Software « Noel's Green (make that SUSTAINABLE) Blog

Design firm uses a lot of technology (BIM and cloud computing)

BIM, IPD and “private” cloud computing at Little Diversified Architecture in Charlotte. This firm is on the top of the wave of change, being led by the author of the article, Chris France, CIO of the firm. This firm and its predecessors have always been very very good anyway. [...]

BIM is a database – Naming is important

Delayed commentary on things learned and shared at a recent RevitDC meeting:

NAMING THINGS and SHARING (it’s a matter of INTEGRITY)
Naming comes up again. “Inconsistent” is the keyword. I am glad that I am not the only one who struggles with it. Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a name? That which we call [...]

Designers becoming Expert Users

An important point, when planning a project, is that the skillsets of the users may be the real driver of success. Software skills by the senior experts helps too. Understanding the database may be as important as understanding the data. Its a bit of a hurdle that most [...]

BIM forces a break with status quo

Change is in the wind. Software and information technology forces a break with the past.

For generations, we engineers depended on drawings. The desktop PC, and software, such as Autocad, changed our dependence into a 2-d CAD.

Stephen Roth wrote in the recent issue of Consulting Specifying Engineers magazine.

HVAC cooling [...]

Owners: Demand more Energy Modeling for the bottom line

Concerns brought up by Howard McKew of Engineered Systems magazine in the July 2009 issue. He said “Owners, Please Demand More from your IPD team” (Integrated Project Delivery ) McKew cites the fact that the new IPD approach being promoted by the AIA is possibly a lawyers dream to make money in this [...]

Zillow Ipod ‘app’ demonstrated by 4 year old girl

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Saving Time to Design Green Building Systems

I like BIM software. I admit it, I think it is very cool to be able to design directly in a virtual 3 dimensional environment.

I also care deeply about high building performance. I hate poor performance. I have worked all my career to make good designs as energy [...]

Someday this will come true – sooner than you may think!

“In a perfect world, energy simulations and design tools would be so well integrated that each time an architect moved a wall, added a window, or changed a lighting specification; the building’s predicted energy performance would be updated and displayed instantly. With that sort of real-time feedback, designers would quickly become skilled at optimizing the [...]