The climate debate

As you may know, I listen to a regular podcast on this website. While it is an economics based site, once in a while they have on climate scientists. This week the format was a bit different. In place of having a single person and an in depth interview it was a debate forum with two climate scientists. The science of climate has become a desperate struggle of two sides - one convinced that the presence of man and burning of fossil fuel has caused an in ordinate amount of warming and that the risk of doing nothing is catastrophic the other convinced that the contributions of man are intermingled with all the other factors and the "damage" of man cannot be separated from nature. Here are some of the debate points that stuck out and my characterization:

• The burning of fossil fuel has the positive effect of reducing global poverty. No one wants more poverty.
• CO2 was discovered as a greenhouse gas in the 1800s
• We do not fully understand all the factors that go into climate change.
• All the computer models over predict warming at every level of CO2.
• Melting of the polar ice is not a danger for sea levels - see glass with scotch on the rocks.
• Melting of land mass ice is a danger - if all the ice on the world's land mass melted it would raise the ocean level seven meters.
• There is prediction of sea levels rising one inch every decade, but that is not as catastrophic as localized effects like a hurricane that can raise the water level locally 15 feet in a few days.
• Civilizations can adapt to the raising of ocean levels as long as it is over time.
• France went from near zero nuclear power to 80% nuclear power - any nation can do the same when it merely has the political will.
• Not all climate scientists want massive change, just making buildings more energy efficient is fine.

It was refreshing to listen to what we "know" about climate science. I conclude that the potential risk is great, but we have no conclusive evidence that man is causing the risk or merely a bit player in a epic production. I recommend that everyone listen to the debate. 

SCRUG 2-20-2014

The South Coast Revit User Group had its monthly meeting last night. There were visitors from the Santiago High School architecture program (thanks Bill Brown) looking for internships. The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Nick Kramer. His analysis of detailing and the detailed comparison between methods was stellar. Essentially architecture firms are divided into three methods of documenting 2D details of projects:
• Detailing with lines and text - this method is the same as the centuries old paper and pencil method or AutoCad method
• Using the keynote system built into Revit (material, element or user) - this method uses an external text file to help keep a consistency throughout a project
• Detail Components and detail tags - this method harnesses the database power of Revit

Nick reviewed the three methods and listed the pros and cons of each. There is a great power to the third method. It offers portability - the "notes" are connected to the geometry. It offers fast revisions - a change to one means a change to all whether it is the note or switching the component.

A side discussion developed about the shift in the field of Architecture. Drafters are disappearing. People working on projects are expected to understand what the lines mean in a project. Is the line a door? What is the nature of doors? Doors belong in walls and have size parameters based on code and use. People working in the Architecture industry are required to know something of architecture and not just how to draw or use software. Looking around the industry, several firms have let their "drafters" go. HMC, gkkworks, Perkowitz+Ruth Architects, ...

SCRUG

The 1/16/14 South Coast Revit User Group Meeting focused on the use of BIM in construction cost estimating.
Beside the usual attendees (US CAD, Kelar Pacific, Microdesk, architects, students, engineers) there were two estimators. Presenting were Clive Jordan – civil engineer and western region rep for Trimble, and Michael Smith BIM Manager for CW Driver.
•Trimble has taken the tact that their estimating software includes scheduling
o Each version of a model is exported to Vico and then the software can highlight the changes in 3D
o Some information can be pushed back to the modeling program
o The goal is to avoid creating a new model for estimating and construction purposes
o The estimators database needs to be input into Vico and costs are connected to geometry
o One should be able to determine what levels of detail is required to get the estimate to determine the budget, it can help one manage the design and construction team
•Autodesk has added estimating to their Navisworks product
o Any 3d program with parameters can be used to build an estimate
o You can hide items as they are estimated or assigned to a category
o As versions of models change you can compare what changed – it will list savings or increases
o You can add notes as a “virtual” estimate
o The “items” can contain “resources” for example, “concrete slab” can contain “concrete”, “rebar” and “formwork”
o Once you have created “items” you can drag and drop geometry to the line item to assign them to an “item”

Defense of Schools

​Prior to joining the architecture profession, I observed that the design of schools and prisons were starting to converge. Prisons started getting libraries and schools started getting metal detectors. Long have students looked at schools as prisons keeping them from the play and exploration that they desire. A great fear came upon the administration decades ago. The staging of protests, sit ins and teach ins affected the design of schools for a generation. School designs included fewer and fewer windows and increasingly durable exterior finishes. Campuses that once were open to the neighbors, started having chain link and wrought iron fences.

