Thach-B4

Kerry and I are doing our project on intelligent appliances and their place in buildings. This topic came from a very entertaining brainstorming discussion, I initially was looking at possible topics and came across fancy technologically advanced toilets. Kerry brought up the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Smart House”. This led us to decide on the topic of intelligent appliances. Intelligent appliances refer to appliances that use AI to help make a house both “smarter” and more efficient. The reason why we chose this topic is because of our interest in new appliances and how people can use to get the most out of their homes. We want to focus on new kitchen appliances like refrigerators and stoves, move onto bathroom fixtures like intelligent toilets and finally move onto living rooms fixtures. The reason why Kerry and I wanted to focus on these fixtures because they can all be combined to create a smart network in the house. This home network can be given the home owner, can track usage and can give suggestions to make the building more sustainable and energy efficient.

Intelligent appliances relate to the intelligent buildings because they are the backbone to the buildings and they make sure that these buildings run at optimal performance. When designers design for intelligent buildings, they must take into consideration the appliances that make up the home. It would be very unproductive to have an intelligent building with just regular appliances. The appliances will help the building meet the level of performance that the owner wants. Renovations can turn an old building into an intelligent building, and the best way to do this is to implement intelligent appliances. These appliances can help the building become smarter and opens up all the different ways for the owner utilize the building and get the most of the building.

There are many possible challenges with intelligent appliances and implementing them into buildings. The first is convincing owners that this is a good investment, it may be difficult to have a movement towards buying and implementing intelligent appliances as these things cost more up front that conventional appliances. But the tradeoff with these appliances that they can help make owner’s lives simpler and can even help save the owner money in utility costs. The challenge that Kerry and I will face is gathering the information on the appliances, understand what them special and understanding the complex system needed to connect everything together to get a smart network.

Comments:

Dee Dee

I like the topic you and Andrew chose, I think that there is a lot of overlap between Green Buildings and Intelligent Buildings. I personally think that Green Buildings rely heavily on intelligent building methods. This is common in controls, MEP designers are using controls to make systems more efficient and sustainable, and these controls are based on AI systems so that they can be able to run continuously by themselves.

Cody,

I really like the topic and Brad chose, I think that it can change the construction industry and make much need improvements to how things are conducted and hopefully it can bring some much needed modernization to a field that is stubborn in its approach. I just think that your topic will have the same challenge as my topic, and the fear is that it will have trouble getting implemented, and it will take some time to have everyone buy into the idea.

Lauren,

I like the topic you and Tyler chose and I think your experience in sustainable design from Senior Design will definitely help you in this project and hopefully the knowledge gained in this project will be used in the Senior Design project. I think that Green Design and Intelligent Buildings go hand and hand together, as one concept can be applied to both disciplines, and that there is a good amount of overlap in the design methods. 

Lauren Kujawa B4 - Incorporating Green Building Technology into IB Technology

For the term project, I will be working with Tyler Wicker.  Tyler and I will be writing about intelligent building technology and how IB technology can be used to make a building more “Green.”  First, we will define both intelligent and green buildings and describe design factors, considerations, and technology that can be implemented into either.  We will also talk about how green and intelligent buildings have advanced, but also touch base on the limitations of each.  Finally, Tyler and I will talk about how the technologies work together to form a “Green” and Intelligent Building.

I choose this topic because I have always had an interest in green buildings and sustainable designs, and I do not have any interest making a Revit model or doing a database project.  For my senior seminar papers and presentation, I wrote and spoke about sustainable buildings and the processes that go into the creation of a sustainable building.  From seminar, I learned that it is not only the building’s energy usage that determines if a building is green or not. The material’s manufacturing processes, transportation to site, and construction methods and practices must also be green in practice.  I am familiar with the green aspects, but I would like to research the intelligent aspects that can be applied in order to promote sustainability.

