B5 - Uses of databases in design offices

Use of Database in Design Offices

In B3, we did some research on the advantages of Revit/BIM. I found database is one of the benefits using Revit as design tool since Revit is able to generate tables of detailed information of various materials. Thereby, cost estimation is easier and more accurate. In addition, Microsoft Access is an application based on database management. It raised efficiency tremendously as the quantity of data goes beyond human’s ability. Another software I learned in Construction Management class is Primavera P6 that assists planning construction schedule. With the help of database built-in, we can make scheduling readily. Nowadays, nothing rely on computer technology can work properly without database, so does offices design.

When companies start designing offices, the software talked above has great possibility to be used. At first, Revit can quickly sketch a rough layout of the floor plan. Furthermore, it can automatically generate the bill of quantities because of the existence of database. For this reason, prospective clients are able to have a better understanding of cost ahead of time. Microsoft Access has the ability to systemize all kinds of information and pull out the specific one whenever you want. It works with Revit, that means, database in MS Access can be imported into Revit. Afterwards, Primavera P6 helps schedule works assigned to various groups of people. For instance, two processes cannot be done simultaneously, it will require you to set up priority so the later process will not start until the prior one finishes. When some human sources are not available during weekend or holiday, we can assign working days as we want thus the whole schedule will be recalculated automatically. By considering all sources and restrains according to database, it makes the final decision to approach critical path, the most efficient way to finish this project.

These are just part of applications of database in offices design. I believe there are already far more technologies used in designing process in the real marketing world. To sum up, people created database to take advantage of it. Database management will be a must-have skill in the near future.

Comments:

Jonathan Plotkin – I really like your post combining with your previous working experience. It gave us a clearer idea about how the knowledge we learned can be applied in the real job. You focused on the first co-op where you think is mostly related to database.

Mark Bancroft – As you are a frequent user of AutoCAD, you explained how database is used in AutoCAD step by step. You also talked some beneficial reasons to use database when doing designing work.

Jiaao Wu – The first look at your post gave me an impression that it is well organized since you analyzed reasons from three aspects: architectural, structural and HVAC design. I’ve never thought in that way. Nice analysis, by the way.

B3 - Advantages of Revit / BIM

What are the current advantages of Revit/BIM?

“BIM is poised to be a major innovation in architecture industry in the 21st century, and Revit supplies oxygen to this wonderful innovation. There are number of reasons behind the increasing acceptance of Revit software in architecture industry.”

Building Information Modeling is a revolutionary progress in Architectural Engineering and Revit. As a combination of BIM and 3D modeling, it has the highest market share in the pie of BIM software industry. The reasons behind its widely acceptance are as followed:

1.     Revit is not only a draft-based software offering simple geometry elements such as dots, lines and circles but also an efficient tool to create 3D walls, doors and windows. With this quick design, people are able to get a general idea at the early stage and try out different schemes.

2.     In Revit Architectural model, every element is connected with each other. Any components need modification can be changed accurately as well as their related components so it will avoid time wasting on dull repetition.

3.     Plan, section and elevation views make visual analysis more reliable. Designers can use the 3D model to determine materials, color finish, lighting layout, fixed facilities and pipelines etc. from design perspective, thereby check exact location of each component to ensure the quality of design.

4.     BIM database contains detailed information. As a result, generating a variety of forms is very easy. Designers can use it to estimate project budget and contractors can refer it to increase accuracy of material shopping list.

5.     Revit also allows multi-users work on the same project simultaneously and merge their changes so everything can be stored in a single file. This flexibility is what AutoCAD lacks.

Revit shows advantages significantly especially in large and complex projects. Many companies invest the Building Information Modeling for better design and documentation, but business benefits go beyond design. It wins work from marketing, has greater efficiency that increase profit margins and better insight that improves project quality.

References

“Top 7 Reasons to Use Revit”,

http://www.architecturalevangelist.com/tips-and-tricks/top-7-reasons-to-use-revit.html

Comments:

Jiaao Wu – Your conclusion talks about three aspects: more accurate draft drawing, more automatic adjust and more comprehensive export. I totally agree with your opinion. What’s more, your analysis is detailed enough to illustrate your idea with some specific examples.

