UNL Architecture Courses - Towerpalooza!

A series of spring technology courses at UNL have concluded this past month.  I taught two parallel courses in parametric modeling and computation for BIM for undergraduate and graduate architecture students. Both courses positioned Revit as the primary design platform:

• Conceptual Design with Revit:  The first course was focused on conceptual family creation and parametric modeling workflows.  
• Computational Design with Dynamo: The second course introduced Dynamo as a computational design tool that can be used to facilitate design exploration with BIM.

The mini-courses were taught over the span of three Saturday sessions with between 10 and 15 students. Both course assignments used a "tower" as the design prompt and it was interesting to compare and contrast the student results. The student products from the parametric family course tended to be more "free" in terms of geometric control with a higher level of development for different design components. The Dynamo course had a much higher barrier to entry for learning a 'new language' and the products were more formula-driven in terms of overall geometry.

Parametric Modeling with Revit

Student: Dexter Hansen

Student: Anna O'Neill

Student: Abdulrahman Nahas

Computational Design with Dynamo

Student: Michelle Lindgren

Student: Kristen Schulte

Student: Caitlin Tangeman

University of Nebraska - Computational Design with Dynamo & Revit

UNL - Computational Design with Dynamo.  A 3-session 'mini-course'

This spring semester, I taught a 3-session mini-course at UNL focused on computational design with Dynamo and Revit.  Like the professional workshops I instruct at CASE, I focused this academic course on a real-world design study:  the design of a parametric tower.  The course started with an overview of  concepts related to data management and geometry creation.  We then proceeded to explore the connections between Dynamo and Revit including element creation and parameter control.  The course concluded with an overview of advanced data management concepts with Excel and interoperability with Rhynamo.

Towers provide a nice framework for communicating parametric concepts.  These buildings possess repetitive elements and opportunities for variation.  Towers also allow for clear workflows for how Dynamo's abstract geometry can map to architectural BIM elements and use cases.  For example, an abstract "Number Sequence" can easily be conceptualized as a driver for building Levels.  Curves can be mapped to floor boundaries.  And so on...

I also like how the tower typology allows students to explore ideas with Dynamo.  In the class, a few basic workflows were introduced and the students could then develop these concepts into their own design ideas.  This makes the class less about 'training' and more about being a design 'workshop'.  I have found this to greatly improve knowledge retention and keep classes engaged.... especially with architects.

If you are interested in these kinds of workshops for professionals, here are some links you might find to be of interest:

• CASE offers classroom-style training for a wide variety of technologies
• CASE is running a Spring 2015 Workshop Series in NYC.  Sign up!!!
• Check out my CASE blog post about how we like to approach professional training.

Here is some of the output from the class...

Student: Salem Topalovic  

Student: Alec Eastman  

Student: Leul Yoseph  

Student: Michelle McCullough  

Student: Sarah Hitchcock  

Student: Xiaoyu Wu  

UNL 2013 - Conceptual Design with Vasari

In parallel with the UNL Dynamo class, I taught an additional 3-session mini-course on Conceptual Design with Vasari.  The course focused on the creation of a parametric tower using massing tools, pattern-based curtain systems, adaptive components, and analysis tools.

Each student created their their own massing concept that included parameters for studying variations.  The students also learned how to model and schedule adaptive components and develop their masses.  Students also explored the analysis tools including solar and the wind tunnel.  Broadly, this short exercise attempted to position BIM as an enabler for design iteration and decision making rather than just a tool for production.

Here are some of the results of the class...!

Student:  Alireza Karbasioun

Student: Sarah Pankow

Student:  Kaveh Alagheband

Student: Elizabeth Goll

UNL Fall 2013 - Computational Design with Dynamo

Building on the Fall CASE workshops...

This fall semester, I instructed a 3-session UNL mini-course focused on computational design techniques with Dynamo and Vasari.  The design prompt was to develop a 'stadium' form and enclosure through the experimentation with different Dynamo workflows.  

