Archivo categoría Built Environment
It’s Alive : Buildings, Biology and Biomimicry
Por Jim Foster - BIM, Built Environment, New Technologies - January 26, 2012
So there is an excellent article recently posted on the Smart Planet titled The buildings are alive: in biology, designers and architects seek answers , well worth the jump and the read. Essentially it focuses on how the built environment is incorporating designs from nature for better efficiency. From cooling techniques of termite mounds used in the Eastgate Center in Harare, Zimbabwe to bioluminscent paint that could provide free lighting.
Eastgate Centre uses fans to move cool night air through chambers under office floors, which can be sent through the building during daytime heat. The building is cooled at one-tenth the cost of structures with old fashioned, energy-sucking air conditioning.
Lighting giant Phillips released details of their new bio light. Essentially ”a wall of glass cells containing a live bacterial culture that emits soft green light by bioluminescence.”
“Professor Neil Spiller, an architect and the new head of the University of Greenwich’s School of Architecture & Construction, said the research team was looking at methods of using responsive protocells to clad cities in an ethical, green and sustainable way.” ’We want to use ethical synthetic biology to create large-scale, real world applications for buildings,” he says. Such cells could be affixed to buildings to capture carbon and they envision creating buildings that are carbon negative.
This notion of how to do things has spawned a whole new field of architecture” Biomimetic Architecture. Also how do we create building built of more recycled material and material that is recyclable. Why not take our cue from things that have evolved over millennia to adapt to their environment or been designed through divinity. Either way you look at it: good choice.
Current Technologies for Reality Capture : #Revit #BIM #AU2011
Por Jim Foster - BIM, Built Environment, New Technologies - December 14, 2011
I was at the recent Autodesk University in Las Vegas and sat in the session for Reality Capture for Rapid Energy Modeling by Jess Miller who discussed the current technologies and work flows to document existing buildings digitally in Revit. As it stands the 4 available today are:
- Satellite Imagery
- Laser Scanning
- 123D Catch (aka Photofly)
- PKNail Pro
All of these technologies with the exception of PKNail, yes I do have a horse in this race, require a user to extract geometry from one program and draft in another. PKNail allows a user to survey and model directly in Revit. However, the most important task is choosing the right tool for the job and usually this is driven by the scope of the project/deliverable, what the model is going to be used for, and conditions and access of the building. First, let’s look briefly at the current technologies and how they work.
Satellite Imagery
this requires getting oblique images from a source such as bing maps or Pictometry, that then can then be scaled and traced over in Revit. While it could be the least expensive of the methods it is generally a lot less accurate, requires something that allows you to scale the photos properly either on site measurements, existing plot plan, or CAD floor plan and any real details will not be included. This might prove to be an okay method to extract geometry for energy modeling but the model would end there, you could not use it to move forward with an architectural model. Additionally, it requires a sophisticated users knowledge of Revit through linking photos and extracting geometry.
Laser Scanning.
This is generally done as a service, that is you hire a company who has a laser scanner to create a pointcloud of the building you need. Estimates range from $3-$5K per day to have someone scanning a building. I know from experience that I have been quoted almost $60,000 to scan the exterior and interior of a single story industrial building and that did not include the Revit model we needed. We would have to build that ourselves from the point cloud. However, if you need an accurate 3D data set of an existing structure it is an excellent resource. You will need to import the pointcloud into Revit and trace over it to create the geometry making it at least a 2 step process. There are some technologies available such as Imaganit from Rand Technologies that will allow a user to extract some geometry to Revit but it is still a manual process. I have seen excellent use of this technology is extensive exposed MEP projects, think boiler room or oil rig, or difficult and inaccessible geometry, such as the Capitol Dome.
123D Catch,
is a program that allows you take pictures of building, send them up into the cloud and have them stitched together and served back to you as a 3D Photo model that you can then scale and extract geometry from. I have not had success using this product. I want to be successful using this product because I think it would be awesome but the few times I have sent something up to the could I get back something that looks like I am looking through a kaleidoscope. I highly recommend you take a look because as the technology progresses and computers get more powerful this will only get better.