Yu-Sen Liu – You talked about both advantages and possible future benefits of Revit including 3D printing, 3D Virtual holographic interfaces, and motion tracking interfaces. I was totally surprised at those applications you mentioned as I have no idea about virtual holographic at all. It makes me realize Revit is just the beginning of BIM. More complicated technologies will be applied with the help of BIM.

Justin Hileman – Your topic focused on similarities between Revit and AutoCAD, that is “point cloud viewing and editing”. These two programs are related because of their purpose and use. Meanwhile, you pointed out the differences, for instance, Revit allows users to estimate cost. Your blog shows me a new point of view than mine.

B7 Reflection Kevin Saldivar

This intelligent building course covered a range of interesting topics such as robots and sensors, but also provided insight into other areas such as green buildings and construction process.  My understanding of intelligent building was not very broad at first, my definition for intelligent buildings as described in post 1 was, “An intelligent building is a structure that can react to internal or external changes in order to regulate a process or system of processes”.  Basically I thought sticking sensors in a building to regulate something encompassed an intelligent building in its entirety.  I learned that it is actually a process that begins much earlier in a project during the design phase.  After this was established other areas such as construction or green building were taken into consideration.  These processes were analyzed and any areas that the intelligent building process could be applied to were discussed.  I have not seen the intelligent building process first hand at work yet, but can definitely see it being a large part of my future work.  It has not been implemented into my workplace most likely due to the smaller size of the majority of the projects.

There is no doubt that it will have a profound effect on my profession, and any design profession for that matter.  I think it will be imperative to at least have a basic understanding of where the field is now as well as what direction and where the field is heading in order to work effectively and efficiently.  There will also be more technology available in the future to complete more thorough inspections and condition assessments.  This will mainly be completed through the use of devices and not the process but is still important to consider.

B7 Course Reflection Bradanini

When I applied for coming to study at Drexel for the exchange semester, and I had to choose the courses, I was curious about the Intelligent Building course. It was the first time for me that within three different universities there was a course completely focused on the future of the sector. I was not sure what to expect from this course, I had some previous basic knowledge of BIM and sensors and actuators, and I thought the course was mainly on these two topics.

Now I discovered there are other things that can revolutionize the construction sector in the future. BIM and actuators are something that is already in current projects or buildings, and for sure the number of companies using this will grow in the next years. However, what I liked more in this course was the discussions during the first weeks of classes, about the robots and about how the sector will change in the next 50 years.

Another thing that I found important for a course like this is how lectures are structured. Professor Mitchell was able to induce a critical and creative discussion between the students. Since the students in this class have different backgrounds, these discussions allow the students to learn also from each other and not only from the professor. It is great how Professor Mitchell understood immediately what someone was trying to say and was able to explain it with easier words to the rest of the class.

The guest’s presentations were useful and interesting. Maybe the two about BIM was somehow repetitive and the last one about sensor and actuators was a bit demotivating, but it was good to have a different point of view from someone who is not from a big and successful company but tries anyway to change the world of construction only with hard work. Often it is easier to learn from a failure than from a success.

I was a bit disappointed about the group work. For me the assignment was not very clear and since I was not part of the senior design team it was tough to understand everything about their project. Fortunately my group mates were kind and they helped me with the analysis for the project.

Generally, I think Intelligent Building is a good course, I learned a lot and I got new ideas, mainly from the other students that can be great for my thesis back in Denmark and maybe for a start up after graduation.

I look forward for the last presentations today. I’m very curious what the other groups have done.

B7 Course Reflection Papadourakis

This course has had a profound effect on my profession and my future. I mentioned in my introductory blog post that I was excited to finally take an architectural engineering course at Drexel. I actually entered as an AE but switched to Civil during my freshman year. During my time here I became more and more convinced that I would like to be designing, renovating, or maintaining bridges after graduation. I think I gravitate towards bridges because they constitute one of the most “creative” forms of infrastructure. After taking this course I know that I want to be involved more in the design rather than the analysis of structures.  The Revit project combined with the presentation of guest speaker from BuroHappold introduced me to the concept of BIM. I think that being a BIM coordinator would be extremely fulfilling and I am looking forward to gaining more experience with softwares like Revit.

