B4 - Project Description

For my term project for AE510, titled “Revit House Model with Major Systems”, I am working independently to create a 3D Revit model of Glass House in New Canaan, CT. Designed by Phillip Johnson as his own residence and a weekend retreat in the future, Glass House has affected the architect in many of his further designs. Influenced by ideas of German architects “Glasarchitektur”, the structure of Glass House features a steel-framing system with mainly glass panels anchored in place [1]. It inspired the modern architecture in design open floor plan and using steel and glass in residential house design. Before his death in 2005, Johnson donated his property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the building is now an art museum stored David Whitney’s collection, and furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe. These gentlemen have developed partnership in art world through years. Figure 1 features the current Glass House in CT, and below is the current model that I have done so far.

Figure 1. Phillip Johnson's Glass House [2]

Figure 2. Glass House architectural model at its current state

I chose to create a Revit model including primary systems: architectural, structural, and mechanical to expand my BIM skills through the course and learn about how these systems integrate within Revit and BIM. It is also a great opportunity to gain skills from modeling structural and mechanical system of the building, which I wish to expand while taking AE 390/391 sequence next year. The simplistic design of Glass House provides a good individual practice for modeling structural system, as it was not hindered inside wall system. In fact, Architectural drawings found in Glass House’s homepage provides a nice reference to accurately create its architectural and structural models. lively reflections created by glass panel are also interested to figure out through shading in Revit. I aimed to finish the architectural model within Week 5 before working on other systems.

Expectedly, several challenges have emerged since I started working on this project. Learning a new software and applying it into a certain problem is a time-consuming task, as I am still watching tutorials to solve some Revit problems while modeling the Glass House. Moreover, once I start working on structural and mechanical models of the building, it will be more challenging to discover how elements within each system connect with each other to generate a workability model. In fact, connections between structural members such as beam, column, etc. are tricky to assemble with details provided on the technical drawings. For this project, HVAC system will be newly customized into the building model for learning purposes as it was not included on the technical drawings provided by Glass House’s homepage. Moreover, multiple components that are not stocked in Revit libraries must be created to closely accomplish the accuracy in modeling the historic house. For example, the brick cylinder, served as Glass House’s bathroom, may consume a good amount of time. Therefore, the past assignment was essential to learn about creating a workable family to depict those components.

Upon project completion, I hope to accomplish a final model of that can accurately describe the existing structure and provide a possible plan to install HVAC system into the historic house. For example, several mechanical elements are attached to the ceiling of many Drexel’s historic buildings including Randell Hall. Furthermore, one of the possible outcomes of intelligent building is using computer technology to understand building. Therefore, depending on how quickly I can finish the complete model, structural analysis and energy analysis will be aimed for inspecting the functionality of the structure. Finally, I wish I could discover about the fact that Glass House has not been used as a daily residence throughout the project.

Reference

[1] Pierce, Lisa. (2010). "Through the Looking Glass", pp 1, A4, The Advocate, Stamford, CT.

[2] Perez, Adelyn. (2010). "AD Classics: The Glass House / Phillips Johnson".  <https://www.archdaily.com/60259/ad-classics-the-glass-house-philip-johnson> (Feb. 5, 2018)

Comments:

Zac A and Mark O

I am looking for your future update, and presentation of your project at the end of this term. Your project is even deeper than my goal as building a project from a sratch. A design following the industry standard would benefit largely in your Senior Design as well as your professional  practice after graduation. I have never touched to the MEP side of the building (AE220 is the basic of the basic), so I wish you two could finish your model to enrich my reference. Good luck!

Thomas S and Allison A

Martian settlement is a new, but ambitious topic through years, with a boost from the movie "The Martian". Your post already emerges a solution on using automated technology to construct structures in Mars without human intervention, which is very interesting even though human still have to control the robot to construct a dwelling right in Earth. You also clearly describes your challenge in your research, as supplying power for automated systems are a big problem in such an isolated situation (140 million miles away from us). However, please keep up with your work, since your idea is very innovative.

Carlos H.

