Category Archives: Revit

Time for a Rant!

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This Blog Post was written by Shaun Van Rooyen. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Shaun at a Revit get together in Port Elizabeth, I wish I had his technical knowledge.  Some Background info on Shaun. In the Business of architecture since 1992. Currently I provide Revit Implementation, Training services and consulting. Adept in AutoCAD, 3d Max, Revit A,S,and MEP, Navisworks, Impressions.

Sorry but it’s time for a Rant!

Come on you Architects! 200 000 sales, means that 200 000 people can’t be wrong.

Whilst the up-take of Autodesk Revit Architecture is going very well in South Africa and more and more practices are making the switch on a daily basis, there are always those of you that have an argument against moving from your current software, whether AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Caddie, TurboCAD etc.

These arguments usually go along the lines of:

“What we do is unique and Revit can’t model the type of buildings we design.”

“We are just too busy at the moment.”

“It costs too much to make the transition.”

Well you can keep saying these things and believing them if you like, but I will guarantee that your competition down the road is looking at Revit right now and if they make the switch, then you’re in trouble!

Let’s take the “We are unique and our designs are complex one-offs.”

Hmmm ok how many times have I heard that? Enough to make me believe that every architect in the world is unique! You may create stunning designs that are very different to the general run-of-the-mill office block, but it’s still a building and not a Faberge egg you are designing and you could do that quicker in Revit than any 2D CAD product….take a look at this link Click Here, scroll down and read ‘Realising complex shapes with Revit Architecture’ by Architectural professional, Jurie van Dyk – Archilution. Then tell me you are different!

“We are too busy…..” Yeah well that’s because you are wasting time and resources on drawing using what is effectively just an electronic drawing board still.

Tell me why did you make the move from board to CAD in the first place?

Because it’s quicker of course, and the same applies to Revit when compared to your current CAD software.

It’s called evolution and as Darwin so rightly explained, it’s called survival of the fittest. If you don’t keep up, then expect to become extinct very quickly.

Take a look at the Contact Us page on this site. There are a few phrases you should read such as:

“It is not necessary to change, Survival is not mandatory”

“It costs too much….” So you didn’t know that you can move from AutoCAD 2006/7 to Revit Suite for less than R10 000 + subscription?

You are wasting more money each year by staying with you out-dated CAD package, if you look at the savings Revit can make you. Click Here

Question for you all: How many of you out there still outsource you designs to some graphic bureau in order to produce renderings?

For the cost of doing this a couple of times, you could have cross-graded to Revit and create as many perspective views with solar studies, renderings, walkthroughs etc. as you like.

Revit Structural has been out in South Africa now for a couple of months….. Every engineer that sees / tries it makes the move with no question about money. They see the huge benefits to their business and it’s a no-brainer and they understand that the initial capitol outlay will be return in weeks.

So what’s with you architects that still put up a fight? take the duct tape off you wallets, let the moths out and start reaping the rewards.

We all want to stay in business right? Make enough money to lead a good life and most importantly not work 24/7.

Well, there’s a simple answer and that is Revit!

I think that I have written my views on the main arguments quite softly, but you might want to take a look at this Revit Blog site, which highlights the same issues, but using slightly harsher language. Click Here to read Shaun’s un-cut blog…. not for the feint hearted. But this is where I got the idea for this rant, because I have to agree with him.

Realising complex shapes with Revit Architecture

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Architectural professional, Jurie van Dyk, believes advancements in design technology have created a new role for the architect as artist, and architecture as art.

We have been inhibited for too long. Firstly, here in South Africa we’ve been trapped in a timewarp in which art, music and architecture have become copies of copies. Furthermore, innovation has been cramped by technical constraints. As soon as there are variables in the design, documenting it for execution becomes very difficult and time-consuming. Andthe risk is just too great.”

Van Dyk, who trained in an environment in which computers were perceived as the downfall of innovation in architecture, says structures should be a balance between the innovation of new forms and mathematical and scientific efficiency.

“I believe using today’s advanced 3D databasedriven programs, like Revit Architecture, results in complex forms that are well thought through and, ultimately, far richer.”

With House Breda, he wanted to create a house that flowed with the natural contours of the site.

“First of all, I gave the house gently curving S-shaped walls. And then to achieve the elegant lines I wanted, the roof had to mirror the shape of the house. Furthermore, I wanted the roof to vary from 35 degrees at the widest point to 50 degrees at the narrowest. The eaves also had to have fluid lines, so they had to slope up and down, echoing the curves of the walls.”

“It was an idea I’d had for a long time, but had been just too difficult to draw and document. With Revit, however, my idea became reality.”

“I sculpted the roof using the ‘blend’ command and after I’d succeeded in making the idea physically viable, I continued with the technical documentation. Because it’s so easy to create sections, I cut as many sections as required which allowed me to determine the position, length and angle of every roof pole in the building,” explains Van Dyk.

“Revit is simplifying complex designs with its approach that makes technical documentation possible.”

Supplementing standard construction documentation with sequenced Revit-created 3D drawings is also enabling Van Dyk to improve communication with construction teams, mitigating skills shortages experienced on site.

“Until recently, architectural drawings have been produced in a specific order – plans, sections, elevations and, finally, detail drawings. It’s never been challenged. It’s just the way things have been done,” says Van Dyk.

This, however, isn’t the sequence in which a project is constructed. With labour costs the biggest expense in a building project, failure to construct a project in the correct order results in costly reworks and unnecessary time delays.

