Lately we’ve been doing a focus on new technologies in architecture and engineering. These tools, from 3D printing to 3D scanning, are making construction faster, more efficient and more sustainable – and DJHC is putting them into action already. This is part of our commitment to innovation, the environment, and our clients.
One of the most intriguing new developments is real-time rendering and visualisation technology. A step up from time-honoured AutoCAD rendering, this technology offers architects and other stakeholders a rapid solution to review design options and see how they’ll function in real life. This is particularly useful for MEP engineers, who need to see how their designs will operate in a constantly changing environment.
How real-time rendering is transforming workflows
In its most ambitious iteration, this tool can be combined with 3D printing to produce building components and materials on-the-fly. A California-based architecture firm recently collaborated with a flatpack home company to print a single-family home with real-time visualisation and 3D printing.
Real-time rendering helped the lead designer make quick decisions and present various options to the client. These designs could be tweaked and changed as needed, with the result of each adjustment appearing immediately on the screen. This allows for exceptional attention to detail. Even material textures can be applied and removed, testing their effect on light and shadow at different times of the day.
This is perhaps one of the key advantages of real-time visualisation; the ease with which members of the design team can communicate their ideas. With renders, animations, and panoramas architects, engineers, and even interior designers and landscapers can collaborate with ease.
Real-time visualisations and MEP design
This realistic, flexible environment is particularly useful for MEP engineers. A building’s systems are affected by various changeable external factors and real-time rendering allows engineers to simulate various scenarios. For example, real-time visualisation enables MEP engineers to see how light throughout the day might impact the need for air conditioning systems or additional ventilation.
These tools could also be used to make more efficient and sustainable MEP designs. By testing how different weather conditions affect building operation, engineers can make highly informed decisions to ensure the building operates as efficiently as possible throughout the year. Whereas before these calculations and simulations would have taken weeks and weeks of labour, making them nigh-on unviable, we can now produce them with the click of a button.
Advancing design and engineering through technology
Revolutionary technologies like 3D printing, real-time visualisations and 3D scanning are providing the industry with the opportunity to make significant advancements. With the ability to simulate and fine-tune designs architects, engineers, and designers have the tools to push boundaries and find solutions.
These are essential as we move into a new era of sustainable construction, where testing the impact of design decisions is critical to making buildings more environmentally friendly. With the ability to efficiently test worst and best-case scenarios, we can make informed choices about materials and systems, enabling us to future-proof projects as best we can.