I am coming from a developing country, so I can understand your statement about difficulty in applying new technology to improve lives on these countries. In fact, lack of investment, group of interest and law regulations in construction are tightening any innovative idea that is trying to emerge to the public. There is one problem that I want to share with you. It is about operating and maintaining those technologies which you will present about in Week 10. There is a huge probability that it would require high budget, and high-skill engineers to maintain technological devices, and the local government would practice corruption while operating those devices. Anyway, I am looking forward for your presentation, which I will reserve as one of the options to discuss while going back to home. 

Term Project Description

Mark Odorizzi and I are working together on the term project. We chose to do a project which entails creating an entire Revit model for all three major design areas of a building. We are doing this in conjunction with AE-391 which many of you are familiar with. We were originally working separately on different term projects, but realized after talking that we were doing very similar projects where we were going to be using Revit to create various models of a building we designed. Also, we are working together in AAE-391 so it is only fitting that we work together in this class as well.

What we will be doing with this project is keeping a log of what we do in Revit for the AE-391 building we are designing. We will be discussing what we did that day and the challenges we had faced. We will discuss some of the new things we are doing in Revit which we haven’t done before. At this current moment in time we have completed the Architectural Model for our building, which can be seen below. The shape of the first floor of our building gave us the name for it, “The Keep.” There are a few challenges we had to overcome when creating this model, like how to go about creating the amphitheater or add a continuous clerestory of windows. The overall Goal for our project is to have a set of plans that have been generated from Revit that include the architectural plans with furnishings, landscaping plans, structural plans, mechanical plans, electrical plans, and plumbing plans. Then, if time permits determine where we have clashes in the design and attempt to both show them and fix them.

“The Keep” – 3D Model of our Architectural Design of the Building

This relates to this class because more and more each day architectural and engineering firms using Revit to design buildings. This is to help determine if there are any design flaws that most likely would not get caught on a set of 2D plans until the General Contractor or Subcontractor points it out in a meeting or even possibly while they are constructing it.  This is also why almost every general contractor that I have spoken with are implementing the use of BIM tools to estimate a job. While a project is in the estimation phase it is critical that the GC or subcontractor not miss anything major costing them or the owner a lot of money. There are many abilities that a BIM Tool like Revit has that can be implemented in the construction field much easier than the design world because as of right now Revit is simply creating a model (picture of the building in 3D) that is not producing any data that a structural or MEP engineer can use.

An example of when having a 3D model is essential is when there are two GC’s competing for a job and one of them has produced a fully modeled building in Revit that they can show the owner.  I can guarantee that 95% of the time the owner will go with that contractor because they know they are getting a better-quality product, there will be less change orders (surprises), and that this company is more serious than the other because they took the time to create a model of the building. I have worked in the estimating department of a heavy civil construction company where many times they were chosen by the GC because we were able to show them that we knew the job. We were able to point out the potential design issues with possible solutions to the problem.

COMMENTS:

Cody Johnson

Your project seems to be very interesting and you are correct in saying that if 3D scanning could be an industry standard it would save a lot of people a lot time both in the construction and design industries. I also would like to point out that to this day, many of the sites are scanned by drones to get the initial elevations for both the CAD drawings and the plans. There is still a lot of needed improvement though because if the site has a lot of brush or trees, the initial scan will come up with elevations 2’ higher than what they actually are. Having this ability in the construction industry would help tremendously.

Carlos Hillinger

This is a very interesting topic to focus on. I believe that the main area to focus most of your time on is the 3D printing. In many underdeveloped countries their infrastructure limits their abilities tremendously. I believe looking further into 3D printing of bridges for countries like this is time well spent. Will we ever get to the point where it will be more economical to send a team of 2 or 3 guys and some “robots” to construct bridges for these countries? I believe looking at some of the economic aspects of all of these new technologies is also a beneficial route to look into. I only bring this up because in this country, I believe the main reason as to why the construction industry has not changed is due to the fact that technology is expensive and we don’t need it. We have been building buildings, roads, bridges, etc. for hundreds of years without robots, scanners, and more so why change it?