My initial thoughts on this topic are that the green aspects will be easy to research and write about, however I am not as familiar with intelligent buildings, so I believe this aspect of the project will be more difficult.  I know information and sources are readily available on green buildings, however I am unsure of what will be available on intelligent buildings.  I am also unsure of how easy it will be to link green and intelligent building technologies.  I personally do not have any experience linking the two, and I am not sure if there are famous projects that have linked intelligent to green buildings.

Response 1: Cody Johnson

I find your topic to be very interesting.  I think 3D laser scanning could be very helpful in the construction industry, especially if improvements are made to better the models.  3D models can easily help all involved parties visualize what is actually happening at a site.  As these technologies improve, modeling will only become more complex.  More time will have to be put into making a good model, but time can be saved if laser scanning is incorporated.  My company recently incorporated drones into their site surveying, so I am interested to see all that drones can do for the civil and architectural fields.

Response 2: Allison Abad

This topic is so different from all of the others!  The project is really could benefit future exploration on Mars, as a construction rocket could save many human lives.  The environment on Mars is much more harsh than the environment of Earth, and it is understandable that skyscraper construction is light years away from happening on Mars.  Your project really is directly related to this class, and I am very interested to see your final presentation.

Response 3 - Kerry Milligan

I remember you and Chris talking about this project a while ago, and I think the project is very interesting.  I also like that your inspiration comes from a Disney movie!  I really like the idea of an intelligent home becoming accessible and affordable to all homeowners.  I also like that you mentioned that intelligent buildings do not have to be built from the ground up.  I really liked this point because often people think “intelligent” means new an expensive, but in reality, the intelligent aspects can be added over time in a more affordable fashion. 

Milligan - Blog Post 4

B4: Term Project Topic

Chris and I are doing our term project on intelligent appliances, and how they connect to a residential building automation system to create an intelligent home. We chose this topic because we are both big fans of the Disney movie Smart House. In the movie, a home is designed utilizing intelligent appliances and an AI automation system to create an intelligent home for a lucky family to live in. Unfortunately, in the movie, the AI takes over and becomes evil, but that’s besides the point. We hope to research ways to create an intelligent building step-by-step, in a way that is accessible to many homeowners. Unlike the movie, it is not every day that a forward-thinking family wins a contest to move into a smart house. Because of this, it is important to provide ways to achieve this status on a budget and in a methodical way that doesn’t require large capital input or luck.

Purchasing, installing, and connecting intelligent appliances is a great method for achieving the status of an intelligent building on a budget, over a period of time. Intelligent buildings do not have to be built from the ground up. It is possible to renovate and retrofit existing buildings to function better and be “smarter.” Per Professor Mitchell’s definition of intelligent building, “intelligence” may exist in any system or phase of the building process. This clearly includes retrofits and renovations, as well as adding intelligent features, or appliances, after a home or other building is already complete.

There are some challenges we expect to face for this research. First, most information regarding intelligent appliances and residential building networks will most likely be sponsored by manufacturers who provide those products and services.  This might be biased information which we should be careful of. I also suspect that there is much more information about building intelligent buildings from the ground up, as opposed to making changes and additions to existing buildings. Additionally, there is a huge range of appliances in a house, and we will have to narrow down to the most important and interesting ones for purposes of the paper. We have not dove into the research that far yet, so maybe these challenges will be minimal, but they are some of the things we expect to face.

Comments:
Jordan: This topic is really interesting! We're at a point in the construction industry where we cannot fully function without some physical information, such as old documents, books, or CDs - we are not fully digital. This idea takes that reliance on physical media and updates it to be as efficient as possible while we still require those documents. Not only does this idea make the space or building it is in more intelligent, but it can be used for intelligent building design and lean design and construction practices to improve efficiency.

Mark: Attempting to follow the process of design followed in industry is a great idea for this project! I think you'll probably learn a lot, and the process of doing this for just one project will stay with you as you begin your career. I think it is also really interesting that there is a heavy focus on sustainable design with your project, which I'm sure will impact your intelligent building design process in an interesting way. I'm in no way a Revit expert, so I am excited to hear about what things you learn through this process.

