Until the project was picked up by Architecture365’s architect, Kit Johnson, who immediately recognized it’s need to use ArchiCAD building information modeling (BIM) software.

“In order to build it, we’ve had to make hundreds of changes to the original design to accommodate the realities of the site and its existing bones. This never would have gotten done without ArchiCAD,” said Johnson.

Architecture365 modeled a new design on the old structure in ArchiCAD, starting with data imported from 2D CAD and surveying software. With difficulties in the original construction documents however, the Johnson team had to constantly verify the design in the ArchiCAD BIM model.

“These changes were quite manageable in ArchiCAD yet would have been extraordinarily time-consuming and expensive in ‘flat CAD’, Plus, we were incorporating the normal changes a client will make, such as moving a window or door. We executed these modifications in probably a quarter of the time it would have taken in two-dimensional CAD. With BIM, you’re automatically adjusting plans, sections and elevations all at once. And some of the stunts we pulled with ArchiCAD would have crashed competing BIM software based on my experience. Bottom line, without ArchiCAD, I wouldn’t have any way of doing what I’m doing,” commented Johnson.

01 - Pease Place, designed by Architecture365, in Austin Texas, utilized ArchiCAD BIM software to complete a stalled out project.

For more info on ArchiCAD

Or to see more on the Pease Palace

This McGraw-Hill Construction Event is sponsored by BIM software leader Graphisoft and will feature three principals (as panelists) who will discuss the nature of their green projects and roads to success.

Jane Kolleeny, Managing Editor, GreenSource, will moderate the panel discussion. Architects include: Sam Batchelor, AIA, LEED AP, principal, designLAB architects, inc; Aaron Jobson, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects; and Bradley Khouri, AIA, principal and founder, b9 architects, inc.

Learning Objectives and Registering

The main learning objectives for this event, which has an AIA CE unit of 1 AIA/CES are:

• Understand why specific material choices were made and how decisions contributed to sustainability success
• Recognize why specific design/siting decisions were made, and how these decisions contributed to both the project’s sustainability and its architectural excellence
• Identify effective means to communicate with clients about the budgetary/design give-and-take that goes into sustainable design projects
• Learn energy efficiency measures that were undertaken

This is an excellent event for architects interested in learning more about sustainable design.

The event takes place at 2:00 – 3:00 EDT, May 19, 2011. You can register here.

Architects know that sustainability is the most important trend in architecture and construction today. And BIM software is a powerful new tool that enables architects to better develop architecture that is responsive to its environmental context. In this webinar participants will discover how Graphisoft’s award-winning EcoDesigner software can help architects make design decisions early on in the design process that inform the architect of various energy concerns.

Graphisoft EcoDesigner helps you make design decisions by providing precise forecasts about the annual total and specific energy consumption, monthly energy balance, and carbon footprint of your project.

Event Details

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 is the first event at 12:00 – 1:00pm EST (New York) and also at 8:00 – 9:00AM GMT (London). Actually, the first event of this day is the London time zoned event.

01 - Graphisoft's upcoming Green BIM Event centers its attention on helping architects understand how to design more sustainable buildings by using Graphisoft EcoDesigner software.

The third event is on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 5:00 – 6:00 CET (Madrid) and is a Spanish-language version of this event.

To register for this event go here. To watch a teaser preview of this event on YouTube visit this link.

This first tool is called SunAngle Software, written by Sustainable By Design, a consulting firm in Seattle, Washington, USA, owned by Christopher Gronbeck.

Used around the world since 1995, SunAngle Software is a premium shareware tool that calculates solar angles based on location, date and time, anywhere in the world. SunAngle runs directly in your web browser on your Mac or PC.

01 - SunAngle software runs on any Mac browser, including Safari.

A more advanced version of the software is available as a stand-alone program and runs on both Mac and Windows and simply requires Microsoft Excel and Adobe PDF Reader. That product includes a thorough documentation manual, SunAngle for JavaScript–a more robust version of the shareware version, SunAngle for Excel and other standalone versions of many of the other free shareware tools by the company.

02 - SunAngle software for Javascript.

03 - SunAngle software for Adobe PDF Reader.

The advanced version costs 40.USD for electronic delivery or 50.USD for CD-ROM. The Web-based solution is free. You can learn more here: http://www.susdesign.com/

What is Moonstone?

