Team 5- Presentation Reflections

Group 5

The projects that were presented focused on General Intelligent building themes and methods. The overarching theme of the presentations were the availability of IB methods and how these methods can be implemented. Our projects varied in the target audience, for example Sarina and Alyssia’s project would be helpful to homeowners while Jordan’s can be implement into warehouses and has more of a commercial appeal. As a team we learned about how and why these new technologies can be implemented and got a basic understanding of the numerous advantages that are associated with Intelligent Building technologies. In conclusion, the projects in our group all focused on different usages but showcases the importance of Intelligent Building technologies/ concepts moving forward.

We chose Jordan’s presentation on Robots in Archival Spaces to be presented to the class.

Building Type & Intelligence (Deutsch & Tufano)

I am working with Sarina Tufano on this term project and our topic is Building Type and Intelligence. We have opted for the research paper version of this assignment and since we are both structural concentration we have taken "type" to mean materials and structural aspects. To do this we are picking to work with a single family home and design it with the newest smart and green techniques available and adequately researched thus far. The house will not only have smart qualities but will incorporate these starting at the structures very core. It is known that scientists keep developing better and more effective versions of the common materials used in construction. These will be used within the small family home to help keep the structure more self sustaining, extend its life cycle estimate and decrease its impact on the environment while also making it more user friendly.

When it comes to smart and green methods, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably even though they are somewhat different. While discussing the smart materials to be used in the structural design of this home, there will be tables/graphs/figures demonstrating which are just to be considered "smart" which are to be considered "green" and which properties might overlap within those two categories. The structure will take advantage of smart/green facade designs, smart steel/concrete, smart sealant techniques and produce much if not all of its own energy so that it may become LEED, Green Globe, or Live Building Challenge certified as well. It will source other materials needed locally, make an effort to reuse materials that were unused at its previous locations, and attempt maintain little to no waste outputs.

While the International Building Code clarifies different categories of building per "type", we are aiming to take the family home to the next level of what is mandatory in its structural design components. To do this much research will be conducted and definitions of what green and smart mean within a building and how it relates to the overall intelligence will be discussed as well. To demonstrate the materials used, models will be created if time allows. Costs will not be assessed since the main objective of this report is the creation of an optimized intelligent and green structure. However, this does not mean that the efforts to use the best and most "intelligent" materials will not pay out over the first few years of the building's existence. In order to make the building type as smart as possible the structure will maintain manageability so that as technologies improve, the building can also improve.

Jianfeng Xiao:
I notice that our topics are very similar. I like how you have emphasized that you are going to use newer buildings in your assessment since we know how fast technologies have been evolving recently. I am curious to see how you distinguish properties as either "smart" or "green" and which properties you might consider to fall under both classifications.

Sarah Hollis:
I find the history of BIM to be a really interesting topic. I think that reading about how its history has made it become what it is now will definitely lend you a hand in predicting what might be to come in the future. I see that you say BIM allows for fluidity but are you worried that if it becomes too renound and user friendly that people in some fields may lose jobs due to being replaced by any of the programs included in a "BIM Environment"? If you do, which do you think they might be?

Chris Thatch:
Intelligent appliances are such an integral part of what can help make a building more user adaptive and intelligent. I really like how you are going to research and see how many smart versions of appliances are available on the market today because I feel as though much of society is not adequately taught when it comes to better environmental practices. Even with the addition of so many improved products on the market now, many people assume that making a more intelligent or green building will cost so much more and isn't worth it. Little do they know that the returns can start in as little as one year! Your topic is such a good representation of this.

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!

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.

Shuster - B4: Term Project

For my project, I am writing a paper on the use of robotics in archival spaces. To clarify, an “archival space” in this context is any room where materials are stored for inconsistent, specific use. This could be an archive of historical documents, city plans, CDs with backups of critical information, books being kept in storage and more. Arguably, the ideal archival space is one with the most efficient use of space possible. Currently in some large-scale, highly-funded archival spaces, such as the ones outlined in this article, designers have already found ways to use robots to give the design significant efficiency. Once told what item it is looking for, a robot can make its way through the archival space to the specific location of that material, pick it out, and bring it back to the person who requested it. While this technology is largely used in large-scale capacities now, I plan to explore how it could be implemented in the future in smaller-scale applications. Additionally, while my paper is about robotics, it is not possible to describe the applications of robotics in archival spaces without discussing databases as well.

I chose this project in part because I have a lot of interest in library sciences and thought it could be interesting to combine that field with the field we’re studying in this class. I also chose it because I think a big part of intelligent building is finding ways to make the system more efficient, in terms of time, materials, and more. The project I’ve chosen is related to intelligent buildings because it has to do with changing how we design building spaces based on emerging technologies. While an archival space isn’t necessarily an entire building in itself, it does have the capacity to become an “intelligent space”, which I believe is comparable to intelligent building, but on a smaller scale.

I predict having challenges with this project when it comes to predicting the future possibilities of the technology I’m researching. It’s easy to research what’s already been done and how it works, but it takes a thorough understanding of the technology to be able to realistically predict how it might be adapted for future use. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get that thorough understanding through my research so that my predictions actually make sense!

Source: A. Nagy, The Giant Robots That Serve the World's Largest Library Archives, Gizmodo, 2015 [Online]. Available: https://gizmodo.com/the-giant-robots-that-serve-the-worlds-largest-library-1700712936.

Comments:

Mark,
Good thinking to link projects for two classes! There's no point in inventing the wheel when you already have a solid base. Your architectural model already looks great, and I think you're headed towards a really useful project if you can master Revit's learning curve, which I'm sure you can! Knowing BIM software better, which in this case means Revit, will definitely suit you well moving forward in your career, so tackling the learning curve now while you're still in school will mean you can catch up to whatever industry standards are in place when you're ready to start a post-grad job, or even co-op!

Kerry,
Smart House is an amazing movie, and I love that you're using it as inspiration for your project! Beyond that, I think it's a really interesting topic that I really don't know too much about. I think you're really smart to narrow down which appliances you'll be looking into, and there are definitely multiple ways to choose which to use - the most-used appliances in the home, appliances in one room or part of the house (such as the kitchen or bathroom), or even a single system (such as the HVAC system and all of its components). I'm interested to see how you end up deciding!

Cody,
I think your topic idea of 3D scanning in a construction context is really interesting! I hadn't really considered it before, but your example of using a 3D scan to generate an existing conditions plan could potentially save so much time (and thereby, money!). I've personally spent so many hours compiling existing conditions plans for new construction projects, based on survey points and city plans, and it would be so great to have mainstream technology that makes the process a lot less labor-intensive. I'm excited to see what other applications you can find for this technology.

Term Project Idea:

Building Type and Intelligence

Alyssia Deutsch