. After 48 degrees of twist the gross square footage of the building is below what was required in the spec.
Rotation (degrees) | Gross Square Footage (ft^2) | Gross Surface Area (ft^2) | Gross Volume (ft^3) |
0 | 2977420 | 746105 | 36750000 |
16 | 2943576 | 742583 | 36343247 |
32 | 2844666 | 732138 | 35154505 |
48 | 2688353 | 715133 | 33275871 |
64 | 2486747 | 692171 | 30852897 |
80 | 2255469 | 664098 | 28073305 |
Stage 1 - Part 2
Because the parcel of land is more rectangular, I decided to use a shape that would better fit the site by combining smaller rectangles into an interesting form with one long side and one short side. The overall width and depth, measured from the top corner to the bottom corner, correspond to the width and height parameters used for the mass floor plate in the model.
I then used the rotation template with two profiles and replaced the original shape with my custom shape to create the building mass. The same levels and heights from Part 1 were used, and the base and top dimensions remained the same so that the parameters could still be flexed consistently. The parameter I chose to flex was the top rotation, allowing for an easier comparison between the results from Part 1 and Part 2.
The results of flexing the top rotation parameter can be seen in the table below. After 64 degrees of twist the gross square footage of the building is below what was required in the spec. The gross surface area of the building is larger than the standard rectangle, which means its slightly less efficient.
Rotation (degrees) | Gross Square Footage (ft^2) | Gross Surface Area (ft^2) | Gross Volume (ft^3) |
0 | 3199733 | 955465 | 39374999 |
16 | 3158603 | 950887 | 38880683 |
32 | 3038400 | 936689 | 37436030 |
48 | 2848436 | 913189 | 35152968 |
64 | 2603429 | 881011 | 32208381 |
80 | 2322362 | 841136 | 28830406 |
Exporting values to excel or a CSV file can speed up the task of presenting data to a client. It also reduces the possibility of error by eliminating the need to copy over numbers.