The Moonstone Project is a 16,000 square foot house with nearly one third underground. Meeting a ‘zero carbon’ footprint is no small accomplishment given the that the house is 21 times larger than the typical UK home. The house has no heating demand and is off the grid for both water and sewage. It is also entirely lit using low-LED lighting and generates its own electricity through an array of PV panels which supply more power than the house consumes. This enables the home owners to feed surplus electricity back to the UK power grid for an estimated annual income of 3,500 British pounds.

“ArchiCAD BIM is a tool we definitely could have not lived without,” said John Croft, owner of Moonstone. “It certainly saved us tens of thousands of pounds in cost savings on the project as we were able to analyze any design mistakes, clashes of materials, know where the MEP runs were going to go as well as evaluate building performance,” he added.

A free Best Practice InfoKit is available from Applecore Designs, a Graphisoft partner in the UK that helped support the Moonstone Project design team.

To learn more about ArchiCAD visit Graphisoft online here.

EcoDesigner is the world’s first, fully-integrated (into a BIM) dynamic building energy modeling application that allows architects to compare the sustainability of various design options and change the project in the early design phase, when it is still easy to do so. EcoDesign can generate accurate results up to 80 percent faster than stand-alone energy software. EcoDesigner works in conjunction and integral to Graphisoft’s BIM product ArchiCAD.

“It was very interesting that many of these product ideas are related to the field of sustainability, which will be absolutely the most important trend for the next few years in architecture as well as in the entire building sector,” said Mirko Arend, Exhibition Director for BAU.

EcoDesigner, first released in 2009, works with ArchiCAD 14 on both the Windows and Mac platforms. To learn more visit Graphisoft here.

Graphisoft has reported that both Dutch and Hungarian language version of ArchiCAD 14 have been released and are available in their local markets. The Dutch version marks the 11th version of 26 localized versions of ArchiCAD 14’s global release.

To learn more visit: www.graphisoft.com

SketchUp News

IES has partnered officially with Google SketchUp. IES’s VE plugin enables energy analysis work directly within SketchUp. You can learn about IES here. There is also news of a new book titled, “SketchUp 7.1 for Architectural Visualization.”  Written by Robin de Jongh the book is written in an engaging style and features great tips like how to utilize affordable tools to supplement your visualization workflow with items like GIMP and Kerkythea. You can learn more at Amazon here.

FileMaker Devcon: News

FileMaker’s 2010 developer conference takes place  San Diego, California, on August 15-18. worldcloud.com will be exhibiting its cloud technologies for FileMaker Hosting, including its vApp for FileMaker for Windows and its XenApp for FileMaker for Cross-Platform and Mobile workgroups.

To learn more about FileMaker visit them on the web.

ACCIONA is one of the foremost Spanish business corporations with leadership in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. Listed on the select Ibex-35 stock exchange index and the Dow Jones Sustainability indices, it is benchmark for the market. It has presence in more than 30 countries and a global employee base of over 35,000. As part of its R&D department, which has a budget over 500 million euro, Graphisoft’s BIM solution will standardize their practices.

“This is all about an integration system that will help link all departments–education, quality control, engineering, et cetera–allowing us to work interactively on a single projec file and share our progress in real time,” said Fernando Blanco, Visualization and Sub-area Coordinator of 3D Modeling at ACCIONA’s R&D department.

ArchiCAD was used for the new Leon Airport Terminal.

To learn more about ACCIONA go here. To learn more about Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD visit them online here: www.graphisoft.com

The 75-person firm used ArchiCAD to conceive, detail and coordinate plans for the 33-storey, 508,000 square foot complex, which features a signature nine-storey glassy “lantern” at the top of the tower. Those levels house premium living units and a penthouse-level restaurant.

Why ArchiCAD 13

“ArchiCAD is a great collaborative design tool for efficiently executing our vision,” said BAR Architects principal Mark Koester. “A high-rise like this entails frequent client-requested changes, and the BIM model helps our team stay current and on deadline as the design unfolds. ArchiCAD provides realistic 3D views that result in better and faster design decisions that 2D plans allow. And it helps the entire team–including architects, landscape architects, structural designers and interior designers–experience the spaces they are designing in the context of the entire architecture.”

