BIM + Sustainability: Case Study on IES VE Building Performance Simulation

Abstract

The D.Arch project I have chosen is a case study of the IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment) Software. The objective of this case study is to challenge the software’s modules capabilities i.e. Radiance, Suncast, and Apache SIM, in conjunction with the Revit MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) Modeling software. Revit MEP is a building information modeling software developed by Autodesk. The other component to the D.Arch Project is an entry into an Architecture Student competition called Leading Edge 2007/2008. Leading Edge Student Competition 2007/2008 is sponsored by UCSB (University of California Santa Barbara). I chose this competition because building performance analysis is a requirement. I will select a base-case building that has satisfactory energy efficiency standards. I will then compare my design to the base case model. I will quantify the comparable results and identify the correlations between design changes and building performance. I will also do a comparative analysis between IES VE and Green Building Studio. Green Building Studio is a free online service-based company. This analysis results will reveal the true value of the latest attempts to curb climate change via technology. Although this part of my D.Arch Project is not a requirement of the competition, I believe that any new data in the comparison between building simulation software’s is valuable to the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) community.