Tom: This is a super cool project topic. It is very interesting to think about how we would create an ideal civilization from scratch on a new planet - it is essentially saying how we would re-do our life on Earth if we could. It gives you the chance to correct all of the things you don't like about the way life functions on Earth. Your idea to have the foundation and structure put in place completely automatically is truly the definition of intelligent building construction - a building that can build itself! You make a great point that not only can you use what you learn from construction on earth to improve construction on Mars, but the opposite is true too. Things learned through this process of attempting to build on Mars will provide ample insight for construction on earth. Your challenges seem well thought through, and it's great that you already have some possible solutions to those challenges.

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.

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.

Dee Dee Strohl - Blog 3

What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

BIM is the leading technology in not only in the field of architecture, but the engineering field as well. The software isn’t just for buildings; it’s for all disciplines. There is such a broad variety of programs and capabilities of the software. For building design, Revit is the most used and understood by the different disciplines.

Capturing reality

With BIM, a working model can be sketched in a matter of hours that easily conveys a design idea to other engineers or the client. You can show every view of the building including 3D views and interiors. Design elements can be changed quickly, as needed. You can see how all the design elements are interconnected. BIM allows you to simulate and visualize a variety of scenarios, like different sun angles with the change of the seasons. From that, you can also run energy performance simulations that give designers a way to quantify improvements.

Sharing of a model

The ability to share a model connects all disciplines and streamlines the design process. In my previous blog posts, I’ve discussed seeing this advantage firsthand at co-op. I was working in an MEP firm and we were working with external architects and structural engineers for a project. Whenever changes were made to the architecture model, those changes were shown in the structural and MEP models, and vice versa. This allowed design changes in all disciplines to be made quickly. It improved collaboration on the project. One other feature that was crucial to the design process was clash detection. With this technology, the system recognizes when an electrical receptor or ductwork or any other element is designed where they will run through each other. On-site clashes can be incredibly expensive and time consuming, so detecting them early is key. CBIM made it easier and cheaper to find clashes, thus improving the construction process as well.

There’s a huge economic benefit to using BIM for the reasons stated above. The software can be used at every step of the process, not just design. It can also be helpful for project managers and used throughout the construction process. In addition, it’s easy to create plans that can be sent to the client or city council to be approved. Overall, BIM, and Revit specifically, are making the design and build process of a building easier and faster than ever. As Kayleigh said, Revit might be at the forefront now, but there’s more to come.

Sources:

“Building Information Modeling for the Win: Top 10 Benefits of BIM.” Autodesk. https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/building-information-modeling-top-10-benefits-of-bim/

“Productivity Benefits of BIM.” New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, http://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/whats-happening/news/document-image-library/nz-bim-productivity-benefits.pdf

COMMENTS:

Lauren Kujawa:

I agree with what you said about AutoCAD. I’ve used both for projects, and though AutoCAD is great for creating line diagrams, it’s difficult to create an entire building in the software. I’ve used Revit for most projects and see both the advantages and disadvantages. We’ve been using it for our AE 391 project and it’s given us a lot of headaches. It’s an amazing software but also incredibly infuriating. I’ve never worked with MicroStation and wonder what sort of projects you have made in it for the transportation sector; I’m not very familiar with the discipline.

Allison Abad:

I agree that as time goes on BIM will continue to improve the collaboration between disciplines. I really hope that more projects will take on an integrated approach because of the continuing capabilities of BIM. I think with more integrated buildings, we would be on the way to creating more energy efficient and “greener” buildings. With the past and present ways of the building design process, the architect makes the design and everything is sequential from there, which isn’t efficient in design or construction—it can cause a lot of problems. I hope you’re right that BIM will continue to have advantages in the architecture and engineering fields.