Dung Tran

You seem to be doing a very similar project in which Mark and I are doing and I too look forward to seeing your final presentation and how your building turns out. I have spent a good amount of time using Revit and learning how to use the Architectural Modeling tools but have not personally worked on any of the structural or MEP capabilities Revit has. I believe learning a new program for yourself is a very rewarding and intensive task, but once you learn Revit it will only benefit you in the long run. I personally am excited to learn how to link models, and create the other models. I believe that Revit will continue to be the leader in 3D modeling, and that AutoDesk will ensure that Revit can talk to other programs. I believe that Revit will be in the construction industry for 20+ years. Owners love to see models of their building, and GC are using it to solve problems. 

Odorizzi - Project Description Blog Post

Zac Arnold and I are a team for the term project: “BIM Model Following Industry.” We are in the process of fully modeling a building in Revit in a manner similar to the practice followed in industry. We have created an architectural model and have recently started the process of building a structural model based on the linked architectural model.

A little background - the building that we are modeling is named “The Keep” and is the building that we are in the process of designing for AE 391. The program that the building provides includes (25%) commercial, (25%) retail, and (50%) academic use by gross area. Our design yielded a total building square footage of 60,000 sq.ft. The theoretical site of the building is F-lot, and there is heavy emphasis on creating a sustainable design. Hence, we chose this project for AE 510 to justify diving into deep detail with our AE 391 Revit model and work with aspects of Revit that we may not have spent the time working on otherwise. Plus - it will benefit our AE 391 presentation from the additional time and detail we plan to put into the model.

Enjoy this nice perspective picture of our architectural model below:

The architectural aspect of the model is finished at this point. Obviously, the floorplan is slightly dynamic as we progress through designing the structural and MEP systems, but we are happy with how the architecture is showing in Revit right now. We ultimately want to model the landscape and furnishings fully as well - potentially making some families to use as we populate the space. The architectural model came together nicely. One aspect that is frustrating is that we cannot utilize one of Revit’s most valuable features. In order to workshare and have multiple people in the model at once, you need to either “collaborate within your network” or use A360. We haven’t pursued A360… Are there any senior design groups that have set up worksharing in Revit using A360 that could offer any insights to this?

We took a first stab at linking the architectural model into a new project file to start building the structural model. There were no problems there, but it looks like a primary difficulty is going to be controlling the visibility/graphics. Initially it looked like only the doors and random families imported when we linked the architectural model - but then we changed the view template and everything was visible. I anticipate a bit of a learning curve until we have messed with it enough to understand how to control everything the way we want to see it. Once we get to the MEP model, the big challenges will start to reveal themselves as we start learning how to model ductwork (this will be something entirely new for both Zac and I).

In conclusion, this project relates to Intelligent Buildings in all the ways we have been discussing the past two weeks. Revit is the most prevalent BIM program used in industry presently and this project is the perfect way to dive deeply into the capabilities of the software. Depending on how quickly we develop the models, we may be able to explore some ways that we could mess with clash detection software and some of the more particular aspects of BIM that Derek discussed in his talk. 

Comments:

To Kerry Milligan

This is a super interesting topic that fits perfectly with the spirit of the course! In my mind, it’s making progress towards Tony Stark’s household becoming a reality. I really like that you are choosing to focus on appliances rather than an intelligent building from the ground up. This allows your discussion to lean on the question of “how can your average family make their household an intelligent building little by little.” On Instagram, I follow the page “Interesting Engineering.” Last Friday, they posted a video featuring smart bathroom appliances. It included an app that remotely controlled the shower (so you could prep the shower before leaving the comfort of bed) and it learned your preferences over time. The appliance would record shower duration and water usage as well to help build awareness of the resources being used. The video showcases it better than I can explain… I can send it to you. It is right in line with the theme of your project and I’m excited to see the cool, techy appliances that you find!

To Jordan Shuster

I’m glad that you picked a topic that blends two topics that fancy your interest! It sounds like you will really enjoy diving into some research. It is very interesting to think about how robots could augment the efficiency of archival space. Robots aren’t claustrophobic and can be crafted to navigate tight spaces - so it makes sense to me that these archival spaces could consequently be rearranged to store more. I also think of historic archives and wonder if a robot would be trusted to handle delicate items that are stored there. If archives take this route and implement robots as a retrieval tool, this starts to beg the question as to whether or not we become dependent on the robot to retrieve everything from the archive to optimize space efficiency, or if access for personnel will be maintained, which may sacrifice a more efficient storage arrangement. This is a topic I don’t know much about - so I’m excited to see what you discover in your research.

