BES225321

Dynamo for Schematic Design: Use Dynamo in Early

Design to Enhance Your Deliverables
Samantha Bernstein
BuroHappold Engineering

Learning Objectives
 Apply Dynamo for Revit in the concept and schematic phases of design.
 Use visual programming to improve iterative design and visual communication with
the project team.
 Use visual programming to create and store data within spaces.
 Use visual programming to increase the frequency and accuracy of early
calculations for MEPFP.

Description
This class will describe how BuroHappold is using Dynamo with Revit to revolutionize their
concept and schematic design phases. Visual programming has allowed us to use iterative
design to show the influence of minute architectural changes to our MEP design. This allows us
to communicate quickly, effectively, and visually with the entire project team. Automated zoning
diagrams for heating, cooling, ventilation, electrical loads, and fire rating were generated
iteratively. Additionally, Dynamo-powered automated calculations were utilized for plumbing
pipe sizing, storm riser sizing, roof drain placement, and pressurization. We have also used the
schematic level Revit model to accomplish space planning for risers and MERs. The utilization
of Dynamo for Revit in early design has allowed us to deliver a faster, smarter, more creative,
and better communicated building. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the limitless
possibilities for Dynamo in early phases of design.

Speaker
Samantha Bernstein is currently working as a Mechanical Engineer and Digital Design Lead in
the Building Environments sector of BuroHappold Engineering. As a Mechanical Engineer, her
role includes the design of HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection systems for super-high-rise and
commercial structures with a magnitude of one and a half million square feet. Additionally,
Samantha is the Digital Design Lead for BuroHappold North America. She created a Dynamo
training program and has administered it across BuroHappold’s offices globally. Samantha has
been leading the visual programming charge at BuroHappold New York through training
sessions, hackathons, and the creation of time-saving and product enhancing MEP-focused
scripts. Samantha holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University.
A Week in the Life of a Consulting Engineer

Imagine a Monday morning. The sun is shining, you are going through your email inbox, and all
is right in the world. Then…an architect calls.

The architects are sending over a Revit model today. You have until Friday to put together a
100% SD set.

Take a moment to breathe. You have Revit and Dynamo at your disposal, this can be done in
no time. We will focus on the first floor of a mixed use building for the purpose of this scenario.
However, all of these scripts can be applied to the entire project (a twenty story commercial
building).

Okay? Let’s do this!

Day 1: Project Setup and Space Data
You will use the first day to set up your project in Revit, check spaces, assign space types, and
then carry out numerous space calculations based on rules of thumb.

Project Setup Scripts

Use Dynamo with Revit to setup the project. The Project Setup Script will generate floor plans
and RCP’s (if you want them). It will then apply the appropriate view templates to each floor plan
(e.g. Mechanical Duct or Fire Alarm). Then you can use RushForth Tools to create sheets and
place views on sheets.

Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Space Type Generator Script

This script will take the space names, copied from the architecture model’s room names, and
compare them to a list in excel. This list has key search terms, which it compares to space
names, and then a corresponding list of Revit space types.

Helpful Hint: In Revit 2017 and below, space types come into Dynamo as numbers. In 2018 and
above, they come in as strings.
Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Ventilation Calculation Tool

This script will take the area, people load, and space type of each space and use the ASHRAE
62.1 guideline to assign a required outdoor air amount to each space in the model. It relies on a
spreadsheet that corresponding ASHRAE and Revit space types.
Helpful Hint: You can multiply the output flow number by 1.3 in order to account for the LEED
30% OA requirement.

Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Schematic Design Criteria Tool

This script will take the area and space type of each space and use engineering rules of thumb
(organized in an excel spreadsheet) to assign heating loads, cooling loads, electrical loads, and
lighting loads to each space.
Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Day 2: Zoning Diagrams

Now that you have all sorts of fabulous data inside your spaces, you can use these to generate
automatic zoning diagrams and to place equipment in spaces with flows corresponding to the
space’s requirements.

Space Color Schemes

Using Revit’s built in color scheme tool, you can use the data previously inserted into your
spaces to generate zoning diagrams quickly and efficiently. You will generate a Ventilation
Zoning Diagram, a Cooling Load Zoning Diagram, a Heating Load Zoning Diagram, an Electrical
Load Zoning Diagram, and a Lighting Load Zoning Diagram.
Helpful Hint: This is way easier that drawing areas and coloring them manually in a pdf editor!

Day 3: Equipment Placement, Draw Ducts, Connect Into Tool, Duct Sizing
Today you are going to focus on using the data inside the spaces to place equipment and size
ductwork. You will place VAV’s, and diffusers within spaces and assign the flow parameter
based on the cooling load information in the space.

VAV Placement Tool

This tool will take all the spaces in the model and find the centroid as well as the cooling load
from each space. It will place a VAV box in each space at the centroid point, and then add a
supply airflow parameter based on the cooling load within the space.
Helpful Hint: The centroid of a space is sometimes outside of the space itself, imagine an L-
shape!

Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Diffuser Placement Tool

This tool will take all the spaces in the model and find the perimeter as well as the cooling load
from each space. It will place a diffuser offset from the perimeter by a specified amount. It will
also compare the required airflow to a maximum airflow per diffuser and place the number of
diffusers required. It will then add a supply parameter based on the cooling load within the
space and the number of diffusers.
Helpful Hint: This array-type placement script is the same template we used to create our
automatic sprinkler placement script!

Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Draw Ducts, Use Connect Into Tool, Use Automatic Duct Sizing Tool

You will be working in Revit for this next bit. First draft some duct mains and risers to distribute
the air throughout the floor plan. Then position the VAV’s where you want them and use the
connect into tool to connect the VAV inlet to the duct mains. The mains will now be carrying the
correct airflow. Now you can use the automatic duct sizing tool in Revit to size the ducts based
on a 600 fpm speed and 12” maximum duct height.

Now your first floor plan sheet looks like this:

Equipment Tagging Script

This script will find all of the mechanical equipment in the model and find the level at which it is
placed. It will then translate that into a mark number that reflects the floor and a sequential
number based on the number of pieces of equipment on that floor. For example, on the first
floor, 0101, 0102, 0103 for three pieces of equipment.
Helpful Hint: This script is great when you are scheduling each instance of equipment or when
you are tagging the equipment on the plan.

Day 4: The Architect Changed the Model. Re-Run Everything!

For one floor, it takes you about 10 minutes to re-do the work of the previous three days on your
model. For twenty floors it’s about three hours. Behold the beauty of iteration with computation!

Day 5: Text, Details, and Schedules

Today is the deliverable day. You will be doing QA/QC on all the text in the project. Then you
will use the automatic detail placement script and edit the schedules. Then hit print!

Text QA/QC Script

This script will take all of the text notes in your model and edit them to match the company
standards. It will make all the script capitalized, align it to the left side, and make sure leaders
come from the top of the text box.
Automatic Detail Placement Script

Open up your standard details model and load in the detail drafting views that are applicable to
your project. Then use this script which will create detail sheets and place details on those
sheets automatically.
Schedules

Edit the template schedules in order to show the pertinent information for spaces, VAV’s, and
diffusers.
Deliverables