In this course, students explore the use of simulation tools to build the skills necessary to evaluate the performance of a building for daylight, electric light, thermal comfort, and energy. The first 7 weeks of the term include a series of workshops and short assignments in Climate Studio, Grasshopper, Oculight, Enscape/Lumion, and Twinmotion. The world of building simulation is large, covering a broad range of different tools, applications, and competencies. This course exposes students to both mainstream and emerging tools, with a focus on user-friendly workflows that will help them hit the ground running. The first series of workshops and assignments use Climate Studio and Grasshopper to provide an intuitive introduction to lighting and energy simulation. Students learn how to take a base rhino model and execute a series of analyses and interventions to measure and improve its environmental performance. Students are also exposed to an emerging tool called Oculight, which is used to run cloud-based simulations that evaluate circadian health and visual comfort. Finally, students are exposed to real-time rendering software to generate immersive renderings for use in VR and animation. In addition to the workshop sessions, this course is supported by a number of expert guest speakers who will offer workshops on their research, tool development, and use of simulation in professional practice. The end of the term culminates in a final project; proposed, developed, and executed using students’ studio project (past or present) and an in-depth analysis provided by one of the tools introduced over the term.
siobhan rockcastle 