PKNail Pro for Revit,
this is an add in to Revit that allows you to create real Revit objects, driven wirelessly from laser range finder (Disto D8) and from measurements in the field. That is measure wall, press a button and the wall is created directly in Revit. This is the only software that works within the actual BIM software so there is no need to translate or extract geometry. PKNail Pro automates current workflows and data capture and allows a user to finish the model on site. It excels at creating dimensionally correct 3D models of the both the interior and exterior. However, if you need a lot of exterior detail you may want to pair it with another of the technologies to create gutter sweeps, cornice work, etc. if that is needed on the project. PKNail also recognizes any Revit wall so you could another technology/method to create the exterior and use PKNail Pro to capture all the interior fit outs.
What it boils down to is what is needed based on the scope of the project and your budget. Choose the right tool for the job and don’t limit yourself, because who wants to use a hammer when you need a screw driver, or use a jackhammer when you need to hang a picture. I’ll work on my metaphors, you work on capturing reality.
PKNail : Hand Held Laser Direct to Revit Building Surveying Software Let’s you Fly.
Por Jim Foster - As Builts, BIM, Built Environment, Laser BIM, New Technologies - November 16, 2011
Flying Squirrel at Yosemite
November 16, 2011 – Boston, MA
7,000 Square Feet of Mixed Medical Office Space, Single Floor, 4 Hours. All Surveyed in Revit. All Revit Objects. In 3D. All Doors and Windows sized in 3 Dimensions. Exterior and Interior Fit Outs. Considering the shell had to be done. other floors would go faster, 20,000 SF a day per person not uncommon, Office Space within the same shell, even faster. Build, Document in Real Time using a hand held laser, driving Revit through the laser key pad as long as your laptop is close by no need to stop. Measure, build, boom…done.
PKNail was designed by field professionals for anyone who has ever had to document a building, to put a tool in your bag that helps you be successful in what you do. Do things quicker, do them better, produce for your clients, produce for yourself.
PointKnown will be at Autodesk University in Las Vegas to launch PKNail for Revit, compatible with both Revit 2011 and Revit 2012 and then at EcoBuild in Washington DC the week after.
You can catch Jess Miller’s session at AU where she will present her own findings for PKNail for Reality Capture.
http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=event_class&session_id=9855&jid=1742242
And why the flying squirrel? Well, look at him. He’s sitting on the precipice and he’s going to jump, and when he does he’s going to fly.
Autodesk digging into the Built Environment : Augments ‘Reality Capture’ Stable by acquiring Alice Labs
Por Jim Foster - 3D, BIM, Built Environment, New Technologies - October 18, 2011
80/20, the amount of construction projects that happen in the built environment vs. new construction, at least here in Boston and this is usually the case across the globe, maybe not 80/20 but having the majority of construction happening in the built environment. So if you’re Autodesk and you have all this great software, you can no longer presuppose the data, you are going to have to capture it somehow.
Autodesk put another arrow in their ‘built environment’, ‘as built’ or soon to be trademarked “reality capture’ quiver by acquiring Alice Labs. As reported in Graphic Speak, Autodesk Scoops up 3D point cloud innovator Alice Labs. And if you go to the Alice Labs website, all you get is a splash page saying they have been acquired by Autodesk, and no press releases from Autodesk either. Why not? Autodesk is like the borg, well I can’t comment on the assimilation part, but as far as sucking up cultures within their universe, no problem. So why not let people know.
The small team, closely related to ongoing research at technical universities in Delft, Netherlands and Ghent, Belgium, has previously released Studio Clouds, an innovative 3D laser point cloud editing technology that offers plug-ins for Autodesk’s 3ds Max and Maya modelers, and uses a proprietary game engine for fast manipulation of point cloud data…Behind the application is the Mirage Nova Engine (MNE), said to be capable of handling billions of points with ray-trace visualization quality. NME also offers a photogrammetric tool, offering an affordable way to generating high fidelity point cloud models from photographs. MNE is designed for 64-bit multi-core architectures and can take advantage of graphic card acceleration for maximum speed. -Randall – Graphic Speak
Either way, Autodesk is interested in getting you working in their software whether it’s for new construction or the the built environment, designing retrofits or modeling New York for gameplay. If it’s a 3D environment they want to put you in it, and Autodesk wants to be the transporter…Kirk Out <end cheesy Star Trek word play>
The renovation market is now breaking loose…BIM
Por Jim Foster - BIM, Built Environment - October 13, 2011
In a recent article in the ENR (Engineering News Record) ENR’s Top 600 Contractors Awaiting a Recovery, the news is mostly bad. Revenue is down 8.7% for the Top 600 from 2009 and they do not expect a recovery anytime soon, for new buildings. One of the bright spots, “the renovation market.”