To Thomas Sisson
Wow wow wow this is a awesome project! I’m very interested in hearing the goals and scope of your senior design project! If you have not done so, you should stop everything you are doing in life and read “The Martian” by Andy Weir (And if you’ve only seen the movie - that’s not good enough. Get the book. Read it. You’ll love it.) The reason I bring up the book is because it is entirely a tale of problem solving on Mars. Similar to items you described, the book (which is obviously fictional) describes Mars exploration through a series of launches - the first of which is a fuel cell that can recharge once it reaches the surface such that resources can be provided for the next arrival. I think the challenges you discuss are going to be difficult to deal with - and I’m anxious to see the level of detail that your project will consider, because I would imagine that the scope of these problems grows very rapidly. A deployable, self-assembling structure sounds like an immense step forward to establishing colonies in desolate areas. Will the automated-AI team include robotics for surveying and preparing the site? If the idea is to set up a pre-established living space for astronauts, will part of the robotics team be dedicated to agriculture and establishing a farm? It is super fun to think about the different avenues this project could go. I’m very excited to see where you take it!

Nay Ye Oo - What are the possible future problems with Revit/BIM?

What are the possible future problems with Revit/BIM?

With any type of new change (in the field of technology), there will be positive and negative attributes. This post will be focusing on the potential problems that will arise with Revit/BIM. Listed below are the core reasons that was discussed in class.

Forgetting the Roots

As we know, the origin of drafting began with basic pencil and paper which evolved to computer drafting with AutoCAD. AutoCAD essentially does the pencil and paper but in a more efficient manner. However, once Revit/BIM was introduced into our industry, a lot of walls are being shattered because it is basically a game changer. As newer and newer technology tries to improve our tools, we too evolve with it and at one point, we start to forget our roots. This generation of people will not know how to draft using pencil-and-paper. Instead our first drafting lesson will most likely be in AutoCAD. Based on this trend the same analogy can be applied. Soon the next generation will forget the fundamentals of drafting and start with Revit/BIM.

The issue with this is that, we tend to lose some level of knowledge as we transition from one method to the next. And soon, as software become easier and easier to learn and use (interface-wise), we will lose some knowledge that can only be understood using older techniques/methods which would be obsolete by then.

Old cannot keep up with New

Another issue is the inability for old recorded databases and archives to be updated to new software. As we slowly transition from an AutoCAD driven industry to Revit/BIM, we face the issues of conversion. New software cannot read/interact with old files and it is cost ineffective to update/convert all previously recorded data and files.

Engineers no longer needed

Another threat to us engineers is the amount of pre-requisites/knowledge needed to draft or create a model. This definitely sounds stupid and impossible right now but in the future (perhaps 20+ years from now), we might have created better programs with easier learning curves that will no longer require technical knowledge. This bodes bad to us engineers, as the job market might be more open with more competition. (Potentially less pay)

Comments:

Dung,


I like how you pointed out if hardware could keep up with software advances. Just like Moor's law, technology is exponentially increasing but can we physically keep up and utilize this new upgrade? However, I am not convinced enough that Revit/BIM will be capable of design decisions unless AI has advanced to that level of sophistication. But who knows? AI is already breaking grounds every other month nowadays so it could be possible in the near future.

Zac,

Great job on giving your analysis of the differences between AutoCAD and Revit. I agree with your explanation to how CAD is comparable to pen-and-paper while Revit is so much more. I also agree with the fact that Revit's real-time design process makes it very efficient for all different fields to interact and facilitate any issues during the design phase. However, since Revit is relatively new in the industry, I can't brush of the fact that not every company uses, let alone, is familiar with, Revit. This might create chaos during the design phase with real-time feature. For example, if one discipline dictates a design and the rest bases off of it, this first discipline has to make sure their design is the final one without changes. Because as the first one designs, the rest follows and any changes to the first design will affect the rest like a domino effect. Such a case would favor the disciplines to complete their design first and pass on their file rather than working simultaneously.

