Timelines

So it looks like I am running about two weeks behind in the timeline that I outlined earlier.  This is not really that bad, though, considering that the timeline was really quite ambitious to start with.

So, I think that what I will do is eliminate the optimisation exercise from the course.  That will give me two weeks to do the economic simulation (which seems feasible) and have me finished the reporting work by Nov. 25.  That would then give me 3 weeks to work on the final essay and reflection.

The optimisation can be done graphically and somewhat informally using the graphs I have prepared, so it won't really need to disappear.  It will just be simpler.

Energy analysis

I've used a combination of Revit and Green Building Studio to quickly mock up some energy studies for four massing strategies for the fictitious big box store.

One thing that this involved was rebuilding slightly simpler versions of the models.  After some initial efforts with Ecotect, I found that the studies weren't really concerned with where structure, curtain wall doors or furniture might be so I removed that.  This made it easier to manipulate the models, and also gave the degree of resolution that the GBS seemed to be operating at:  rough, overall initial calculations.

I also resized the building to be 5000m2, to bring it in line with average sizes for North American big box stores.

GBS lets you do different "design options" for each model to aid in quick comparison.  I played around with different wall insulation systems, better HVAC systems and rotated the building on the site in the various options to get an idea of where the savings might lie.  It seems that the stacked, two floor layout with a much higher wall insulation level and a high-efficiency heating and cooling system could provide annual energy savings in the order of $30,000 versus the usual flat and wide building type.  With a 50 year life-cycle that would translate into a $1.5 million dollar savings.

My use of the tools are rather clumsy at this point, so I don't really know much about the particular heating system that I specified other than that it has high efficiency, but they have some rather detailed specifications.     It would also be possible to add in site massing of the surrounding buildings, to see how that would impact shading.

GBS works on a cloud system that compiles weather and local utility data to input into the model analysis.  It is a simple process where you basically just upload your model and then their systems handle the computation and storage of the data, which you can then view and download in various forms.  It is a subscription based service.  I downloaded a spreadsheet of key performance data for my various options, cleaned it up in excel, and then used that data to generate the graphs above in illustrator.

Interestingly, the new cloud paradigm seems a double edged sword for users.  On the one hand it stores and manipulates your data off-site, so your system does not get bogged down in the processing.  It is also a means for data to be constantly updated.  On the downside, one needs constant network connectivity, there is an ongoing cost, and it is harder to "hack" (ie. get a free version of the program) than the current standard of on-board software.

As for a BIM feature, it could be nice to have analysis done as a pay per use service, so that one does not need to invest several thousand dollars in a piece of software that might be used for only a couple projects a year.  There also seems to be alot of effort that has gone into making the process relatively seamless and quick, so that analysis can be done on the fly during a project and does not necessarily have to be a central concern / team capability.