In addition, I really enjoyed the topic of my group’s final project. I had heard of 3D printing in the past but had no idea that the technology was being used in the construction industry. I’m extremely excited to see it take off in the next few years and the opportunities that will arise from it. Although we didn’t touch on it in our final paper, I recently read an article about how concrete printing could be used for building lunar structures. The idea is that the lunar soil could be used as the base material for a type of “concrete” that could be used in a 3D printer. I think it would be incredibly exciting to be involved in constructing structures on the Moon.

All in all I really enjoyed this class and I hope to take more AE courses before I graduate. AE 510 offered a bigger emphasis on design than my civil engineering courses and introduced many new technologies that are currently being used in the industry that I was previously unaware of.

Comments: 

Ilana Ritvalsky: I too learned so much about Revit during this class. I had heard of the software before but somehow I had never used it. I agree with the fact that it is a great tool that can be used to integrate multiple facets of a construction project.

Chang Qin: I hope Professor Mitchell chooses your group to present today because I am really interested to see what distinctions you found between Green and Intelligent Buildings. I too had some difficulties assigning families in Revit...hopefully it will get easier as we become more familiar with the software.

Liang Jinhao: I agree with your point about the technical tutorials being very easy to follow. It was awesome that Professor Mitchell took the time to record them so that his students would be able to learn on their own time in a comfortable setting.  

B7 - Justin Hileman - Group E

Course Reflection:
"Reflect on course and its effect on your profession andyour future"

For this blog, I will be reflecting on this course as a whole and discussing how this class will effect my future career.

First off, I'd like to say that this class was much different than I originally expected. When I heard the title "Intelligent Buildings" I was thinking a class where we would discuss how buildings have all of these different types of technology integrated to allow it to act intelligent. After the first class, I realized this class was actually about how buildings can be built intelligently, as well as the type of technology that is incorporated. This was a very interesting concept for me to think about. As a recent switch to the Digital Building concentration, this had me thinking about this more often. The classes required to take in this concentration are database classes and system analysis, which address issues of how to construct buildings through technology. There are a lot of databases that are used, such as BIM and how we had to write a blog post about how databases are used in construction firms or design offices.

Throughout this course, we discussed a variety of topics. I thing one of the most interesting things for me was creating the database in Microsoft Access. I have never done anything like that before so that was very cool for me and I learned a lot about how important it is to have individual tables that provided information, and then how it is pulled to other tables through queries and forms. It was very interesting to see how it all worked.

Another aspect that I enjoyed throughout this course was the discussion of sensors. I learned a lot more about sensors than I ever knew before. There are so many sensors that I did not even realize were considered sensors. There are sensors for pressure, temperature, motion, noise, etc. and how they are incorporated into buildings which help make them more intelligent.

There are many aspects of this class that I can be useful for my future profession and career. As we have discussed in class on many occasions, technology is a booming topic and becoming more and more prevalent in anything you do. Computers are being used for almost all types of design and this is done through the use of software and databases. This means that we are going to be expected to be able to use all of these programs throughout our career. I think this class as greatly improved my preparation for the future in the work-field.

Comments

In response to Drew Sivertsen, I completely agree with what you had to say. The use of BIM and technology is upon us today and is being heavily used throughout construction today. I also think that it would be very cool to work for a progressive company that drives through its use of technology and means a great future for digital building.

In response to Santiago Uribe, I forget to mention all of the guest speakers but you are totally right. They were so great to have to come in and talk to us because we were able to see real life experience on how these topics are being used in the field. I, too, enjoyed all of the discussions on BIM.

In response to Alex Nunes, I had the same thought about the class at first. I also liked be able to take this class so that we could learn more about important skills for engineering students. I also enjoyed having you as part of my group during the term because I was able to learn different aspects like how it relates to where you originally learned things like this and working in another country. It provided a great aspect to this course by being in groups and talking to other students.

