[Bldg-sim] Tools for designers

noci nochi at gmx.net
Thu Mar 19 16:11:06 PDT 2009


I may have overlooked something, but did all the replies make it to the 
list?

I'd also be interested in the conversation, as I teach architectural 
design modeling at the TU Berlin
and very much have the same quesitons as Raoni. If you could please 
forward to this list any message pertaining
to the subject but didn't make it to the list, I'd be delighted.

On a sidenote, I find it peculiarly interesting that applications for 
handling digital architectural geometry in the design
process, i.e. Rhino, Maya, 3dsMax etc., appear to be far more "user 
friendly" and geared towards their employment
right in the process of design than building energy simulation tools. 
But my experiences are rather limited in
this field, I must profess.

But perhaps we will see a greater integration in the future, i.e. the 
validated lighting model in 3ds max, interactive
shading in sketchup (and hopefully in the upcoming version of Rhino) 
already point to the right direction.

"I believe that simplifying models considering
aspects like the information available at the moment, the specific
decisions that you want to support and the reservoir of design
precedents concerning these specific decisions would lead to a more
“designerly” way of simulating."

I think you are spot-on there, Raoni, and am intrigued by your thinking about 
the subject matter. I try to implement in my teaching a related paradigm of
media literacy that intends to question the nature of different representational 
and explorative digital models. For what purpose is what kind of model created at
what point in the "design timeline"? 

I'd love to hear more about your understanding of model purpose, nature and specificity.


kind regards,

Max Doelling

TU Berlin, Faculty VI,
Institute of Architecture,
Abteilung Technische Architekturdarstellung (TAD)





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