Data, Dynamo, and design iteration

There can be no denying that the practice of architecture has changed in the last 30 years, notably toward a significant a shift in digital design. Adoption takes a while in any industry and our profession is no different – architecture is one of the world’s oldest crafts, after all. It is also very different in terms of process. Design is a process of discovery to find more than an aesthetic: We find solutions to problems. So quickly finding multiple data-backed answers is appealing to many practicing architects and engineers.

The pace of change in our industry lately is incredible. We’re well into the digital era of architecture which favors processes that have a better innovation cycle. As designers, we choose to explore and lead digital design frontiers that will deliver the best possible solutions for our clients. It is our goal in perpetuity to leverage data that creates and enhances architectural spaces to elevate the user experience.

Research shows that for difficult mental tasks, it is better to show visuals that users can pause, rewind, and play at their personal learning pace than to read text or have a conversation. We simply learn better by doing. So I host a regular video tutorial series called Dynamo NEXT to help designers – and ultimately our clients – better understand our visual programming process with Dynamo, an iterative plugin for our primary digital design tool, Revit.

Dynamo Studio with Fractal Example and PowerBI
The video shows anyone in the world how to create an adjustable 3D building creator that reports relevant data to a developer’s pro forma. Whether you are an architect, engineer or client/developer you can see a variety of building types that can change at the speed of thought. The viewer will learn the specific equations used to create the computer input that builds the model for infinite adaptability.
 

Dynamo Next: Data Driven Analysis
If you have ever struggled to find the right solution or have been buried in spreadsheets, you will learn how to leverage that data to position your project for success. The answers that elude the industry exist within the current processes and can be included with the best work flows to capture and use data.
 

Visualizing Data with Dynamo + PowerBI
We are now able to visualize buildings’ data to provide better outcomes. In this video, viewers can learn which data sets are important to a project and how to apply this thinking to other projects. It also contains information on how to move data from one form to another.
 

Dynamo Next: Talk Data to Me
To expose others to a data-driven process, special guest Professor of Architecture at University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne Randy Deutsch, talks with us as we explore the future of design using data. The profession has taken on a role beyond construction documents for permitting. As architects and engineers, we review what data will mean to the industry now and in the future to create a better world.