ARCH689 Project_3_Julian

This stage of ARCH689 is for developing a prototypical add-in for my building model of Project1&2. (http://tamu-arch689-julian.blogspot.com/2009/10/arch689-project-1julian.html) .


The objective of my prototypical tool is a user interface named Solar Radiation Response which can provide the inputs of data. The data involves the comfort zone(indoor temperature requirements), solar radiation(outdoor climatic conditions) and indoor activity which will affect the indoor temperature conditions and possibilities. Also, all three data are related to the building model’s geometry parameters, especially about the panel height on the canopy. This stage’s work is to further my original idea that is building envelope system can be kinetic and behavior responding to the outdoor climatic conditions and in turn may reduce the range of indoor temperature swings within great range of outdoor temperature swings. The decreases may offer promising energy savings compared with the mechanical air-conditioning system.

The process of this work involves the Solar Analysis plug-in, C# programming and Autodesk Revit API.

The Solar Analysis plug-in presents the model with the different levels’ solar radiation on the building envelope. Through this method, I can differentiate the each panel parameters of the building envelope into three levels: High, Middle and Low. After this, the Revit building model needs the update for linking the instance parameters and the project parameters which related to the high, middle and low solar radiation.

By using C#, each panel parameter of height can be filtered and set a new value related to a series of constrains, like seasons, indoor temperature and others, and provide the user interface as well. Note the filter command is from Autodesk Revit API.

To conclude, contemporary thinking in intelligent buildings, changing or kinetic architecture, digital interactive interface and biomimetic design has given rise to a new evolution of architecture. These works present me with the new insight into parametric design and kinetic buildings. In the context of sustainable needs, the BKE systems present the sustainable building research with a new approach of exchanges and communications with climate and local environments, especially in the locations with extreme climates. Moreover, the kinetic expression of building envelopes has been the sublime pursuit of contemporary architectural design in recent years. On balance, the parametric design method based on BIM and related sustainable design will be explored more in future.

ARCH689 Project_2_Julian

This project is about using a function of API plug-in (RDB link) in Autodesk Revit incorperating the parametric design of Project_1(http://tamu-arch689-julian.blogspot.com/2009/10/arch689-project-1julian.html) for exporting a database. The specific aim is a table with a collection of data that are interesting to my research of sustainable kinetic buildings. In my project_1’s model, the parameter information about family can not be exported by using RDB link directly. In paticular, the dimention parameters of roof’s panels are centrals to my model which is designed for enabling the kinetic responses to climates and indoor thermal comforts.

In the envelope of my building, each panel’s height and area should be differente according to the solar raditions distribution or the indoor thermal gains distribution. Thus, I wish the database exported from RDB link can show the information in a new table with those parameters including panel height, area, construction, materials and etc.

The sollution for this aim are the following steps:

1. Through checking the CurtainPanels table in the database exported from RDB link, the basic information of panels have already included, such as construction and area of each panel. However, some useless information like width, height and design option.
2. Editing the codes of Datainitialization in the RDB link can reorganize the data collection of curtain panels into a new table named PanelProperties.
3. Because the parameter of panel’s height is not in the list of BuildingInParameter in RDB link, I need to add this user defined parameter into the objects of model. Firstly, I added a new shared parameter named Panel_height in the project’s panel family and then load into the project model.Secondly, in the “Project Settings” menu, I added that shared parameter of Panel_height into selected categories. After this command, the Panel_height will be displayed in the panel’s instance parameter dialog box like the following figure in the project level rather than the family level.

4. Adding the new column of Panel_height in the table of PanelProperties.

So far, each panel’s height information may be revised but there are problems shown in the importlog when the database was imported into the model. In the further works, we will focus on the user defined parameters and how to find and use it in API.

ARCH689 Project 1_julian

The main goal of this conceptual design is to transmit certain bio-inspiration of natural organism by using parametric design of BIM. This building is an earth-sheltered exhibition whose main entrance is the central visual expression for outside and other functions about exhibition is underground. I design this concept in Beijing, China.









I was inspired by the butterfly wings' microstructure involving with honeycombed shape, whichscales absorb more solar radiation than would a smooth surface. Conversely, the fold wings minimize the area of surface and avoid more thermal transmissions. In my design, I translate this structure into a roof with hexagon structure on the surface. Each hexagon structure has a height which will change according to seasonal solar radiation and temperature difference between interior and exterior. The following is the principle formular involving the parameters of height, radiation, season and temperature.

Height=if(or(and(Is it summer, Outside_Temperature > Inside_Temperature), and(Is it winter, SolarRadiationInWinter<200)),800, if(Is it winter, 800+ SolarRadiationInWinter, -50 * (Inside_Temperature - Outside_Temperature) + 800.1))--


1) In winter, the outside solar radiation in a daytime is high, and sometimes even higher than summer's for Beijing climate. So, I make the hexagon structure to the concave one which is able to concentrate more surrounding thermal radiation and then transmit heat to interior space. As the increas of solar radiation, the height of panel increases. Ideally, the color of hexagon panel will change to dark at this time. However, during the period without solar radiation or the nighttime in winter, inside temperature is higher than outside temperature, which will lose heat because of the roof's thermal transmission. So, the hexagon structure will change to a smooth surface without any concaves.

2) In summer's daytime, higher outside temperature will be transmitted through the envelop of the building. For minimizing the area of surface to receive solar radiation, the hexagon panel will change to a smooth surface like the case in winter. On the other hand, people activity will increase the indoor temperature obviously; however, short-period cloudy, rainy or nighttime cools the outside environments. For employing this natural short-period cool climate, each hexagon panel should be turned into a convex which enables to absorb more thermal radiation from interior and then transmits heat to outdoor.

Overall, the concave and the convex of each panel facilitate transmitting heat than smooth panel. This conceptual design just bases on the temperature difference between interior and exterior to form the appropriate panel structure of roof and in turn hopefully achieve energy efficiency and thermal comfort, but the final effect is still pending until the resulting building gets the evaluation for energy consumption through connecting BIM to certain energy simulation software.