[bldg-sim] Green Building Studio

[Jon McHugh]

Hi Carol and other Green Designers,

My interest is in transforming building design so that what is called
"Green Design" now is standard practice in the future. Part of that
vision to create expert systems that make it easy to do the right thing
and make it hard to do the wrong thing.  These expert systems need the
input of experienced professionals to create the rule sets, so that what
is modeled matches reality. With increased recognition of the value of
energy efficiency, what is now considered a LEED Silver building today
may the code minimum building in the future.

Ideally architects and engineers are now being trained to be energy
professionals in addition to designing buildings that last, don't fall
down and are sufficiently heated and cooled.  All of these other aspects
of building design place a premium on experienced professionals, surely
the same will be true of energy analyst portion of an architectural or
engineering practice. 

Is anyone really wistful for the good old days when you entered the x, y
and z coordinates of building surfaces?  More people are now able to use
simulation tools and I expect these tools to get better over time.  This
should reduce the time needed to conduct the simulation segment of
energy analysis.  There are still all of the other aspect of being a
energy analyst that others in this list serve have already brought up.
This brings to mind a quote about analysis:

"The purpose of computation is numbers.  The purpose of analysis is
insight."

Happy Holidays!

Jon McHugh, PE, LC 



 

-----Original Message-----
From: bldg-sim at gard.com [mailto:bldg-sim at gard.com] On Behalf Of Carol
Gardner
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 10:48 PM
To: bldg-sim at gard.com
Cc: bldg-sim at gard.com
Subject: [bldg-sim] Green Building Studio

Thank you for your words of encouragement, Vikram, I'll hold off on the
sale.  I, too, am for innovation in our field.  I do get worried,
however, when I hear of technologies and "user friendly" programs that
are designed to make energy analysis "easier" because that can sometimes
mean that the process gets dumber.  While you and I are qualified to
review such innovations and weed out the good from the bad the general
public (which can include architects, engineers and developers) is not. 
  When cost savings get waved under their nose in addition to the
"easier" label it can be hard not to succumb to the temptation and
eliminate the skilled, but costly, energy professional.
Carol

Vikram Sami wrote:
> Maybe I am being naive & optimistic, but don't sell your home yet. (I
am saying this partly because I am in the process of buying one). I
think it sounds like a useful tool, but I seriously doubt it will
replace simulators. At the end of the day, what people pay us for is not
the ability to run the program (pretty much anyone can do that), but the
ability to analyze the results from the program. Also, useful as it
sounds, I don't think it has the capability to be as interactive as
dealing one on one with a person, and asking project specific questions.
>  
> I for one look at any innovation in our field as a positive thing.
Ultimately, if we can get more high performance buildings out there,
everyone wins. 
>  
> Vikram Sami,  LEED AP
> Direct Phone 404-253-1466 | Direct Fax  404-253-1366
> 
> LORD, AECK & SARGENT ARCHITECTURE
> Responsive Design * Technological Expertise * Exceptional Service 
> www.lordaecksargent.com <file://www.lordaecksargent.com>
> 
>  
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: bldg-sim at gard.com on behalf of Carol Gardner
> Sent: Mon 12/19/2005 20:48
> To: bldg-sim at gard.com
> Cc: bldg-sim at gard.com
> Subject: [bldg-sim] Green Building Studio
> 
> 
> 
> I have never heard of this program but I do have a burning question:
> should I sell my home now before the bubble bursts because I am going 
> to be replaced by a computer program or should I hold off and see how 
> it goes?  Okay, actually I have two burning questions:  is this being 
> developed using my tax dollars?
> Carol Gardner
> Building Solutions Consultants
> 503.223.4847
> 
> Zoeteman, Mark R. wrote:
> 
>>Have bldg-sim users seen this yet (sounds too good to be true):
>>
>>Teams use their existing computer-aided design systems to communicate 
>>a project's building geometry to the GBS website, which conducts an 
>>energy analysis of the building design. The program enables the design

>>team to look at the energy impact of early design decisions, compare 
>>alternatives, and share information more broadly with other team
members.
>>
>>___http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA6281244.html?text=computer_
>>
>>
>>It provides whole building energy analysis using the widely accepted 
>>building analysis program, DOE-2, at no charge to the design team. GBS

>>is accessed from within the design team's 3D-CAD software.
>>
>>_http://www.greenbuildingstudio.com/About.aspx_
>>
>>
>>Mark Zoeteman
>>FTC&H, Inc.
>>_mrzoeteman at ftch.com_
>>
>>
>>
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