Dynamo-litia Boston - September 2017

For this month's installment of the Dynamo-litia, we celebrated the 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the user group's existence!

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Comparing Computational Approaches / Dynamo-litia Turns 2!
The AEC industry is currently experiencing a surge in technology with new tools emerging every day to produce time-honored deliverables in unique ways. What has long been considered "industry standard" software is being aided and at times replaced by the "right tool for the job".

Please join Ilaria Giardiello Assoc. AIA and Kyle Martin Assoc. AIA as they lead a live demonstration of the spectrum of computational approaches that can be used to accomplish the same task, including: Dynamo, Custom Nodes, Design Script Syntax, and Python. Today there are many ways to get to the same end result; this session seeks to illuminate why it is important to be aware of the tools at your disposable and play to your strengths.

Also this month is the 2 Year Anniversary of the Dynamo-litia Boston user group! To celebrate we will be recapping the past year as well as highlighting a flurry of events happening this Fall. This is one session you won't want to miss.

When: September 27, 2017
Where: BSA Space - Boston

More information at the Boston Society of Architects .
Presentation slides and datasets can be downloaded HERE .

BSA Profile - Kyle Martin, Associate AIA

I am honored to have recently been featured in a profile piece on the Boston Society of Architects website!

Where is the field of architecture headed?
Over the last few years I have worked to promote the use of design technology in the architecture profession. Our industry trends toward outdated traditional approaches over emerging technology. Post-analysis is a waste of time if it does not inform future projects. I have seen architecture firms of all sizes and practice areas habitually reinvent the wheel on projects. We stand on the precipice of a new era, and I have made it my personal crusade to help designers everywhere understand that data-driven and computational approaches can drastically improve the efficiency and efficacy of practice.

What do you hope to contribute from your work?
I spend a considerable amount of time blogging, tweeting, teaching, leading Dynamo-litia, and presenting at conferences—all in an attempt to satisfy curiosity and contribute knowledge to the community at large. Much of the time I’ve invested has been spent trying to increase my own familiarity with various software platforms to tackle complex design challenges and implement task automation for redundant BIM workflows. In my new construction role, I am encouraged to develop tools to improve design translation, cost engineering, and process optimization. I am no longer tasked with convincing my colleagues of the benefits of the technology, as much as I am with developing and implementing new technological methods and tactics. I am quickly realizing the lessons I have learned from extracurricular exploration have equipped me with skills to address obstacles that have arisen in practice.

Head over to the BSA website to read the full profile.

Hands-on Prototyping for BUILDing Forward

Read about the unique opportunity for geometry analysis, fabrication, and the resulting gallery installation as initially reported on the Tocci Blog...

Image Credit: Jamie Farrell

On July 27th, an opening reception was held for Autodesk’s BUILDing Forward exhibit at the Boston Society of Architects. This exhibit celebrates digital craft in the greater Boston community and highlights the research projects made possible by the Autodesk BUILDSpace — a state-of-the-art research and development facility in the Design Center.

Tocci partnered with Sasaki Associates to research and develop a prototype called WinterLight, a proposal for a temporary winter pavilion for the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Currently in the early design phase, WinterLight is a warming hut designed to encourage activation of the city’s public realm during the winter months. The structure is a semi-dome with strategic openings in customized masonry blocks, designed to shield visitors from winter winds while they enjoy the warmth of an interior fire pit. The final location of the pavilion will be located in Boston: the site is to be determined.

Image Credit: Lucca Townsend, Sasaki Associates

This project required extensive computational design from Sasaki staff to strike a balance between desired aesthetic and regularity of the blocks. Tocci’s role was to assist with geometry analysis and support the design process through construction feasibility studies. With each new design iteration, we utilized Dynamo Studio to extract total pavilion dimensions, overall block quantities, block sizes, repeatable types, total volume, total weight, and other metrics.

Image Credit: Lucca Townsend, Sasaki Associates

The BUILDing Forward exhibit provided the perfect opportunity to experiment with fabrication methods and materials for producing the unique geometry of the blocks. Sasaki chose a section of nine blocks comprised of five unique types from the overall pavilion to demonstrate scale and geometric variation. They first generated a digital model of the composition, and then processed the individual shapes into toolpaths for cutting profiles from Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) using a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) three-axis router. They continued to cut an ingenious system of holes into the MDF sheets, lining up each piece using threaded rod. This created a negative form of each block shape for pouring concrete. Each concrete form also incorporated removable sections and a hole at the top for concrete. At this time, they sanded and coated the interior surfaces of the forms with an epoxy sealer to facilitate the release of concrete.

To prep for pouring, we disassembled the forms to coat the interior surfaces with form release. They were then reassembled on the threaded rod guides and tightened using nuts and washers.