SCRUG 11/2013

SCRUG 11/21/13 Was all about tools for scanning existing buildings.
The presenters were:
John Russo, President / CEO at Architectural Resource Consultants
Nicholas Kramer, Director of Technology at Perkowitz+Ruth Architects
Edward Tallmadge, Strategic Account Manager at U.S. CAD
The history:
• Tape measures, photographs, record drawings, hand held laser
• Static laser, on a tripod, scan, move, repeat
o Each scan takes 5-10 minutes
o Line of sight based
o High level of accuracy
o Reflective and black surfaces are challenges
o In one day a crew of two can make 50-70 scans
• Mobile scanner, auto mounted, uses GPS
o Less accurate than static
o Used for transportation projects
• Mobile interior, +/- 4” accuracy, very fast
• Air born LiDar, less accurate than other methods
Registration – a series of scans must be knit together, match corners that appear in adjacent scans, common physical targets
• Minimum: three common points
• Registration is bringing scans into alignment, a small drift or rotation between scans can compromise the accuracy
Survey control: “total station laser” – use a identification point with a high degree of accuracy, adds cost
Registered scan data is very accurate – can use for walk throughs or fly bys
Processing the data: point clouds can be in the 2-3 gigabyte file sizes, but once created the data may be used for 2D or 3D modeling
Beverly Hills HS: 2D façade study, good accuracy, captured all the detail that would have been dangerous to measure in the field
The Embarcadero: No record drawings available, wanted to create a view & shadow study for city approvals without alerting neighbors, 2-1/2 days for a massing model, $8,000 in 8 days
Beverly Hills Hotel: captures interior detail with a high level of accuracy, custom moldings
OC Performing Arts: point cloud animation, 2 hours to capture data, no targets, 4 hours to register data, ~$3,000 for a quick visualization
Engineering: capture structure, piping, HVAC, accurate to rivets
Contractors: scan before construction, scan during construction, verify plumb, verify flatness, scan a boulder to determine volume
The biggest cost is the modeling of the scans

As part of the laser scanning some models offer cameras and take photos with a second pass. Photos are knit together and then become measurable panoramic 360 degree photos. Manufacturers: Leica & Faro

Light requirements: laser is its own light source, for the digital photos, you need a light source

Short range scanners have a 100 meter range.
Long range scanners have a 300 meter range.

There is a Revit add-on that will place walls and other components when you click on a point cloud.

Photogrammetry – Autodesk Recap 360 : makes point clouds from a series of photos. Upload your photos and their servers will try to knit them together. Free for now. Use a 12 megapixel camera or higher res. You can adjust the registration with the “Pro” version . 2-3” accuracy is possible. Photos may be taken from any digital camera. Overlap images 50-70% for best results. If you want to use a quadcopter w/ GoPro camera, get FAA license & insurance. Entry cost for the quadcopter setup is ~$6,000. Recap does not know what scale things are. You will have to have at least one real world measurement to set the model to the correct scale. Trees & plants don’t capture well.

Notes From SCRUG

The Southern California Revit Users Group meets monthly in Orange County, California. LPA hosts the event most months. On July 26, 2013 they hosted and showed off their "colab" space at their Newport Beach offices.

The key features include:
•in desk flatscreen
•large projection screen
•mac computer station
•large touchscreen area
•mobile white boards for defining space
•retractable overhead power and data pulls
•perimeter backlit glass for markerboard use

What do you think?

From the Advocates for Self Government News letter (April 24, 2013):

Leonard E. Read is one of the true Founding Fathers of the modern libertarian movement. A wonderful and prolific writer, Read was the Founding President of America’s first libertarian think tank, the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE).

In an article published way back in May 1955, Read gave a particularly eloquent description of libertarianism.

Read said that in an ideal world, every person should be free:

"...to pursue his ambition to the full extent of his abilities, regardless of race or creed or family background.

...to associate with whom he pleases for any reason he pleases, even if someone else thinks it's a stupid reason.

...to worship God in his own way, even if it isn't 'orthodox.'

...to choose his own trade and to apply for any job he wants -- and to quit his job if he doesn't like it or if he gets a better offer.

...to go into business for himself, be his own boss, and set his own hours of work -- even if it's only three hours a week.

...to use his honestly acquired property or savings in his own way -- spend it foolishly, invest it wisely, or even give it away.

...to offer his services or products for sale on his own terms, even if he loses money on the deal.

...to buy or not to buy any service or product offered for sale, even if the refusal displeases the seller.

...to disagree with any other person, even when the majority is on the side of the other person.

...to study and learn whatever strikes his fancy, as long as it seems to him worth the cost and effort of studying and learning it.

...to do as he pleases in general, as long as he doesn't infringe the equal right and opportunity of every other person to do as he pleases.

“The above, in a nutshell, is the way of life which the libertarian philosophy commends. It means no special privilege from government for anyone. It is the way of individual liberty, of the free market, of private property, of government limited to securing these rights equally for all.”