B7 Course Reflection

I really enjoyed being in this course.  I originally signed up to take this course because it sounded interesting and I thought it would be about things like houses something like iron man's, except instead of a butler the computers would control the HVAC, lights and sound system.  While there was certainly applications like that in this class, like in my final project, I think that the value of this class was actually in learning about the types of things that make up intelligent buildings that most people don't think about.  For example, I would never have thought about BIMas being an integral part of an intelligent building, but after this class I can certainly see the value of having a BIM model, both in the design and construction, as well as during the life of the building and for maintenance.

Similarly, I think that learning about the technology behind the systems I will be using in my career is a great idea.  I enjoyed learning about the different types of sensors building management systems use to make their decisions, as well as the databases which make the modeling and BIM software I am used to work.  I think that it will help later if I have at least a basic understanding of how the systems work, as it may help when troubleshooting any problems I might have.  

The last thing I would like to say about this class is that I was surprised by the number of technologies and project ideas for the final project.  I know when we talked about the projects with our groups a few weeks ago I was surprised to hear about things like 3D printing concrete and the building management system to control the HVAC of a building.  I also really enjoyed learning more about the Bullitt Center for my project as well, and I definitely would like to learn more about the other Living Building projects that are happening right now.

Responses:
Pelisser - I definitely agree that I learned much more about Access than I ever expected to from this course.
Price - I agree that the guest speakers were interesting and definitely opened my eyes to many different professions which I had not thought about before, especially BIM coordinator.
Lui - I definitely thought that learning about the drones building things was really interesting as well.  I was especially interested since I had hear about the GPS driven bulldozers before, but I had never heard of UAV's being used in construction before, even though my dad had worked at a company which built them for the military before.

B7 - Blog Post Week 10 - Course Reflection, Mikaela Price

I decided to take this class originally as a requirement for my Digital Building Concentration.  When I decided to drop the concentration I figured this class would be interesting since I do have an interest in BIM.  Since this course was titled "Intelligent Buildings" and its description was, "An overview of the present and future role of Information Technology in the construction industry with emphasis on the computer tools used throughout the building life cycle by all stakeholders, primarily Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the role of networked-linked sensors and actuators" I there would be more technical aspects compared to conceptual.  Though it was a primarily conceptual class, I feel like a learned a lot about intelligent structures/buildings and was able to see it in a broader perspective.  

Prior to taking this class, I thought that the only profession I was interested in was to become a mechanical designer and an AE firm or consulting firm.  After learning about BIM and hearing from Kayleigh about her experience as a BIM coordinator, I considered this as a profession as well as a mechanical designer.  Even if I decide to only stick with being a mechanical designer, the knowledge from this class will help in the workplace, especially if the firm does not have a BIM coordinator.  I look forward to using what I've leaned in this class in the future.

B7 - Course Reflection

Reflect on course and its effect on your profession and your future

I did not know what to fully expect when I enrolled in the Intelligent Buildings course. I was intrigued by the course description which mentioned computer tools used throughout a buildings life cycle as well as BIM technologies and sensors. Aside from BIM these were topics I had never had discussions about in class or with fellow classmates.  I thoroughly enjoyed the open-ended aspect of all the assignments throughout the term that challenged me to try new things I had never done before. For example, create families in Revit or create functional databases/queries in Access. The pace of the class was fair yet offered us a varied insight to new technologies like robotics, 3D printers and sensors and how they are rapidly being used in a wide variety of fields.

I was in the middle of two database classes upon registration and was excited and curious to learn how I could apply them to my CIVE/AE major and what is currently being done in the professional world. I enjoyed having employers from companies like Whiting-Turner and Microstation to discuss some of the technologies we discussed in class are being implemented in their daily jobs. Technologies like drones, laser scanning, point cloud imaging and BIM are not 1 or 5 years from being implemented but are here today. It is very exciting to be entering the professional world with these and many more technologies.

I hope that my future revolves around working for a company that looks towards the future and sees that construction and engineering is heading towards these technologies being implemented everyday in projects. My interest in BIM and digital buildings is something I never got to experience as a co-op at Drexel, but hope to learn then from future employers. I plan to either teach myself for about SQL and databases or take additional classes as I feel it is a very important tool in the digital building world.

Comments:

Hamad Al-Sulaiti: I agree. The guest speakers gave us great insight as to what real companies are doing and it helped relate the technologies to real world construction projects. It is very important to be open to changing technologies and find was to make engineering/construction safer, more reliable and efficient.

