+IMPACT MAGAZINE ISSUE 23

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
COMPUTATIONAL
DESIGN:
revolutionising the way we work
Thanks to computer simulations and modelling techniques – as well as data-driven
analyses – design teams can now create sustainable, energy-efficient and comfortable
buildings for their occupants.
WORDS Yogesh Gooljar IMAGES PJC + Partners
Computational design and data-driven analyses
have transformed the way architects, engineers
and construction professionals approach
building design. Fluid shapes, automation and
robotics have changed the construction scene for the better
– or for worse. Building designers are no longer satisfied
with creating designs: they want data. Computational
design can give them both of these and more.
Fluid shapes, automation and robotics
have changed the construction scene
for the better – or for worse.
Solar radiation analysis on a building facade to test shading strategies.
DIRECT VS
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING
Conventional modelling in software such as SketchUp, 3ds
Max and Revit is known as direct modelling. No algorithms
or parameters for design iteration are involved.
To work with computational modelling, add-ons
and plugins are necessary to enhance the functionality
of the software. For example, Revit offers Dynamo and
Rhino.Inside.Revit as computational features.
Building designers are no longer
satisfied with creating designs:
they want data.
An analysis of the potential for natural ventilation from location-based climate data.
Computational design is being used to
create sustainable, energy-efficient and
comfortable buildings and spaces.
An example of visual programming in Grasshopper for computational design.
BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
Computational design tools have now merged with
numerous building performance-analysis and simulation
tools, enabling designers to analyse their design based on
environmental performance indicators.
An assessment of the annual solar radiation for Cape Town provides insight into climate-responsive architecture.
THE EVOLUTION OF
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN
The roots of computational design and building
performance modelling can be traced back to the early
days of computer-aided design (CAD) in the 1960s. In the
following decades, computer technology evolved, and new
tools emerged that allowed architects and engineers to
create digital models of their designs. One of the earliest
examples of building performance modelling was the
use of energy modelling software in the 1980s to predict
a building’s energy consumption.
In the 1990s, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) allowed
designers to simulate airflows and thermal conditions
within buildings, giving a more accurate representation of
the building’s performance. With the advent of parametric
and generative design in the 2000s, designers could now
create complex geometries and optimise their designs for
specific environmental conditions.
URBAN PLANNING & NEW NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
Data-driven analysis at an urban level for testing energy use intensity (EUI) for multiple
typology mixes on a proposed site.
FAR: 0.55
FAR: 0.55
Mean EUI: 320kWh/m 2 Mean EUI: 251kWh/m 2
Program: Residential 70% • Commercial 30% Program: Residential 50% • Commercial 50%
FAR: 1.55
FAR: 0.55
Mean EUI: 226kWh/m 2 Mean EUI: 381kWh/m 2
Program: Residential 40% • Commercial 60%
Program: Residential 30% • Commercial 70%
ESTIMATED ENERGY INTENSITY
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POSITIVE IMPACT ISSUE 23
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