The Sun City Palace complex is complex and using a BIM software tool helped the architects manage information. The structure houses an array of amenities, including a library, an atelier, a swimming pool, a spa and a 500-seat auditorium. BAR Architects used ArchiCAD for green design as well studying the building for optimal sunlight and integrating pedestrian flow with local transit. Other green elements of the finished building include permeable pavement to manage runoff, rainwater reuse systems, local materials and abundant plantings.

“Society’s elders deserve carefully crafted spaces, both in private and common areas, that ensure a high quality of life,” said Koester. “ArchiCAD helped us accomplish this ever step of the project.”

To learn more about BAR Architects and see some photos of this project visit their website here. For more on ArchiCAD 13 visit the Graphisoft website.

What is HEATA?

HEATA extends the capabilities of the standard ArchiCAD toolset to display and monitor energy usage for individual houses and multiple dwellings.

HEATA allows users to under the thermal impacts of aesthetic and formal decisions with a graphical interface. Overall performance, including annual CO2 emissions and fuel costs, as well as predicted SAP and Code for Sustainability Homes energy ratings are displayed in a dashboard (see image). 

The program gives the architect clear feedback on the energy results from changes in spatial planning, fenestration design, and construction materials. With the SAP Calculator, changes are instantly updated in the SAP and dwelling CO2 emissions rate, making it easy to understand the impact of various energy strategies on code compliance. 

To learn more about HEATA for ArchiCAD or the ArchiCAD Summer School program in England, visit the the links above.

Challenges in the Pacific Northwest

The regions of western Oregon and Washington State have unique challenges when it comes to green design. For a good part of our winter months we receive little direct sunlight when we could use it the most. Raw materials are also becoming more expensive and construction waste is at an all time high. Even in parts of the country with these challenges, BIM can be used to optimize solar and energy efficient design and minimize waste.

Green Design with BIM

The thoughtful designer can use BIM models to save resources AND money for project owners by incorporating analytical studies into the early design phase.

Analytical sun studies

Conducting a sun study helps the designer to evaluate and refine his project to effectively use daylight sources.

Continuous control of usage of resources

Quantities and detailed data about building components can be generated, providing the architect and the owner with valuable information about the materials used.

What-if scenarios for design optimization

The ability to run different scenarios supports the green design process.

Computer energy simulations

Computer energy simulation is used throughout the design process to assess the building’s energy conservation value and construction costs.

Architects and engineers can collaborate to generate many alternative concepts for building form, envelope, and landscaping. This allows focus on minimizing peak energy loads, demand, and consumption.

Typically, heating and cooling load reductions from shading devices, better glazing, insulation, efficient lighting, daylighting, and active and passive solar systems allow for smaller and less expensive HVAC equipment which, when well designed, can result in little or no increase in construction cost compared to conventional designs. Simulations are used to refine designs and ensure that energy-conservation and capital cost goals are met and to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.

01 - David Vandervort Architects -- Located in Issaquah, Washington, zHome is the first multifamily, production, zero-energy, carbon neutral community in the United States. In addition to presentation images and construction documentations, BIM was used to create sun studies which helped shape the roofs. URL: http://www.vandervort.com

BIM as Collaborative Foundation

Effective green designs use the BIM model as a basis for measuring the various performance analyses. The BIM approach provides an optimal collaborative environment for specialized applications.

Developers of BIM applications have become one of the leading forces behind interoperability standards such as the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), which allows sharing and exchange of the 3D model’s information for generating building simulations across multiple applications.

As a result of this interoperability, the BIM model functions as a fulcrum around which everything else pivots – from structural engineering applications to collision detection, building performance and energy analysis regardless of the software manufacturer.

Data Sharing

Using the BIM model as the data backbone for the process, energy analysis software such as IES, ECOTECT and EnergyPlus in North America or VIP and RIUSKA in Europe can contribute valuable data to a project. Primarily used by engineers, this software can be used to optimize systems such as solar, thermal, lighting and HVAC. EnergyPlus and RIUSKA users can take advantage of IFC compatibility for a smooth collaboration with the BIM application. Green Building XML (gbXML) is used for connections with Green Building Studio, ECOTECT, and IES Virtual Environment.

02 - b9 Architects -- Currently in design, this 4-unit development in Seattle, Washington, seeks to achieve zero energy usage and/or the PassivHaus Institute certification. Throughout the process BIM and energy modeling has been utilized as a way of evaluating the design. Strategically oriented site planning, roof slopes for solar photovoltaics and clerestories, glazing percentages, building envelope and wall thickness have been carefully examined in BIM. URL: http://www.b9architects.com

So what tools are available for architects who want to quickly evaluate design options right at the initial design stage?