Future Advantages of Revit/BIM - Carlos Hillinger

Carlos Hillinger - AE410 - B3

Future Advantages of BIM

     In a world that is constantly being shaped by technology, futuristic ways of developing a building are emerging. Among the newest technologies related to the construction industry we can name: concrete 3D printers, brick-laying robots, AI, BIM programs, powerful laser cutters, and many more. And it does not take a genius to realize how technology has already been shaping the way we build today! It was not too long ago when people designed structures with only pen and paper, developed buildings with an organized book and used techniques that seem ancient to us to put together a building. After looking at the advances in construction in technology, the first question that comes to my mind, is, What's next?

     According to Mark Chidwick, "The adoption of collaborative ecosystems combined with the modernization of traditional processes and the introduction of information management technologies will provide the environment necessary to support the needed cultural change in the industry". This is a very interesting article that introduces the use of BIM as a new revolution. They explain how the Agricultural, Industrial and Information Revolutions have been shaping the world, and how BIM is going to create a new revolution, which they call, the Ecosystem Revolution. The Ecosystem Revolution consists in the integration of various disciplines to solve complex problems, and this is achieved through technologies such as BIM. BIM is definitely going to change the way people approach a project, it will look for integration and workflow among all the areas of of a construction and set them together in one place, in order to provide the smarter and most efficient solution. It is a process that will probably take few years, since there is a lot of techniques and information that we need to teach these technologies. But once the programs have more knowledge of constructions that even human beings, we are going to be the ones entering the parameters and they will be the ones designing and developing a project.

Source:

M. Chidwick, Shaping the Future of the Construction Industry. CanBIM, 2017 [Online]. Available: http://www.canbim.com/single-post/2017/10/31/Shaping-the-Future-of-the-Construction-Industry

Comments:

Jordan:
Jordan, I believe you make very good points by pointing out that buildings are soon to be designed by programs rather than people, I made some similar assumptions in my post. I did enjoy the video you shared, although I am not completely sure that programs are going to be extremely easy to use, I believe that there is always going to be some training required in order to be able to use the development tools that advances in technology will offer us.  

Tyler:
Tyler, I liked the way you introduced the use of Revit and BIM in the construction industry, I agree, it is a problem that projects developed in different tools are not able to easily translate into each other's formats. Could it possibly be a solution to create a programming code that would set constraints on how the files of every big construction program should be developed, in order to make it easily editable through other platforms? For example a monopoly of a big company such as Autodesk, in which they would own every emerging technology and make them operable among one another? Now with that been said, this may even cause a bigger problem, a slower rate of newly developed technologies. It is definitely a big topic to discuss, and I look forwards to hearing what professor Mitchell has to say about it. 

Andrew:
Andrew, you wrote a very nice introduction on Revit and BIM, I believe that sharing your own experience is always a good way of getting people into context of what you are writing about. Interoperability among programs is a problem that many have addressed and I share the same point of view. You also went into detail even compared programs like eQuest to other programs like Revit. Maybe another big problem could be that the rate of machines replacing humans will start to grow exponentially again, like in the industrial revolution? It is definitely a big problem for a big discussion and I'm looking forward to talk about it in class.

Gibson - B3 Post

How does Revit relate to Autocad and other drafting programs?

After watching the YouTube video, on linking AutoCAD drawings files into Revit files once can see how well AutoCAD can really relate to Revit and other 3D drafting programs. Once creating any DWG. file type in CAD, it then is directly linked into a Revit model. So, this turns all the 2-D lines drafted in CAD to specific families in Revit based on the layer you drafted each line in CAD. These 'families" in Revit give the drafted lines a whole new meaning with the actual real-world properties of what the line will be out in the field. For example, a beam of a structure drafted on a certain layer in CAD (depends on how one's AutoCAD layers are set up) when linked into a Revit Structural model will display the actual 3-D steel W24 beam or whatever exact beam that is needed for the structure. This beam can then be seen in a whole new light as the actual construction of each and every member of a building can be seen in 3-D and depicted accurately with all the correct dimensions needed for field work instead of just a solid line which is what will be displayed in AutoCAD.

In addition to the 3-D modeling, Revit allows one to cut sections/elevations or plans views from the model. Also, in the model, one can turn off and on certain links that linked into the Revit file to allow for clearer details when trying to figure out how a connection or specific detail fits together in a structure. These links can then be synchronized into the central model for all parties to be up to date at all times. This lets engineers, drafters, and contractors all the ability to work on a single model at the same time unlike in AutoCAD by a simple click. 