Each student devised their own Dynamo system which mixed conceptual form making, adaptive component design, and the parametric logic of Revit.  Throughout the course, students documented their geometric explorations and iterations through diagrams, screen captures, and renderings. 

Here are some of the results...!  Great work, class!

Student:  Kaveh Alagheband

Hasib Momand

Student:  Grayson Bailey

Student: Kurt Lawler

Student: Alireza Karbasioun

Student: Charles Weak

Arch 223 Spring 2013: Assignment 03

...and so concludes the Spring 2013 semester for the undergraduate Arch 223 course.

Like the Fall semester, the course concluded with an assignment focused on learning and using Revit as a design tool.  Whereas the first two assignments were focused on free-form modeling in Rhino, this final assignment challenged students to utilize the parametric tools available in Revit and then leverage this information for downstream production.  The assignment asked the students to design a modular set of families (adaptive components and/or pattern-based curtain panels) and deploy them with a conceptual massing system.  They then had produce drawings, renderings, diagrams, and schedules.

Overall, the students did a great job with this assignment and I hope they continue to push the boundaries of these tools as they work their way up through the college.  Great work!

The TAs, Matt Neaderhiser and Dan Williamson, did a fantastic job coordinating and running the labs this year.  Both are graduating this semester.  Congrats!

For a complete look of the course this past year, check out these previous posts:

• Fall 2012 Assignment 01
• Fall 2012 Assignment 02
• Fall 2012 Assignment 03
• Spring 2013 Assignment 01
• Spring 2013 Assignment 02

Student: Brock Thompson

Student: Brock Thompson

Student: Justine McCarty

Student: Justine McCarty

Student: Conner Burke

Student: Conner Burke

Student: Ally Pilmaiar

Student: Ally Pilmaiar

Student: Josh Puppe

Student: Josh Puppe

Arch 223 Spring 2013: Assignment 02

The second assignment for the Spring 2013 semester is in...

Like Assignment 02 from the Fall, the students were tasked with remixing the "Gothic" style of architecture using digital tools and a little elbow grease.  This semester, I also had them try out some animation tools in both Rhino and Blender 3D.  Instead of boards, they submitted slide presentations... which culminated in a surprise Pecha Kucha-style presentation on the due date.

Looks like they are having fun... as are the TAs, Matt and Dan :)

Student: Phuc Trinh

Student: William Pokojski

Student: Justine McCarty

Student: Phillip Wiebe

Arch 223 Spring 2013: Assignment 01

Here are some results of the first assignment from the Spring 2013 undergrad crew...  This was their first exposure to using Rhino... and for many their first time using 3D modeling for a design exercise.

The basic premise was the same as the first assignment from this past fall.

Well done, class!  (and the usual props to Lab TAs Matt Neaderhiser and Dan Williamson)

Student: Austin Goosen

Student: Josh Puppe

Student: Paige Nelsen

Student: Ally Pilmaier

Student:  Phuc Trinh

UNL Arch 223: Assignment 03

This is the the final of three assignments for the Fall Arch 223 undergraduate course at UNL...

This assignment transitioned the class from freeform modeling in Rhino (Assignments 01 and 02) to parametric modeling and BIM with Revit. The philosophy of the assignment was to introduce students to Revit with a selection of specific techniques and a focused design-based exploration.  The assignment itself was inspired by some of the student work found at Mark Green's ReThinking BIM Blog...

Revit is, of course, a massive program and I wanted to ensure that there was a design focus for a software that is typically associated with production and documentation. The design exercise was to design a  'bridge' by first developing parametric features such as adaptive components and pattern-based curtain systems.

They then had to document the design by developing a sheet set that fully leveraged the information they embedded into their components and families.  The final deliverable was a single DWF file containing drawings, diagrams, renderings, schedules, and a navigable 3D model.

 Great work students! 

 ... and, once again, fantastic lab instruction by the course TAs Matt Neaderhiser and Dan Williamson!

Student:  Charles Weak

Student:  Greg Preston

Student:  Sarah Schlegelmilch

Student:  Jati Zunaibi