Project
The Wujin Council Building incorporates a five-star hotel that includes full conference and meeting resources and a range of restaurant and support facilities. The building’s future owners, West Taihu Lake Ecological Leisure Area Management Committee, wanted a design that would also allow them to secure a coveted Chinese green building two star (equivalent to Australian five star) energy rating. This meant that the design had to result in a building that could act in response to its solar orientation.
Solution
Using Bentley software, LAB Architecture Studio and Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research developed an integrated, sustainable design strategy, including a self-shading form that in conjunction with horizontal sun shading and a variable façade panel system, significantly reduces the façade’s peak heat loading. Internally, natural ventilation increases the indoor environmental quality. Programmed zones and atrium spaces within the building created warm and cool zones that increase energy efficiency.
Outcome
Using parametric modeling the designers developed an optimal building form and panelization solution to ease construction and increase efficiency. The design process supported by Bentley software saved time and money, enabled better communication between parties across multiple time zones and locations, and supported high-quality exports for visualizations. .
Software
Using GenerativeComponents, MicroStation, and MicroStation PowerDraft, the designers adjusted, evaluated and optimized the building’s solar performance much faster than if they were using conventional building analysis tools. The interoperability of Bentley software enabled the documentation team to begin the final documentation process well before the final optimized building design was completed, which enabled significant cost and time savings.