EcoDesigner is a new plug-in for Graphisoft’s BIM application, ArchiCAD. As soon as a design takes shape, comparative energy reports can be generated with a click. The resulting reports give feedback about the buildings energy usage, yearly utility costs, and carbon footprint. (ed. note: see Architosh’s interview article: “AIA: Talking to Viktor Varkonyi about EcoDesigner,”

This changes the essence of energy analysis from a formal checking stage at the end of the design process when it is often too late to be an effective design tool. Ideally,  energy analysis should be integrated from the start of a project.

Final Thoughts

At a time when economical use of resources is critical, to the survival of the building trades and, potentially, to the survival of human and biotic communities, it makes sense to take a new look at how we create efficient buildings. The technology is available today to help architects find the best solution. And as the demand for “more green” increases, developers will expand these analytical tools to take advantage of the power of BIM.

One more thing. While you are designing the greenest buildings, why not do it on one of the world’s greenest computers? In addition to their power and ease of use, Apple’s lineup of notebooks are energy efficient and built with the environment in mind.

To learn more about BIM and Green Design contact Matthew W. Brewster, founder of BIMiDEAS at: http://www.bimideas.biz/

About Viewpoint Articles: Viewpoint articles are features contributed by industry professionals across the entire range of disciplines covered by Architosh. They are aimed at being “instructional” or “position papers” directed at advantages of technologies, configurations, services, or solutions. They are authored by industry professionals who are directors, providers, experts, teachers and thought-leaders within their industry. To inquire about contributing a Viewpoint article please email us at: info@architosh.com

Introduction to ArchiCAD 12 – Accelerating the Design Experience is the title of the first webinar coming up on Friday, August 7, 2009. It takes place from 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST.  This webinar is free and is designed to provide an overview of ArchiCAD 12 for those who are interested in transitioning to Building Information Modeling (BIM). The focus will be on:

• Speed
• Revolutionizing Documentation
• Curtain Wall Tool

DesignLAB implemented a Building Information Model (BIM) using Graphisoft’s innovative ArchiCAD software. 

Controlling Cost and Schedule

Using ArchiCAD helped to accelerate the schedule of the project and ensure accuracy with early building estimates. The project manager, contractor and architect/engineering team formed an early partnership to fast-track the process and control cost. A 3D BIM model that integrated delivery system approvals, pricing, and early release packages enabled the team to condense what would have been a 37 month design and construction process into 26 months. 

Increasing GREEN Design

The technology also helped the team raise the project’s LEED rating. While the design initially aimed for LEED Certified or possibly Silver status, the project team continuously monitored project costs, procurement, and materials use throughout the construction process. As the project neared completion, the team realized it had achieved more LEED points than previously expected. When presenting this information to IFAW, they identified several areas where small additional expenditures or efforts would put the project over the Gold threshold.

We used ArchiCAD for the design of the IFAW headquarters in part because our structural engineer partner on the project already used BIM for all of its designs, and working with one BIM model facilitated work between our two firms,” said architect Sam Batchelor of DesignLAB. “The ability for both architects and engineers to access the same product database and to collaborate on the 3D model saved time and money, a bonus for the client.”

Designed to minimize impact on the natural environment, the IFAW world headquarters was designed conserve water resources, monitor and implement energy efficiency and restore the natural habitat. Three simple, clean structures are arranged around a reclaimed brownfield site, establishing a central gather space reminiscent of a coastal ridge or rural Cape Cod meadow.

To fit in with the local Cape Cod architecture, the building utilizes iconic elements of the simple, unadorned barns that abound in this rural area, incorporating two-story, barn-like structures, white clapboards, and even a coastal meadow in the design to recreate the natural beauty of the Cape Cod landscape. 

In addition to the COTE award, the IFAW headquarters received the AIA award for interior architecture and three additional awards from the Boston Society of Architects, including an honor award for design, an interior architecture award and a sustainability award. 

To learn more about Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD go here: www.graphisoft.com

Graphisoft EcoDesigner is an integrated energy evaluation tool specifically aimed at architects using ArchiCAD 12. It sets new standards in integrating easy to use but powerful energy analysis tools within BIM (building information modeling) software tools, which are the 3D modern-day CAD systems architects have been slowly adopting for the past several years. Now architects do not have to rely solely on outside consultant professionals to analyze their building designs early in the design process. 

