Cadalyst - November/December 2008 - (Page 18)

techtrends ment preference. For energy analysis, Anderson Anderson uses VE from Integrated Environmental Solutions, commonly referred to as IES VE (see product review on p. 40), and Ecotect, recently acquired by Autodesk. Sketching up the Giant The superstructure was brought to life in Google SketchUp by one Anderson Anderson staff member. Another used Rhino, the NURBS-based modeling program from McNeel North America, to model the ground-plane data along with nearby structures at the intended site using publicly available data from Google Earth and other digital-mapping applications. Later, the same SketchUp model was easily imported into Google Earth to study its effect on the neighborhood — for example, where the superstructure’s shadow would fall during different times of the day (figure 2). The human-like shape was chosen not only because it was aesthetically interesting, but because it offers certain inherent advantages in San Francisco’s relatively unchanging climate, Anderson noted. “It has a curved shape,” he said, “so it shields itself during summer; in winter, you gain more access to the low-angle sun.” Figure 2. The staff at Anderson Anderson used Google SketchUp to study the prophetic project, dubbed “Bay Towers of Babel-On.” The neighboring structures were drawn in Rhino. Unfolding Geometric Mysteries To create the pine cones and sea stars that would become part of the wire skeleton, the Anderson Anderson staff modeled the objects as solids in Windows-based Rhino, then used a command to unroll each solid into a 2D pattern. The staff refined the pattern in AutoCAD by adding corner tabs to hold the card stock patterns together when folded (figure 3). Finally, the firm used a GCC LaserPro Explorer — a laser engraving machine with a work area spanning roughly 39” x 20” — to cut the CAD patterns. Figure 3. Rhino allows the architects to model whimsical geometric shapes first as solid objects, then unroll them into 2D surfaces. The pattern here represents a shoe. Tower of Babel Whereas current BIM workflow lets owners, architects, and contractors collaborate in the early phase of the design, Anderson’s open-ended BIM will require a workflow that could accommodate subsequent collaborations, long after the architect has signed off on the design. One of the inspirations for Anderson Anderson’s superstructure was the biblical reference to the Tower of Babel, an enormous tower where the ancient Babylonians dwelled (Genesis 11). Its inhabitants were said to speak a single language until the rise of multiple languages caused them to scatter. The common languages at Anderson Anderson’s multiple-software office are DWG, DWF, and PDF (for people who do not use CAD). “Here, in our office, it’s a bit like Babel,” mused Anderson. “Some of us speak Revit. Others speak SketchUp. Then there are those who speak Rhino. But if we need to communicate with each other, there’s always someone who can connect one program to the other.” In describing the project, currently dubbed “Bay Towers of Babel-On,” Anderson Anderson wrote, “San Francisco blossoms as diverse communities of imagination, good health, and global contribution, exporting invention, food, energy; powering worldwide renewal in art, industry, health, happiness, individual liberty, ecological rationality, and communal good will. Architecture intertwines with all aspects of life, seamlessly providing infrastructure, energy, sustainable wealth, and inspiration into the lives of its citizen builders.” Plug in Your BIM Here The use of Revit was important to this project, Anderson revealed, “The concepts of BIM were applied through the use of Revit for the overall modeling of the structure and systems. . . .You can then [design] the individual add-on units as BIM objects, tagged with the requirements,” such as access to power and water. “You can even program its reaction to solar axis. So if you place the unit on the south side, it would have very different solar-thermal considerations as opposed to the northern side,” he imagined. The proposed building paradigm, he expects, could give rise to the idea of BIM objects as formula-driven components rather than rigid parts already fixed in space. For example, an octagonal residential unit might be designed as an independent BIM object with embedded formulas but not as a part of the main structure. Such a BIM object would be able to recompute the energy, lighting, and thermal requirements based on the future occupant’s place18 Cadalyst executive editor Kenneth Wong explores the innovative use of technology and its implications. Read his blog at www.cadalyst.com/kw. www.cadalyst.com cadalyst November/December 2008 http://www.cadalyst.com/kw http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - November 2008

Cadalyst - November 2008 Contents Editor's Window CAD Central Tech Trends: Designed after Our Own Image Budget-Conscious Workstations — 64-Bit CAD Power for Less than $2,500 Cadalyst All-Star Awards 2008 SolidWorks 2009 — 3D MCAD Software IES Virtual Environment 5.9 — Building Performance Analysis Software View Point: A Design with Teeth CAD Manager: CAD Manager’s Survey 2008 MCAD Modeling: Ask for What You Want AEC Insight: AEC Software by the Clock CAD Cartoon Issue Indexes Hot Tip Harry: Hot Tips for Cold Days

Cadalyst - November 2008

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