Why is it important to accurately model the land features of your project site with a toposurface?
It is important to accurately model all aspects of the buildings location including the terrain with toposurface. When working with a team on a building modeling project it is important that everyone is on the same page throughout the whole process, including both the team and the clients. The terrain is important for everyone involved to have an accurate idea of so that they can plan accordingly. The terrain might require extra digging or other preparations. One specific aspect that could be affected by the terrain if not accurately prepared is intalling photovoltaics on the roof. If there is a hill or wildlife blocking the sun from reaching the roof, this would have an impact. Another aspect of the importance of knowing the terrain features is when designing to take advantage of the views the location brings. If it is on a mountain we might add more windows facing downhill to get the best views.
When designing a project...
When designing a building I think the building should adapt to the terrain rather than the other way around. Site location is one of the first and most important steps when constructing a building. If choosing the location of the building is an option, it should be taken into great consideration in regards to how to build the most efficient building in its surroundings, while disrupting the land as little as possible. It seems like much of todays construction doesn’t prioritize minimizing land use impact. Since buildings already take up land, the least we can do is leave the surrounding area untouched when possible. The best buildings in my opinion are the ones that were designed to make the most of of its location while conserving it.
What are the advantages of stacking the levels of a multi-story building vertically?
There are many advantages to vertical stacking multistory buildings. Both while modeling and building, having the floors be close replicas saves time and is therefore more efficient. While modeling we can copy and paste floors and then go back and change the details rather than starting each level from scratch. While constructing it is easier to repeat what was done on the floors below which has already proven to work. Also when designing a building for a client, they can be shown the first floor and easily imagine what the rest of the building will look like. However one of the reasons we wouldn’t stack is in a home for example that has different rooms on each floor. Some buildings also might look more aesthetic if every floor is designed a new way. Often times different floors also serve different uses.