“Graphisoft EcoDesigner has generated great interest among architects at the 2009 AIA convention in San Francisco and continuously thereafter,” said Akos Pfemeter, Director of Graphisoft Global Marketing. “Designers welcome this integrated ‘one-click’ energy evaluation solution that helps them make informed design decisions even at early design phases.”  

To learn more visit them here: www.graphisoft.com

“In Econia, ecology is high-tech,” states Tom Cederqvist of C&J Architects. “The principles of sustainable development and ecology were taken into account in locating the building, which features solar panels on the facade, thermal comfort, and ecologically friendly operation.”

Econia comprises four seven-storey office blocks all linked together horizontally, thereby allowing flexible tenant space configurations. The building’s facade include solar panels integrated into the aesthetic parameters of the building’s form. 

For such a large project the firm, C&J Architects is quite small consisting of 15 designers and back-office staff. They use ArchiCAD in all of their projects and work across several European countries including Finland (their base of operations) and Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and the Ukraine. 

To learn more about Graphisoft ArchiCAD go here.

Having a programmer with a proven track-record for innovation head Graphisoft at such a pivotal time in the AEC software market is likely a wise move on the part of Graphisoft’s governing board. When markets go through a global downturn due to recession and other disruptive events, the companies that tend to come out ahead during these times are often the ones that commit themselves to true innovation. As a press colleague remarked to me at AIA this year, given Graphisoft’s size the company continues to impress with the rate at which it comes out with new products and updates. In the span of this year the company has come out with both MEP Modeler for ArchiCAD and now EcoDesigner. 

We’ve already covered the announcement of EcoDesigner back at AIA itself, so in this article we delve into some of the details behind the new product. 

EcoDesigner – Energy Analysis for Architects During Design

EcoDesigner, which will be released at the end of May, is a Graphisoft add-on software module to its award-winning BIM application ArchiCAD. What primarily sets this application apart from similar energy analysis applications is that it works directly inside ArchiCAD, thereby eliminating the need to export BIM data out to another software package in order to obtain feedback on the design with respect to energy. 

01 - EcoDesigner works in tandem inside ArchiCAD providing the architect immediate and quick feedback on energy efficiency that fits into the normal iterative process of architectural design.

Beyond that convenience, EcoDesigner itself was conceived as an energy analysis tool for designers, not engineers. Viktor Varkonyi marked that architects using ArchiCAD are the primary audience for EcoDesigner. As such there was a lot of emphasis on making the product easy to use, simple to implement and fast. The idea is to make it fast for the architect designing the building to compare his design against other design options. 

With a single click EcoDesigner can provide a PDF report on energy use with a given building design providing the user with key values, energy consumption and a building’s carbon footprint. In testing the solution EcoDesigner produced results within 8 percent accuracy of a buildings actual energy use. 

02 - The EcoDesigner interface palette as it exist inside of ArchiCAD.

Graphisoft’s perspective on EcoDesigner is elaborated on in its primary product brochure. The company is right in noting that sustainability is all about choices and that 80 percent of design choices affecting energy efficiency are made in the early design phase. EcoDesigner is squarely aimed at the up-front design phase decision making that effects energy efficiency. 

The goal is to “advise” the design process and provide another dimension to the BIM environment for the architect in shaping his design. This is different than the energy analysis tools already in the market, such as the new Bentley tools we discussed earlier. 

VIP-Energy Engine & Details

In light of what EcoDesigner is aiming to be–a tool for the architect–speed is an important aspect of the usefulness of the product. Akos Pfemeter said that the company chose to go with the Swedish-based VIP-Energy core calculation engine partly because it was very fast. VIP-Energy is produced by StruSoft and is a well regarded energy analysis calculation engine validated by ASHRAE-BESTEST and more. 

03 - Setting Parameters on Openings in EcoDesigner.

EcoDesigner comes loaded with all the essential energy data built into the common BIM assemblies from which you work in ArchiCAD. With EcoDesigner the architect works the same as before in ArchiCAD. From a set of palettes unique to EcoDesigner the architect sets the parameters that inform EcoDesigner of all aspects of the building in relation to energy use. For example, under the Location & Function tab (see image 02) you set your location in the world and the program downloads weather data for that location. You also set environmental parameters such as wind, facade shading, and site surroundings. And you set your building function. In the other tabs you set your structural envelope assemblies, openings, and input your MEP systems and energy data.