Source:
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action?_sourcePage=VTHa1U_BCx3iMUD9T65RG_YvRLZ-1eYO3fqfqRu0fynRL_1nukNa4gH1t86pc1SP&__fp=0mLHj7SLOWI3yWPvuidLz-TPR6I9Jhx8&hpts=1517333438651&showSwitchService=true&usernameImmutable=false&rememberMe=true&login=&login=Sign+in&login=true&username=cag332%40drexel.edu&hptsh=adQ3vVdYIHNbNYUgaRXFLC1DvmA%3D#n=3393c56f-8725-4e2a-90c6-12e2ad530aae&s=s3&b=3ca5dd9b-8b1c-4939-875f-262706dc1487&ses=4&sh=1&sds=5&


Response 1: Andrew Maita
I enjoyed reading your post about current issues with Revit and BIM, especially for most users who have started drafting in AutoCAD. I went through similar problems when first trying to use Revit rather than CAD during my co-ops. Also had to do the same can of calculations for the same structure in Revit using SAP2000 and eQuest for structural and HVAC calculations respectively.

Response 2: Dee Dee Strohl
I agree with your post stating the major advantages of utilizing Revit and other BIM software. As I talked about in my own post the use of sharing a model has many benefits for all parties. Specifically, you discussed how it allows for many users to work on it and upload their specific MEP parts of the building and that can be automatically seen by the structural engineers so they know what they have to take into account for when designing.


Response 3: Tyler Wicker
After reading your post, I agree with the problems Alex has experienced in Revit. To be specific, the certain issue with Revit restricting the user to orthogonal pieces unless you create a module or family. I have experienced similar problems with Revit and find it very time consuming to create a new family each time unless one is saved in a database for future use.

Quelly Wk 3-1: B3, Revit v. Other Software

B3: Revit v. Other Software

Revit, first released in April of 2000, is the current drafting program of choice for Architectural engineers. It has the major advantage of design and display in 3D.

Maita - B3 Post

What are the current problems with Revit/BIM?

I believe that even though Revit and other BIM programs have mostly positive impacts, there are some problems with them. One of my main problems with Revit is the current availability as a program. This may not be considered a huge problem with the program as a whole but I do know a lot of different people who share this same opinion. During coops at Drexel, most students use BIM software like Revit or AutoCAD but more often CAD than Revit. In addition to this, there are little to no classes offered that teach students any sort of BIM. Freshmen have a half quarter course on CAD but that is about it. Revit is also not the most user-friendly program, especially if someone has experience in CAD and think that some of the techniques they have learned could be used in Revit. Things as simple as the move command have different shortcuts and are executed differently between the programs. I believe that this makes it harder for people to initially get the grasp of Revit and may turn some people away from the program.

Revit and other BIM programs have problems addressing other needs of engineers. Advanced structural analysis cannot be performed in many BIM programs which causes engineers to either create their designs in other programs, like SAP2000, or complete the calculations by hand. There is no good way to transfer the data that a user has inputted into Revit to other programs to perform other types of analysis on them. The same goes for HVAC analysis of buildings. Revit gives the user the ability to insert many ducts and vents into their building and to perform an okay flow analysis but to perform any high-level analysis of the building, all data must be input into another program, like eQuest. As stated above and in my post last week about interoperability, Revit currently does not allow the users to efficiently move their models into other programs for advanced analysis and does not offer means to perform the said analysis in the program itself.

Comments
Jordan: I like your point that soon buildings are going to be downloaded by a computer program rather than an engineer. I disagree somewhat with your post, however, I do think there will need to be a human element for design and construction. Your addition of the video was helpful to your point. 

Tyler: I completely agree with your friend Alex on all the problems and struggles that were faced with Revit. I also think that the point of using a personal story helps explain your point. I have experienced a lot of problems with Revit and have been in their shoes with the having to explain how programs work to other employees.

Chris: I like your comparisons between CAD and Revit; I think that Revit is a great program but CAD is always going to have a place in the field. I think CAD can be used for some simpler drawings and Revit is very useful for more complicated drawings or buildings.