a case study in using bim for sustainable design -...

Understanding the Impacts of Your Design Decisions

American Canyon High SchoolA Case Study in using BIM for Sustainable Design


Sustainable Design Philosophy

Sustainable Design is not a separate effort, it is an integral part of the design process for every project. Consider the environment in every design decision with the same importance as the program and the budget.


American Canyon High School

• 2200 Students

• 260,000 s.f.

• 50 Acres

• 2500 seat Gymnasium

• 400 seat Theater

• 4 Small Learning Communities

• 5 Career Pathway Centers

• Aquatic Center

• Outdoor Athletic Facilities


Arial View from Northwest



Theater and Administration Entries



Library and Multi-Use Entries from Campus Green


Main Classroom Building and Campus Green



Green Design

• Daylighting• All Classrooms designed to provide balanced daylight• Sunshades, clerestories, daylighting glazing, skylights and

many window configurations are used to provide balanced daylight in a variety of conditions.

• Controls dim lights when daylight is available.

• Sustainable Materials• Materials with Recycled Content: Carpet, Metal Roofing,

Insulation, Wheel Stops, Landscape Mulch, Steel, High Fly Ash Concrete

• Materials with Rapidly Renewable Content: Cork Faced Wall Panels, Linoleum, Toilet Partitions

• Low Emitting Materials: Carpet, Paperless Gypsum Board, Linoleum, Formaldehyde Free Insulation, Low-VOC Paint

• Ventilation• Upper and Lower operable windows provided in all

classrooms. • Library and Theater use Displacement Ventilation.• Gymnasium is cooled through Natural Ventilation.


Green Systems

• 500 kW PV System• Three Types: Crystalline, Thin-film and PV Glass• Integrated into building design.• Provides 25%+ of school’s energy needs.

• Ground Loop Heat Pump Mechanical System• The Geothermal Heat Pump system takes advantage of the constant

temperature of the ground to help heat and cool the buildings. Heat is transferred to and from the ground through a closed-loop system.

• High Efficiency and Low energy use

• Long lifespan and Low Maintenance

• More Architectural Flexibility

• Lower noise from mechanical units.

• Water Conservation• Reclaimed water for irrigation• Low flow faucets and showers• Waterless Urinals• Dual-flush Toilets• Stormwater management featuring Bioswales and Retention Ponds


CHPS Verified Scorecard Summary

First CHPS Verified School: 43 Points Total

•Sustainable Sites: 8 Points out of 14• Joint-use of Facilities, Stormwater filtration, cool roofs, bicycle parking

• Water: 5 Points out of 5•Reclaimed water for irrigation, dual flush toilets, waterless urinals and low flow fixtures

• Energy: 18 Points out of 20• 500kW PV system, thermally and energy efficient design, enhanced commissioning

• Materials: 3 Points out of 12 • 75% Construction Waste Recycling, Recycled materials, rapidly renewable materials

• Indoor Environmental Quality: 12 Points out of 20• Daylighting, View Windows, high performance lighting, low emitting materials, improved acoustic performance.

• Policy and Operations: 0 Points


Site Design

Sun Shade Design

Daylighting

3 Design Decisions helped by BIM


BIM Design Process

• Schematic ConceptSketch, rough ArchiCAD Model, Sketchup, etc.

• Developed ConceptArchiCAD Model

• Analyze and Verify3rd party BIM applications (Ecotect, Google Earth, etc.) ArchiCAD tools.

• Final Design


Site Design


Views to the adjacent hills and across the bay to Mt. Tamalpais were prominent features of the site.

Existing Views


Conceptual Site Design

• Campus buildings organized around an elliptical path around the Library/Admin building and the Campus Green

• Prominent view corridors to the southwest and southeast from the Campus Green and Plaza.


Using Google Earth to Analyze Sight LinesGoogle Earth Connections Add-on for ArchiCAD provides a direct import-export

connection between ArchiCAD and Google Earth.


Project Context


View of Adjacent Hills


View of Mt. Tamalpais


Sun Shade Design


Schematic Shading Concepts

Covered balconies on South, East and West sides of Classroom buildings.

Daylit Corridors and Lobbies with sun control.

Typical Window design with interior light shelf and exterior sunshade.


Developed Shading Concepts

Exterior sun shade/light shelf and translucent daylighting glass in the transom.


Sun Shade Analysis in Ecotect Solar Tool

The Solar Tool is an external program used to analyze schematic window shading designs.


Basic Shadow Display


Shading Diagram


Shading Animations for One Day


Shading Animations for One Time Throughout the Year


Comparing 3 Sunshade Options


Shadow Animations in ArchiCAD


Daylighting


Building Orientation to provide balanced light and as many north and south windows in each classroom. Skylights and Clerestory windows to provide light to corridors and lobbies.

Schematic Daylighting Concepts


Developed Daylighting Concepts

Exterior sun shade/light shelf and translucent daylighting glass in the transom.


Daylighting Analysis in Ecotect

Second Floor Classroom with windows on South, East and west sides and clerestory windows on the north side.

Classroom in Question:


ArchiCAD to Ecotect Process

• Export gbXML file from ArchiCAD using add-on

gbXML is an independent exchange format for building model information that exports a thermal model from ArchiCAD.

• Open gbXML file in Ecotect

• Make some adjustments to the model in Ecotect

• Run a variety of Ecotect analysis modules on the model


Sun path analysis of exterior light shelf


Daylighting Analysis: Daylight Levels


Daylighting Analysis: Daylight Factor


Internally Reflected Component of Daylight Factor


Externally Reflected Component of Daylight Factor


Direct Component of Daylight Factor


Shadow Animations

March 19th May 19th


Thanks to QKA Team: Anna Wells,Barry Power, Bryan Chubb, Cam Hawing, Chris Scofield, Dan Malone, Jeff Howe, Jon Stong, Lyanne Schuster, Maria Thomas, and Shama Odenburg.

Consultant Team: ZFA Structural Engineers, Costa Engineers, O’Mahony & Meyer, The Shalleck Collaborative, Chaudhary Associates, Gretchen Stranzl McCann Landscape Architect, Monk and Associates, Kleinfelder, Green

Building Studio, Architectural Energy Corporation, Counselman Hunsaker, Ballinger Kitchen Design, Lohden Steele, Excelize, Inc.

a case study in using bim for sustainable design -...

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