All of these settings are nicely laid out in the manner that is consistent with ArchiCAD’s interface standards. You can see from the Openings tab that windows and doors are pulled up from ArchiCAD’s common interface. The user can also specify if an opening has a shading type (see image 03).

04 - Your Carbon Footprint can be calculated in EcoDesigner.

EcoDesigner can be configured by the user with real fuel and energy cost data (see image 04) allowing the program to calculate savings or loss based on design configuration options. With EcoDesigner the architect using ArchiCAD can produce various design options such as wall types, window and curtain wall configurations, et cetera, and quickly calculate the real energy costs differences between them. This energy evaluation capability embedded into the normal iterative design process is what EcoDeigner was created for. 

EcoDesigner has flexibility and can classify projects into mixed-use arrangements. Viktor Varkonyi, CEO of Graphisoft, said it is also possible to create custom assemblies (eg: walls, etc.) and load them with the appropriate R-values and other data for calculation work. In the earliest stages architects often do not know or even want to know the material conditions of their designs. In these very early conceptual phases the architect can choose generic walls, roofs, floors and openings and work with averaged U-values, running the energy analysis and letting EcoDesigner inform her of the impact on energy use based on purely schematic differences in design.

Lastly, it is important to discuss what EcoDesigner is not. EcoDesigner is not meant to help you qualify for Credit 1, Option 1 under Energy and Atmosphere for LEED certification. It is not compliant with the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standard and therefore cannot be used for whole building energy analysis for LEED certification. However, with EcoDesigner you can export out .vut files–the native files for the VIP-Energy engine from StruSoft– for more advanced energy analysis by engineers or energy analysis consultants. And you can also export out gbXML files for import into a range of ASHRAE 90.1-2004 compliant energy analysis tools–such as the new tools like Bentley Tas Simulator and Bentley Hevacomp which we touched on briefly here. 

Graphisoft EcoDesigner will ship in various license combinations and range in price from 275.USD to 645.USD. Again, the company plans to ship it by the end of May. For further information go to: www.graphisoft.com

Bentley’s motto, if you will, at the show was “software for high performance buildings” and the company was showing, in particular, its Bentley Energy Performance Series tools. 

Bentley’s Energy Performance Series software uses the US Department of Energy (DOE) EnergyPlus simulation engine and the software is compliant with LEED Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1 (Option 1) whole building simulation analysis. 

01 - Bentley's booth is always a visual treat.

The ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 compliant software can determine energy savings percentages over a baseline building performance, helping architects, engineers and energy assessors in the United States and Canada determine how many LEED credit points they can obtain in the single largest points category under the LEED certified building system. 

02 - Bentley's energy simulation and analysis tools are ASHRAE 90.1 complaint for LEED Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1 (option 1 - whole building simulation). In the United States this one LEED credit path can provide 1 - 10 points alone.

There are two product suites in this energy series and both tools come originally from the United Kingdom via acquisitions. I met with Noah Eckhouse, Vice President of the Global Building Performance Group, who told me that the UK market is the world’s most demanding green design market. These new software tools are mature, advanced, and well-used worldwide. The two key energy analysis tools are Bentley Tas Simulator V8i and the Hevacomp Simulator V8i. Both tools are compliant with ASHRAE 90.1 for LEED in the United States. And both tools can calculate both running costs and CO2 emissions. We will cover these two new tools in more detail in a further report. 

Oh, and one more thing. Noah Eckhouse, VP for Bentley, expressed interest in the Mac market in regards to these tools. The company has the chance to deliver the first native Mac software tool that is ASHRAE 90.1 compliant. We will talk more about how Mac-based architects can get their building designs into these Windows-based tools in our upcoming article. 

03 - The organic designs being executed with Bentley's design software. It is always interesting to see the projects on display at Bentley's booth. Typically they are large and complex projects that are tackling advanced form making issues in design.

Bentley’s Generative Components was the big news at last year’s AIA show. The booth this year was also showcasing this advanced generative modeling technology, in addition to Bentley’s Architecture V8i platform. To learn more visit Bentley’s website here.

EcoDesigner

EcoDesigner will operate as an advanced module to ArchiCAD 12 and will provide architects with the ability to produce an energy analysis and evaluation with just the click of a button–at any stage of the design process.