“Our maintenance and retrofit market is up 40% in the past year,” says Limbach’s CEO Bacon. After three years of bottled-up demand, he says, the renovation market is now breaking loose.
Being Tech Savvy is a plus as well in cutting the waste out of construction and trying to maintain already thin margins. “If you are not fully proficient in [BIM], you are way behind,” says Dean. He says the first phase was to show that BIM actually worked in the construction process. The industry is now in a second phase, in which practical improvements are being implemented on a regular basis. “It’s not just a clash-detection tool anymore,” says Bill Dean, CEO of M.C. Dean.
BIM FM Rundown
Por Jim Foster - BIM, Built Environment, New Technologies - October 7, 2011
BIM, supposedly, sits at the center of managing a building from design to demolition. The longest part of that arc, facility management, seems to get the least amount of press and attention. Interestingly enough, Autodesk purchased FM Systems in in 2006 and discontinued its product FM Desktop by 2009. This seems to leave a gaping whole in their portfolio but perhaps they just wanted to build something from the ground up integrated with Revit, maybe its in the pipeline somewhere. In between, there is an excellent article on AECBytes, BIM for Facilities Management, that breaks down the current BIM FM Marketplace.
Current Players:
ArchiFM now VintoCon
Working on the live integration between BIM and BAS (Building Automation Systems)
What I don’t completely understand is the step child status of FM applications. Autodesk shed FM. ArchiCAD seems to be distancing itself from FM with the introduction/spinoff of Vintocon, maybe it just takes too much work and integration, however, according to NIBS, Whole Building Design Group, that over a 30 year life of a building, operating it costs 3x more than building it. One would think programming/implementing software to manage this process would be worth the effort, then again that’s 3x over 30 years. My feeling the more it is integrated with BAS (Building Automation Systems) which then links directly to energy usage, the more popular it will become.
Unlocking the Multi-Billion Building Retrofit Market from the Carbon War Room : #BIM
Por Jim Foster - Built Environment, retrofit - September 21, 2011
The Carbon War Room harnesses the power of entrepreneurs to implement market-driven solutions to climate change. The world needs entrepreneurial leadership to create a post-carbon economy.
The War Room’s unique approach focuses on bringing together successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, policy experts, researchers, and thought leaders to focus on market-driven solutions. -www.carbonwarroom.com
Anyone who read the times article yesterday and from their own web site saw that these guys are putting a wrapper around Retrofits , from the engineering to the financing that can be sold as bonds with a 7% return mainly paid from the savings incurred from the retrofit projects, has to love this approach. It puts people back to work, it saves energy and dollars, and it provides a return on capital for those invest in it, awesome. One has to imagine that more financial institutions looking to bundle, promote, sell new products is going to love this. From ‘green’ investors down the line. There’s a job recovery program for you.
Green Capital Global Challenge from Carbon War Room on Vimeo.
Financing coming together for Green Building Initiatives : Consortium put together by The Carbon War Room
Por Jim Foster - Built Environment, Green - September 20, 2011
So you want to retrofit a building. Everything is in place, the ROI calculations, the press for promoting your green building, possibly higher SF Lease Rates because of the Green Building, plus you’ll be saving money from it, less green house gases, less dependence on fossil fuel, etc. The one thing missing, no matter how much it makes sense, the financing. Excellent article in the NY Times, Tax Plan to Turn Old Buildings ‘Green’ Finds Favor, explaining the current model which would be in the form of bonds sold to investors. “The consortium was put together by the Carbon War Room, a nonprofit environmental group based in Washington set up by Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur”, what doesn’t this guy do.
As excerpted from the Article:
Short-term loans provided by Barclays Capital will be used to pay for the upgrades. Contractors will offer a warranty that the utility savings they have promised will actually materialize, and an insurance underwriter, Energi, of Peabody, Mass., will back up that warranty. Those insurance contracts, in turn, will be backed by Hannover Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurance companies.
