Green Cost
Early stage modeling tool that allows users to determine a preliminary building form to achieve a low estimated impact on the environment
Green Cost is a tool created to help owners decide on the final building outcome they would like. There are current tools on the market, such as EC3, that allow you to see the total embodied carbon of a building. But to use the current tools on the market you need the exact dimensions of the building and the quantity of materials. But what if you are not at the stage to have those quantities yet? That is where Green Cost comes in. Green Costs is a tool that allows a user to analyze a building based on its total cost, embodied carbon, window area, and the percentage of daylight that the floors receive.
ReadMe.txt:
Green costs will provide an estimate of the embodied carbon to the user based on the building material that is used the most. It will also tell the user an estimated cost, window area, and the amount of sunlight.
1) Open dynamo script and create a study
2) Within the Study select the input by selecting the check box (or not).
Possible Inputs:
Cube Height (100 to 1000ft)
Cube Width and Length (50 to 200ft)
Cylinder Height (50 to 500 ft)
Cylinder Radius (20 to 50ft)
3) Define the outputs for the study by selecting the check box (or not). This is what the generative study will optimize.
Possible Outputs:
Construction Cost
Embodied Carbon
Amount of Sunlight
Window Area
4) OPTIONAL: Able to set constraints for all outputs within the study.
5) Once the correct inputs, outputs and constraints are inputted click “generate”.
6) The study will provide graphs and sorting options for the variations and optimized outcomes of the buildings. These graphs and sorting function can be used to determine which design fits the needs of the user.
7) OPTIONAL: Run the study again with different inputs//outputs/constraints until the
I simplified my work from Module 7. First I have my building parameter, create the 3D shapes and merge them into one solid. I also add floors to the form. The user can also select how high they would like the floors to be.
Then I calculate the total exterior surface area, which is the window area. I calculate the percent floors that get direct sunlight. A function of the total floor surface area and the surface area of those floors. The construction cost is a function of the windows and the height of the building. Then there is the embodied carbon. On this portion it is important to note that everything in pink the user has the option to edit!