Computational Design in Architecture

architectura ex spolium

Elective Module
Summerterm 2024

Politecnico di Milano

School of Architecture
Urban Planning
Construction Engineering

Department of Architecture
and Urban Studies

Prof. Marco Hemmerling

marco.hemmerling@polimi.it
www.code-arch.com

Building Information Modeling

Building Information Modelling (BIM) stands for a digital planning methodology

that interlinks all processes related to design, planning, execution and operation
of a building. All information is recorded in a database and is associatively con-
nected via parametric links. In addition to graphic information about the building
geometry, this includes non-graphic information such as quantities, materials,
duration, usage and cost. Modifications made on one of these levels have an
immediate impact on the other areas, independent of whether the three-dimensi-
onal model, the floor plan or the lists of components were changed.

Besides a comprehensive interconnection between all building-relevant informa-

tion for architectural planning, BIM also creates a link to the interfaces of other
planning team members: e.g. structural engineers, building services planners
or facility management. One of the major benefits of using BIM programmes is
an improvement of the planning process in terms of planning quality. Using a
common, continuously synchronised set of data records and the immediate avai-
lability of all current and relevant data result in significantly improved informa-
tion exchange between the planning team members. Going beyond the planning
process, BIM-based programmes calculate and simulate the energy consumption
and the life cycle of a building as well as the user behaviour over a certain period
of time. Thus, even during the early planning stages, an evaluation of the building
can offer important information for future operation. As a result, this not only
leads to optimised planning processes but also allows for sustainable architectu-
ral production.

To align with the idea of a sustainable circular economy, a building must be crea-
ted with components that are reused, remanufactured, recycled or regenerated
in an efficient and effective way and will continue to follow these loops. This way,
buildings and building components are never wasted but remain useful assets
and valuable resources. Acknowledging that buildings and their components are
never in an end state but part of a process, and that this is one of the reasons why
the construction sector has a vast share in our environmental footprint, requires
us to rethink not only how we build, but also what we build. Rather than perma-
nent solutions for temporary and changing needs, we need dynamic assets that
can evolve together with new technical developments and user demands.
Computational Design in Architecture
architectura ex spolium

Elective Module
Summer 2024

Politecnico di Milano

School of Architecture
Urban Planning
Construction Engineering

Department of Architecture
and Urban Studies

Prof. Marco Hemmerling

marco.hemmerling@polimi.it
www.code-arch.com

Construction Site - Ex-Hotel Michelangelo, Stazione Centrale/Piazza Savoia, Milano

Design Task

Against the backdrop of climate change, environmental pollution and the scarcity
of natural resources, a new building culture of reuse is currently emerging globally.
Progressive architecture firms around the world are testing new practices of
reusing, repurposing and recycling old building components in order to save
energy, reduce greenhouse gases and avoid waste during construction. Innovative
approaches such as „circular building“, „urban mining“ and „upcycling“ entail
nothing less than a radical change in today‘s construction industry and building
culture, which will inevitably also lead to new forms of architectural expression.
But reuse is not only ecologically and energetically sustainable. The use of old
building components can also preserve cultural heritage, history and identity. A
look at architectural history shows that the use of spolia (re-used components from
other places) was a natural practice of building culture for a long time and was only
forgotten to some extent in the course of modernism. I

In light of this, the design task focusses on a high-rise building, close to Milans
Central Station, which will be composed of individual projects for each floor,
based on re-used building components. Starting point is the casco structure of
the Ex-Hotel Michelangelo in Piazza Savoia, that serves as a framework for the
intervention. Step by step you will develop your design concept towards a consistent
BIM-model, that integrates various architectural aspects, such as spatial layout,
usage profile, structural concept, material compostion, light ambiance, cost
calculation or energy consumption. The coordination of the individual approaches
within the overall composition will be organized via a common data environment
(CDE). An important aspect of the process will be the coordination of your design
with the adjacent floors and overall group concept for the high-rise building. The
collaborative platform BIM360 will serve as a common database to discuss and
coordinate the different design concepts.
Computational Design in Architecture
architectura ex spolium