As projects are completed, the upgrade loans, typically carrying interest rates of 7 percent, will be bundled into long-term bonds resembling those routinely issued by governmental taxing districts. Barclays will market the bonds. Retirement funds have expressed interest in buying these bonds, which will be repaid by tax surcharges on each property that undergoes a retrofit.
This all is just starting to make too much sense.
RCx projected to have an 83% Annual Growth Rate the next 4 years: What?! Commercial Building Retro Commissioning (RCx)
Por Jim Foster - Built Environment, Smart Building, Sustainable Retrofits - September 19, 2011
So according to Pike Research, yes “Commercial Building Retro-Commissioning Revenue Could Surpass $1.8 Billion in the United States by 2014″ So that’s a mouthful. Retro-Commisoning, also dubbed RCx, why? I don’t know, looks cool, but RCx simply ” is a process that seeks to improve how building equipment and systems function together. ” Why not say that, well, see cool comment earlier. But according to Evan Mills. 2009. “Building Commissioning: A Golden Opportunity for Reducing Energy Costs and Greenhouse-gas Emissions” and thier report which “provides the world’s largest database of commissioning case studies for new and existing buildings.”
The results demonstrate that commissioning is arguably the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse-gas emissions in buildings today.
Who stands to benefit from retro-commissioning? according to EnergyStar, “Building owners, managers, staff, and tenants all stand to gain from the retrocommissioning process. It can lower building operating costs by reducing demand, energy consumption, and time spent by management or staff responding to complaints. It can also increase equipment life and improve tenant satisfaction by increasing the comfort and safety of occupants.”
And if this RCx did not have enough addictive properties:
- Median commissioning costs: $0.30 and $1.16 per square foot for existing buildings and new construction, respectively (and 0.4% of total construction costs for new buildings)
- Median whole-building energy savings: 16% and 13%
- Median payback times: 1.1 and 4.2 years
- Median benefit-cost ratios: 4.5 and 1.1
- Cash-on-cash returns: 91% and 23%
- Very considerable reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions were achieved, at a negative cost of -$110 and -$25/tonne CO2-equivalent.
So where to start? Well like a lot of trends California is a good place, and their Commissioning Collaborative Handbook. And this thing is such a mouthful I’ll need to further elaborate in future posts after I can digest this RCx meal.
The Whole Building and nothing but the Whole Building : BIM
Por Jim Foster - BIM, Built Environment, LEED - August 19, 2011
When speaking of the Built Environment, many people, including myself take an economic impact view of the building, that is existing buildings take up the majority of resources so how can we design/retorofit these things to be more efficient, more efficient means less consumption, means less operating costs all good things. So being late August and having the opportunity to read exciting things like, The Case Study of CALSTRS Headquarters, West Sacramento CA you are reminded of the more holistic approach to building design. The building was awarded LEED Gold and is in the process of qualifying for LEED EBOM (Existing Building Operating and Maintenance) so they compare it to other buildings in energy performance, however, also taken into account were the following factors:
Thermal comfort and overcooling
Speech privacy
Occupant controls for energy and comfort
Operator/building controls
Constituent input Landscaping
So how about taking into account the comfort and happiness of the occupants. I have to say “speech privacy” was not in my list of concerns until I read it about it here, but noticing that “the CalSTRS building has a smaller amount of square footage per occupant than the average for office building(s)” in this survey I guess it should not come as a surprise. There was also a complaint of ’over air conditioning’ on the North Side of the building. I would have to imagine that controls are in place to manage North/South orientation and the design of HVAC systems, if not that would seem to be glaring oversight during the design of the system and building since they would essentially be two different environments. However, it seems to me if you can quantify happiness, can you build it into design software? Honestly, with the advent of software, any software, it’s not only to automate tasks, but also get the knowledge of users into the software, hence making everyone more productive. So if you can put variables in like # of occupants into the design, assigning them SF can we have software suggest break out room for speech privacy, maybe this stuff is automated and in software and I am too dense to have discovered it, hell for all I know it’s a sub menu in Revit I have not discovered but automating what could be common sense, now that would be something.
“Hey Jim what’s up with putting a smiling cow image on this blog post?”
A) That’s a very cool picture
B) I was thinking happy environment, happy people and in this case happy environment, happy cow.
The study was conducted and published by the folks at the aptly titled, CBE (Center for the Built Environment) at UCAL Berkeley.
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