Graphisoft’s announcement reads: “We realize sustainability is all about choices, and 80 percent of design choices on energy efficiency are made in the design process.” Graphisoft states that instead of relying on outside professionals to analyze a building for energy when the building is well advanced and decisions are irreversible, EcoDesigner enables the architect to get informed early on in the design process and make informed design decisions that impact energy use. 

Architosh will be getting a private demonstration on EcoDesigner early in the show and we look forward to reporting more details on this exciting announcement. To learn more visit Graphisoft online; or even better if you are attending the AIA Convention this week stop by Graphisoft’s booth at booth #1551 and see EcoDesigner up close.

Architect Diane Plesset, a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, designed the home to provide easy accessibility, comfortable stairs and other smart-aging design features with which the spaces can be easily adapted over time to accomodate the life path of older residents. 

Aging Meets Green

The other key design objective was sustainability. The design marries green-building issues with its aging-in-place features. Key items in this house included insulated concrete forms, energy-efficient radiant heating throughout, a flat-roof designed to accommodate wind turbines and solar panels with maximum exposure, low-voltage LED lighting, cork floors and large dual-glazed windows. 

Award-winning Eco-friendly Aging-in-Place home designed with Graphisoft's ArchiCAD BIM application.

Architect Diane Plesset has been designing custom residences with ArchiCAD for nearly a dozen years, facing tight budgets and limited time-frames. Working with Graphisoft’s leading BIM application ArchiCAD allowed her to greatly accelerate the design process by enabling frequent collaboration with the owners and cost-cutting revisions with the owner and builder during construction. 

“ArchiCAD allowed me to build and share a virtual model of the home with all the stakeholders, either in person or through online ‘virtual’ meetings,” she said. “We could rapidly make unlimited revisions without it interrupting the schedule. In the end, we were able to complete the project within 1% of the project’s budget. The result is a home that reflects the older couple’s unique lifestyle and taste, while maintaining the architectural integrity within a reasonable budget.”  

To read a review of the latest version of ArchiCAD please visit this link here. To visit Graphisoft’s home page click here.

BrightBuilt Barn

The BrightBuilt Barn project consisted of 700-square feet of structure with two bedroom/studio spaces and a loft heated by thermal solar. It’s “Net-Zero” design means that it will produce more electricity in a year than it will consume, and its flexible layout enables it to adapt to new users without consuming more energy and building materials. Kaplan Thompson Architects plans to post the recently completed building’s plans and final designs on the Web for free — a type of sustainable design version of the software world’s “open-source” development model. 

“We wanted to do something unique that met many innovative requirements for sustainability, affordability, replicability and what we call ‘disentanglement,’ of utilities and support systems” said Kaplan Thompson architect Phil Kaplan. “It’s a concept that the systems within the building are not completely intertwined, so they can be moved around with much greater flexibility than can be done with regular construction. That makes it easier to modify and add onto the structure.”

Deceptively simple from the outside, BrightBuilt Barn is packed with innovative materials, techniques and technologies. A prominent display panel and a external “skirt” around the building’s exterior enable owners to monitor its energy production. BrightBuilt’s external walls are 13 inches thick and made of 8 layers of insulating material. The walls include anywhere from 10 to 12 items to support disentanglement; a regular wall has about 5 items.

BrightBuilt Barn was built 90 percent offsite by Bensonwood Woodworking, a New Hampshire timber frame company known for energy efficient panelization process, and other building professionals. The precise specifications required to make BrightBuilt’s energy-efficient design work demanded close collaboration between Kaplan Thompson and Bensonwood. Kaplan Thompson used ArchiCAD to produce 3D BIM models of the building that visually communicated to Bensonwood the precise dimensions needed to make the building fit together as designed on the construction site in Rockport, Maine. The models showed every detail of BrightBuilt, down to how the sun would strike it for maximum solar energy production. 

“ArchiCAD enabled us to do shading and shadow studies we could see where windows were covered, where there was enough overhang or too much,” Kaplan said. “The site work had to mesh very closely with what happened at the factory. This wasn’t a site-built project, where the construction crew could just cut a new window if they needed one. Everything had to arrive at the site ready to go. With ArchiCAD, we could talk back and forth with Bensonwood in 3D mode through the BIM models.” 

To learn more about ArchiCAD visit: www.graphisoft.com