Hang Wang: As per your class recommendations, I agree that it might make groups converse more if they are smaller (3-5) rather than 5-7. I found the group discussions and interesting time to learn what my classmates had read about and hear their opinions on certain digital buildings that may coincide or be opposite of what were learning.

Mikaela Price: I too was still somewhat unsure of exactly what I wanted to do. After taking this class, it has open my eyes to a lot more possibilities what AE majors can work on and who employs them. The role of BIM coordinator seems like a very interesting role that entails a wide variety of design projects making each work day a little different and challenging.

B7 - Course Reflection - Giovana Pelisser

The main reason for taking this course it was the title: Intelligent Buildings. I have always looked for new information about construction, energy and technology. Also, my goal, as an exchange student, it is to attend different classes, which is not possible in my home university, but I am totally able to do this here at Drexel.

Certainly, learn to work with Revit was the most significant part in this course. I have always wanted to use Revit, a famous and now easy to use software. Now I have another skill to add in my profile, and maybe it will be a decisive point in my career.

The database assignment also teaches me something about Windows Access, tool I had never used. Through videos-class, it was possible to easily learn about using the Access software, how to generate tables, queries and reports. Previously, most of my colleagues and I probably knew nothing, or almost nothing about Database.

Professor Mitchell often came with group work, to stimulate the class work together. In our professional life, group work with people relatively unknown will be common, and begin to get used to the idea is important.

In fact, another curious topic, that previously I had little interest, it was robotics. In the first weeks of school, I found very interesting the way Professor showed us something new to me. I believe that robotics will be common in the near future, and I think it's very important to know more, or be aware of it.

Softwares such as Revit is very important nowadays, due to the fact that more and more companies are using BIM as an essential tool for integrated project. Building Information Modeling is used to avoid potential design errors. BIM is a very efficient mechanism in relation to integrate the work of the various professionals, such as engineers, architects and developers.

At the end of another term, I realize that I learned a lot about new technologies, both actual and future.

Comments:

Zilong Juno Xiao: I totally agree with the last statement: “I truly think this course is one of the most authentic architectural courses that I ever had”. As Zilong, I also came to Intelligent Building course with no knowledge of BIM, and many other topics related to IB.

Alex Nunes: Alex talked about lectures in class, how he thinks is important to have an idea about “real life”, as work in construction and project happens in big companies.

Rikki Moore: She really liked the course. She talked about the use of technology in today’s society in building and construction. Rikki also explains her exploration of Revit, Access and 3D printing, how she is interested how long it takes to 3D printing of concrete will be more useful in construction.

B7 - Final Reflection - Angelina Castro

Reflect on course and its effect on your profession and your future



At the start of this course I had very little knowledge as to what a BIM was, how to create one, or even the complexity of what kind of information can be inputted into a BIM file. As the course progressed I gained a wealth of knowledge into the growing world of building information models, databases, sensors, and how all these different systems can interact with each other to make a building "intelligent". In addition to the interaction of these new technologies with a building, the type of personnel that can utilize this information to become more efficient and informed was taught in this course. From the owners being able to visualize a construction timeline in a 4D construction phasing video, to maintenance being able to keep track of all sensors in a building to even contractors being able to bid on job more accurately with cost estimation databases was all covered through out the duration of this course.

An aspect that I really enjoyed in AE 510 was how Professor Mitchell was able to get guest speakers to come to the class and give a real world example of how the new technology we were learning about was being used in the field. It gave me insight into the technology that was still developing and the technology that is efficient enough to be used in a real world application. It also showed us how not everyone agreed with the new technology being presented. The man who talked about sensors (I apologize for forgetting his name) was adamant on the fact that sensors and a system to track and utilize that data available from the sensors is something that will be is so important that it could be sold but without and regard shut down the idea of Revit being a good system. I also learned about Bentley systems, a program I had no idea existed prior to this course.

As far as whether BIM and Intelligent buildings is something that I will need in my future career and engineering life, I can only hope that I will be able to work with this kind of technology. The use of BIM software and all the technology surrounding this realm is very interesting and are breaking the way for a new way to create buildings.



