[Bldg-sim] Autodesk releases free Project Vasari Technology Preview

[John Kennedy]

Project Vasari, a new, easy-to-use, standalone conceptual modeling and energy analysis tool based on the Revit platform, which is currently available as a technology preview on Autodesk Labs (http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/vasari/). Project Vasari is designed to increase accessibility for early design phase conceptual energy analysis beyond current Autodesk Revit Architecture software users.

"A building's sustainability is largely determined by key decisions made at the early conceptual design stage," said Phil Bernstein, vice president of industry relations for Autodesk. "The motivation behind the Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis tool and Project Vasari is to recognize this need with real solutions for the market. With Project Vasari, the entire world, not just users of Revit Architecture 2011, can see and experience many of the benefits of applying energy analysis at the early conceptual design phase."

About Project Vasari
Project Vasari is a standalone application built on the same technology as the Autodesk Revit platform. It is aimed at architectural designers and other professionals who do not need the production tools in the full Autodesk Revit Architecture software. Focused on conceptual building design using both geometric and parametric modeling, Project Vasari supports performance-based design via integrated energy modeling and analysis.
With the Revit Conceptual Energy Analysis tool as part of Project Vasari architects, engineers, contractors, building owners and students can automatically convert an architectural conceptual design into an analytical energy model to help gain insight into energy consumption and costs of multiple design options at the early conceptual stage.

Project Vasari, which does not require the user to own or subscribe to Autodesk Revit Architecture software, is available now as a technology preview at the Autodesk Labs website. After registering for a free Autodesk ID, and downloading and installing the Project Vasari application, users can conduct cloud-based energy analysis runs.

Key features include:

. Integrated energy analysis-Automatically rationalize concept models into energy models for analysis. As the conceptual design evolves, the energy model updates automatically.
. Cloud computing-Energy analysis is performed remotely through cloud computing, so a designer's local PC is available to process design modifications and perform other work after initiating the analysis.
. Graphical results-Evaluate design options side-by-side based on reports that compare energy use, lifecycle costs and breakdowns of consumption and loads. Communicate and deliver easy-to-understand graphical and raw data results to project stakeholders.
. Web-based climate data-Access a high-resolution global climate data set with more than 1.5 million weather data sets.
. Export to DOE-2.2 (eQuest) and EnergyPlus