With the extreme pressures on the building industry Van Dyk says when contractors get busy they often leave foremen on site without supervision. As many of these foremen have difficulty reading conventional plans, the potential for error is huge. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone out to a project to find that although the slab has been cast, the storm water drain is still lying on site.”

Using Revit, Van Dyk creates sequenced drawings with perspective visualisations to communicate the correct construction sequence to a builder.

The drawings start with a site clearing excavating and trench digging plan. It’s in perspective with dimensions showing the builder how the trenches should be dug. It’s followed by a foundation and then a riser wall plan. Each drawing is clearly annotated with instructions and reminders.

“When a foreman says he’s on page 26 of my drawings I know that he’s busy fixing the branding to the underside of the trusses and can rest assured that the framework for the geyser, and the actual geyser itself, are already in place as per the annotated drawing on page 24.”

Rich, Intricate Designs

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Archilution

With a practice located in the exclusive Eastern Cape holiday village of St Francis Bay,

architectural professional, Jurie van Dyk, is physically isolated from most of his clients.

Only 20% are resident in St Francis Bay, and more than half of his out-of-town clients

have permanent homes in Europe and the United States. Modern technology, however,

enables him to focus on the design of homes in St Francis Bay, while staying in contact

with his clients – wherever they may be. Demonstrating his reliance on and interest in

technology, Jurie – along with a handful of progressive South African architects – recently

participated in a pilot programme to test the new building design and documentation

software, Autodesk Revit.

Rich, Intricate Designs

Despite his secluded location, Jurie is kept busy creating gracious white walled, thatch holiday homes on the banks of the marina around which the picturesque coastal village of St Francis Bay has been developed. His designs are a far cry from the ‘box’ type homes that are often created for urban residential complexes. They’re rich, intricate designs,” explains Jurie “and their complexity means that they can be quite difficult to document using a conventional computer-aided design package, which focuses on automating drawing tasks, rather than on design.” He tested Autodesk Revit on two residential projects over a period of two months. The first one had been started on AutoCAD and was imported into Autodesk Revit, which was used to fine-tune the design. The second project – a stylish thatch holiday home on the

St Francis Bay marina – was created solely using Autodesk Revit. The architect’s immediate reaction was the ease with which the new software interacts

with AutoCAD. “Autodesk Revit has powerful and very precise import

and export capabilities.” Enriching The Quality of Designs Aged 27, Jurie is a relatively young newcomer to an area in which there are several established architects. This, together with the discriminating tastes of his clients, compels Jurie to continually look for new techniques that will help him enrich the quality of his work. “Some of my clients have commissioned leading

architects in Europe,” says Jurie “and have exceptionally high standards, particularly when it comes to quality and service. I have to have the tools that will help me meet their demands.”

Autodesk Revit is the solution he’s been looking for – Jurie is elated with the impact it is having on his designs and his communication with clients.

Leading Architects

Autodesk Revit offers advanced capabilities. Replacing the ‘dumb’ lines, arcs, and circles of previous computer-aided design (CAD) software, is an inherent intelligence that is embedded in building models. Software concurrently creates multiple views – 2D, 3D, plans, sections, and elevations, even schedules – of the building model, eliminating the need to re-create the multiple views of the building. Revit is a shortening of the words ‘revise instantly,’ which is what happens when changes are made to a building model. Modificationsto a building model are made in real time and reflected immediately all views – a change anywhere is a change everywhere. Jurie says the ease of use of the software slashes about a third off his design time, leaving him free to concentrate on the quality of his designs. “Financial and time constraints prevent architects specialising in residential projects from creating physical models,” says Jurie. “With Autodesk Revit I can quickly create an electronic model, which allows me to fully explore the design options.” The St Francis Bay architectural professional has developed his own design development method where he notes down initial design ideas directly on the computer screen. Using a multi-media technique, he prints out the initial design and then sketches in the next ‘layer’ of ideas on the printed image. After recording these additional ideas on the computer, he prints out the more detailed design. And so he explores and builds up a design. “Autodesk Revit is an amazing design tool that allows me to create a building model on the screen, with a mouse as a pencil. After using it on just two projects, I can see how using the software will help me enrich the quality of my designs.”

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

According to Jurie, the 3D capability of the software also helps him develop his design ideas. “Easy access to 3D capability means that its use will no longer be restricted to the creation of conceptual presentations. I’ve started using the 3D capability of Autodesk Revit to help me develop my concepts,” explains Jurie. “For example, the need to increase the head height of a staircase is typically very time consuming, that if it’s even detected during development. It’s often only picked up on site.”

Recently, the 3D capability of Autodesk Revit helped Jurie identify just such a need for an increased head height. Not only did the early detection impact on the functionality of the design, but it also helped reduce onsite reworks. One of the biggest benefits in regard to Jurie’s isolated working environment is the ease with which he can create multiple views of a building for emailing to his clients. The images, particularly the level of detail, communicate the look and feel of a design to his clients. In addition, the ease with which he can create multiple views of both the interior and exterior of a building gives them an even better idea of the design. He can rotate the exterior of a building and also look round the interior of a room. Any one of the views can be quickly captured in jpg format (usually less than 100 Kb), for emailing to a client. “I’m seldom able to discuss a design face to-face with a client, so I rely on my images to do the job for me. The quality of the Autodesk Revit images, their level of detail, and the volume of images which I can generate quickly, are perfect,” says Jurie