Response:

Lenny: I enjoyed reading your reflection on this course, I agree with what you said about how you did not expect BIM to be such an integral factor into an intelligent building.

Ilana: I liked how you mentioned how this course helped improved other skill like critical thinking and research other than just how to use revit and make a database. I would have never thought about it in that sort of way but I definitely agree with that statement.

B7 - Course Reflection - Group A, Ilana Ritvalsky

I honestly can't believe that this class is coming to a close already; the past 10 weeks have sped by in my opinion. Looking back, I've learned so much from this class. My definition of the term "intelligent building" has completely changed. I initially took "building" to be a noun and focused solely on the actual structure and its systems (HVAC, electrical, architectural, structural, etc.). However, Professor Mitchell challenged us to consider "building" as a verb. The concept of structural intelligence goes beyond the every day operation of a building. It also includes the design process, construction and pretty much so every other phase of the building's life cycle.

In addition to redefining the concept of intelligent building, this class also taught me a lot about Revit. Going into this class, I was pretty inexperienced and my knowledge was extremely limited. I foolishly saw Revit as nothing more than an architectural tool that could be used for creation of floor plans, elevations and renderings. Little did I know, there are so many other functions. I definitely plan to carry my newly-found Revit skills and knowledge with me to my post-graduation career. I believe it's a very useful software than can be applied to multiple facets of the design process. I hope to use it one day in the future while designing a real-life structure. Learning about Revit has also given me a better understanding of Building Information Management (BIM) systems and databases (especially databases made in Microsoft Access), both of which are very important tools for engineers.

Lastly, this class has improved other soft skills including critical thinking, research capability, information synthesis and research presentation. At the beginning of this course I expressed a desire to learn "a lot more about the topic [of intelligent building]" and to "come out of this class with a better understanding of Revit and BIM as a whole". Without a doubt, I can say "Mission Accomplished!!" In closing, I appreciate how practical this course is considering that most of our classes place such heavy emphasis on theory. I look forward to applying all I've learned in Senior Design and the work place.

Comments:

To Santiago: I agree with your opinion regarding the blog posts. It definitely allowed us to express opinions regarding the topics discussed in class and I also would've appreciated having more of a dialogue. I believe that such conversations could've been extremely insightful.

To Yanzhao: I also greatly enjoyed the guest speakers. Considering that I've only known Bentley for their work with MicroStation, I was very nice to see what other technologies are being developed by the company.

To Hope: I totally agree with your comment regarding how quickly our field changes. It's really exciting to see how engineering incorporates various right technologies. I look forward to seeing what changes occur in the next 5-10 years and just how far intelligent building goes.

Week 10 - Reflection, Jonathan Yu-Sen Liu

While taking the Intelligent Buildings course, I was able to learn about the many different types of technologies that are available for the advancement of infrastructure. Intelligent technology such as automated robots or drones, database software, BIM software, 3D printing, and sensors are all examples of different things that could be used for the benefit of future intelligent infrastructure.

One of the most interesting thing that I've learned and thought about during this class was the use of automated robots or drones for the construction or maintenance of future infrastructure. One of the things I've talked to Professor Mitchell about during class was the possible use of drones to inspect bridges, dams, and other forms of infrastructure as opposed to sending out inspectors to see and maintain them in person. This could possibly save a lot of time and money, although, I think a lot more research and development would be needed for something like this to happen.

I believe that many of these new intelligent forms of technology allows our society to become more efficient with maintaining our infrastructure and could be something that makes our world a safer and more sustainable place.

For the final project, I was in a group that worked on a BIM project that allowed us to better understand the efficiency and difficulties of using a BIM software such as Revit. With this information and experience we were much better at using the program and we now know how useful it may be for future building projects such as connecting a 2 dimensional drawing and connecting it with a three dimensional world. Not only that, but Revit is a software that also utilizes the object oriented database concept that allows us to be specific and accurate at the same time without overlap.

But even with our experience with Revit, our group was able to find some difficulties with revit such as it's specific focus on building and infrastructure. Although, this may possibility be a result of not fully understanding the program to it's fullest extent.