Elective Module
Summer 2024

Schedule Politecnico di Milano

19.02. Introduction School of Architecture

26.02. Design Thinking Workshop Urban Planning
Construction Engineering
04.03. BIM Topics / Best Practice
Department of Architecture
11.03. Revit Basics / BIM360 and Urban Studies
18.03. Revit Families
25.03. Intermediate Presentation Concept Prof. Marco Hemmerling
01.04. Easter Holiday
marco.hemmerling@polimi.it
08.04. Design Review www.code-arch.com
15.04. Design Review
22.04. Design Review
29.04. Intermediate Presentation Design
06.05. Design Review
13.05. Design Review
20.05. Design Review
27.05. Final Presentation

Place / Time
Aula Z.1 D.I. (building 11), Mondays, 3:15 pm - 6:15 pm
Virtual Aula: https://politecnicomilano.webex.com/meet/marco.hemmerling

Deliverables
- Building Information Model (BIM360, open Revit-file and others)
- PDF-Presentation of the project
- Explanatory text of the project and the specialisation (500 - 1000 words)

Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of the task consists of three parts, which are weighted as follows:
- Design 40% (collaboration, concept/ideation, architectural design,...)
- BIM Model 40% (consistency, accuracy, depth of detail, ...)
- Presentation: 20% (comprehensibility, layout/design/visuals, ...)

Literature
Borrmann, A. et.al., Building Information Modeling, Springer, 2015
Hebel, D. et al., Building from Waste: Recovered Materials in Architecture and Construc-
tion, Birkhäuser, 2014
Hemmerling, M.; Cocchiarella L., Informed Architecture, Springer, 2018
Hovestadt, L. et. al., Atlas of Digital Architecture, Birkhäuser, 2020
Stricker E. et al., Reuse in Construction - Compendium of Circular Architecture, Park
Books, 2022
Computational Design in Architecture
architectura ex spolium

Elective Module
Summer 2024

Installation and registration guidelines for Autodesk Revit 2024 Politecnico di Milano

School of Architecture
Urban Planning
Construction Engineering
REGISTRATION
Department of Architecture
and Urban Studies

with Username (Name_Surname)

Prof. Marco Hemmerling
and PoliMi-Email-Address (name.surname@mail.polimi.it)
https://accounts.autodesk.com/Authentication marco.hemmerling@polimi.it
www.code-arch.com

INSTALLATION

Download Revit 2024 (english, metric international library)

https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/revit#
(see also: https://studentversions.com/revit/)

Autodesk Desktop Connector

https://vignettes.autodeskplm360.net/vignettes/CDXToast/CDXToast.html

For MAC users the installation via bootcamp or parallels is mandatory

https://support.apple.com/boot-camp
https://machow2.com/revit-for-mac/
Computational Design in Architecture
architectura ex spolium

Elective Module
Summer 2024

BIM Topics Politecnico di Milano

1. Big BIM vs. Little BIM / OpenBIM vs. Closed BIM School of Architecture
Urban Planning
2. Common Data Environment (CDE) Construction Engineering
3. Level of Detail/Geometry/Info (LOD, LOG, LOI)
Department of Architecture
4. buildingSMART / IFC and Urban Studies

5. Hertitage BIM (HBIM)

Prof. Marco Hemmerling
6. Lifecycle Assessment
7. Internet of Things (IoT) marco.hemmerling@polimi.it
www.code-arch.com
8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning
9. Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR)
10. Digital Twin
11. Digital Fabrication

... Your own topic?

Best Practices
1. Quinta Monroy, Elemental
2. Collage House, S+PS Architects
3. Grundbau und Siedler, BeL
4. Mehr.Wert.Pavillon, KIT/Dirk Hebel
5. Recycling House, Cityförster
6. Solar Decathlon, Wuppertal
7. Supertecture, Nepal
8. Natural Pavilon, DP6
9. Copenhagen Pavilions, From 4 to 1 Planet
10. Mine the Scrap, Certain Measures
11. Concular/Madaster/ RotorDC

... Your own project?