Tyler Wicker:

I agree with what your friend Alex: Revit is great once you’ve been exposed to it and worked in it, but it’s not user friendly initially. Even after using it regularly, I still get frustrated with it. Sometimes you just can’t get the program to do what you want or you get an error that doesn’t make any sense. I like using AutoCAD for similar tasks because, though it is also made by Autodesk, it is easy to understand and manipulate. I agree that interoperability is important for the design process and project efficiency. Here’s to hoping developers see this need and work to fill it. 

Johnson - B3 Benefits of BIM/Revit

            BIM modeling gives new advantages not seen by previous design technologies.  Revit is allowing designers to make 3-D tangible models, over the previous 2-D drawings that would have to come together like a puzzle during the construction phase.  Although the drawings are still printed in two dimensions for the construction set, the model built in Revit has more coordination and the clashes in design will show through more easily.  This is because it can have one central model with multiple parties working simultaneously.  As I mentioned last week, I have had first hand experience with this in my second coop.  It was easy for the structural engineers and architects to coordinate structural clashes through screen sharing and instant drawing updates.  With designers seeing everything in a 3-D space, instead of just different labels and tags describing elevations, the project becomes much simpler to coordinate.  This also leads into Revit’s automatically updating tags, which cuts out the monotonous, time-consuming task of typing up each update as it is changed.

            The use of macros in Revit can also help cut out more time-consuming tasks.  Macros are written commands and functions coded into the program, which my first article from the Autodesk User Group International (AUGI) discusses.  They can be used to rename sheets, renumber rooms, and change family names, for example.  These are the menial tasks that can keep an architect or engineer working later hours to make sure the project is properly annotated and easy to read when trying to hit a deadline.  Since macros do need to be coded into Revit, someone will need coding experience or be willing to learn how to code.  Once the macros are coded, they can be repeated for each project that design team is working on.

My second article is a general update on the new features included in Revit 2017 from architect magazine.  Since BIM is a fairly new technology for design, it is important that it is constantly improving on its weaknesses.  One of the specific improvements Autodesk made was a simpler energy analysis.  This is supposed to help architects conduct more frequent energy analyses when significant changes are made to the design.  This will allow better record keeping in the design development with better ideas about how the project compares to initial goals.  Other updates discussed include improved text editing, improved schedules and tags, and increased depth presentation.  Although these may seem like minor updates, these can help projects run much more smoothly.  With BIM, specifically Revit, constantly improving, it becomes more user friendly.  It is important for Autodesk to continue listen to client complaints and experiences to continue increased user friendliness.  Knowing that Revit is constantly improving is a major benefit of using the technology since it can only get easier.

Online Sources:

https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/getting-started-with-revit-macros

http://www.architectmagazine.com/technology/products/five-standout-features-from-autodesk-revit-2017_o

Responses:

1. Digiovanni
Brad,

I think you are right about BIM being a beneficial tool for designers or contractors to give quick, more accurate estimates during the bidding process. This will help with coordination later in the project and is something I did not consider when looking at the benefits of using BIM modeling. I also think your coop experience with clash detection can be a major benefit for you. With newer technologies, we can actually use virtual reality to "walk" around a BIM model and point out clashes to the parties. This can also help for owners getting a better feel for how the space will be laid out, which can also help cut down on costly owner changes later in the project.

2. Thach
Chris,

I think you made some really good comparisons between traditional CAD and Revit. I think you make a really good point about how CAD is still necessary for design projects. Similar to your discussion about electrical single line diagrams, many design firms still use CAD for drawing design details. CAD allows for simpler single lines and shapes to be made, as opposed to only being able to draw 3-D objects or families. As you mentioned, skills in both programs is important for all engineers to possess.

3. Deutsch
Alyssia,

I think you are right with the potential for BIM to become too advanced or simple. From what I read this week, although, I think there is a higher potential for Revit and other BIM modeling tools to become more automated. This would allow design to be performed by only a computer. I also believe that Autodesk is working hard to make sure they make small advancements each year. They do not release any drastic changes with each new iteration of Revit. They have also been able to remove content added to newer versions because they did not work out as planned. By doing this, they are able to keep old and new users happy when using newer versions of the program