The Evolution of Design Process - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 29

Figure 1.9 Building information
modeling uses computer
technology to create a virtual
model of a building as an
integrated part of the design
process. (a) The design of the
Pearl River Tower designed by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP.
for construction in Guangzhou,
China, includes integrated wind
turbines and photovoltaic panels
to offset its energy use. (b)
Ecotect model showing the
amount of solar radiation on the
tower's various surfaces.
From “Building information modeling
and green design feature,”
Environmental Building News, May
2007. Rendering.

(a) (b)

These information-rich models provide the ability to simulate and analyze al-
ternative scenarios that incorporate project specifics such as local climate that are
critical to finely tuned sustainable design strategies. This ability to test design via
simulation provides the architect and engineer with a more complete understand-
ing of the ramifications of their designs across multiple measures of performance.
While the models provide the ability to advance beyond two-dimensional rep-
resentation to create three-dimensional space models as found in other recent