Streamlining Green Building Design-Developing the Sustainable Design Suite

In this research project, Green Building Studio, Inc., will enhance its Web service (Green Building Studio) to incorporate various data and analyses that enable architects and other building designers to design sustainable buildings in a more cost-effective manner. Today’s building designers often struggle to design sustainable buildings, and this project is designed to help simplify their task. The enhanced service developed by this research project will be called the Sustainable Design Suite. The Green Building Studio Web service currently integrates today’s leading 3D-CAD applications, including Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk Revit Building, Autodesk Building Systems, and Graphisoft ArchiCAD. Additionally, it provides immediate whole-building analysis using DOE-2.2. Phase I work determined that the analysis features were feasible to enhance the service, including high-resolution local weather generation to enable accurate natural ventilation studies, rain harvesting analysis, photovoltaic analysis, and building water use analyses for the building site. The generated local weather data enhance building energy analysis by providing more appropriate weather files. Green Building Studio, Inc., also determined that it should enhance its current product relevancy engine to include green product-specific traits. Interface for the user is key to a usable product. Thus, Green Building Studio, Inc., has included various approaches for analyzing wind as it pertains to the building. A design advisor was developed to answer users’ questions on improving design for resource use. According to market research and a Web survey conducted on this subject, building designers would pay for the use of the features proposed for the Sustainable Design Suite Web Site. Green Building Studio, Inc., plans to leverage its significant market connections to accelerate these sustainable building analyses throughout the United States.