We blended Portland cement and sand silica to create a concrete mixture that could support the compressed weight of the stacked blocks and maintain a smooth, gallery-quality finish. As each five-gallon-bucketful of concrete was poured through the top, a team tapped the sides of the forms, agitating the mixture and forcing trapped air bubbles to the surface.

Image Credit: Christine Dunn, Sasaki Associates

At times, the form release did not properly work, forcing us to pry the blocks from their forms.

Rotating shifts of the Sasaki-Tocci team spent a week to producing the prototype, as each block required 24 hours to cure. With one last round of chiseling and sanding, all nine blocks were ready for their BSA Space debut.

The opening reception was well attended. It was inspiring to see so many creative projects coming out of the BUILDSpace and local AEC community. BUILDing Forward will be on display at the BSA until October 5th, 2017 if you would like to see our work and all the other excellent projects.

Stay tuned for more as the WinterLight project evolves into a full-scale realization.

Check out this Sasaki blog post about the BUILDing Forward event for even more information.

Dynamo-litia Boston - October 2016

This second Dynamo-litia workshop featured a live demonstration of modifying Revit parameters using Dynamo.

Workshop Description:
Back by popular demand! This session will showcase several practical workflows for everyday Revit production. If you are still wondering how Dynamo applies to the work regularly performed in architecture firms, this is the perfect chance to find out. The majority of the meeting will be devoted to a live demonstration and attendees will be encouraged to follow along. No prior Dynamo experience necessary; users of all levels welcome.

When: October 20, 2016
Where: BSA Space - Boston

More information at the Boston Society of Architects.

Apologies for the abrupt ending. The battery on the recording device died right before resolving and fully explaining the Element.SetParameter function but this video contains 99% of the relevant content. Presentation slides and datasets can be downloaded HERE.

Dynamo-litia Boston Turns 1!

This week the Dynamo-litia Boston celebrated it's One Year Anniversary. To celebrate, I used Dynamo to generate a virtual birthday cake.

Here are some of the highlights of the first year:

First session: September 21, 2015

7 Presentations:

1. Introduction to Dynamo
2. Dynamo for Production
3. Dynamo and the Evolution of BIM
4. Dynamo for All
5. Dynamo and the Zen of Data Flow
6. Work Smarter Not Harder
7. Bringing Engineers & Architects Together Through Digital Design

1 Workshop:
Revit parameter export
Panelized surface & analysis

Did you know there is an entire Vimeo album devoted to the Dynamo-litia?

Dynamo-litia Boston Album

6 videos
1,777 Plays
51 Finishes
Average time per view: 34m,06s

Top 10 Countries:
US, UK, Spain, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Germany

Lastly, this year would not have been possible without the contributions of many. Special thanks to:

Boston Society of Architects:
Conor MacDonald
Sara Garber
Revit User Group

Autodesk - Dynamo Team

Shepley Bulfinch

Speakers:
Zach Kron - Autodesk
Kevin Tracy - NBBJ
Christina Tully – Shepley Bulfinch
Masha Pekurovsky – Perkins Eastman
Eric Rudisaile - Microdesk
Timon Hazell - Silman

Most importantly, the Boston AEC Community! Looking forward to future sharing and collaboration.

Dynamo-litia Boston - September 2016

This installment of Dynamo-litia featured Timon Hazell, Sr. BIM Engineer at Silman (Washington DC).

Bringing Engineers and Architects Together Through Digital Design
Design changes that took weeks to coordinate are now happening in hours. We are now able to create new iterations of complex designs in seconds. This speed has its benefits, but it also adds complexity to current collaboration practices. How can we work better as a single design team? How can we use conceptual abstract models to generate documentation models? How can we model non-planar framing directly in Revit? You know the answer to many of these involves Dynamo! Join us as Timon Hazell from Silman shares his experiences and talks through a few case studies using Revit, Rhino, Dynamo and Grasshopper.

When: September 22, 2016
Where: Shepley Bulfinch - Boston

More information at the Boston Society of Architects.

Due to A/V difficulties, a few portions of the presentation did not make the video. To follow along AND see upcoming announcements, make sure to download the presentation slides HERE.

Dynamo-litia Boston - April 2016

Dynamo is a proven tool for modifying Revit information and automating repetitive tasks, yet figuring out where to get started can be an intimidating process. Please join us for the first in a two part series on how to begin using Dynamo. We will focus on what it is useful for and highlight several introductory workflows that can be understood with everyday Revit knowledge. Since Dynamo is new to the majority of the local AEC community, we will discuss how regular project challenges can be opportunities to explore principles and grow knowledge. For those who are already experts of other software platforms, see how Dynamo has made the process of transferring geometry and information easier than ever before.

The video and presentation slides are available HERE.

More information at the Boston Society of Architects.