Common mistakes that architects make when starting a project

When starting a project, there are a few crucial aspects that should not be overlooked. First of all, the positioning of the building on the site usually defines how the interior and exterior spaces are going to be shaped in the further development of the project. It’s a common mistake that architects make when they do not get all of the aspects of the environment into consideration because they do not have the tools to study the site in a more precise depth.

What’s the weather impact on the building going to be? How will the sun, rain, and wind affect the living conditions? What is the best window placement for optimal lighting and what is the best way to achieve energy efficiency? Let’s take a look at how PreDesign – a tool that comes together with SketchUp 2021 can be useful to architects in that way.

PreDesign provides information for the different climate changes during the year and the time spend outside

Correct positioning of the building helps you follow a clear concept

The right definition of the entrance and exterior spaces helps you build a clear and functioning interior room arrangement. Further in the project, it will help you not only to follow a clear pre-defined concept but also make informed decisions that your client could also agree on. Positioning should not only follow local regulations but also answer to the weather conditions, surrounding environment, and views.

Four strategies of architectural response according to climate

Weather impact on the building and your architectural response

One of the primary functions of a building is to give shelter from the weather outside and provide comfortable habitable conditions. Based on the location of your project, PreDesign will inform you of the duration of the seasons and the average temperature highs and lows. From this point on the program calculates the average time that humans spend indoors according to each season.

Sunlight analysis

What would be the best solution – to provide shelter from the cold, bring the outside in, take the inside-outside or provide shelter from the heat? The tool makes a recommendation of the best ways for architecture to respond to the local climate and when a certain strategy is mostly needed.

Sun cycle and room lighting depending on the local conditions

As you already know, the facades facing different cardinal points also receive a different amount of sunlight. Based on calculations, PreDesign offers you the optimal and typical strategies for maximum glazing ratio for the project’s climate. The sunlight should be considered in a way that makes the house warm in the winter and doesn’t burden cooling in the summer. Too often architects make excessive windows on facades exposed to overheating during summer, which turns out to be more of a burden to the client’s monthly budget than a pleasant view to the outside.

Top lighting suggestions

What is the proper architectural response in terms of shading? PreDesign provides you with information on sunlight on the different facades of different times of the day and recommends a shading strategy most suitable for the local climate. The program also helps you consider if you would like to incorporate top lighting into your project – also finding the best strategy according to local conditions.

Recommendations for different types of shading

How to maximize the use of outdoor spaces?

PreDesign analyzes potential design interventions to the outside spaces and how often they're useful based on the local weather conditions. The aspects you should consider are windbreaks, rain cover, air movement, heating, sunshade, and lighting. Keep in mind the purpose of the project – for example, if you are designing a seasonal home for the summer or the winter – the time spent outside will surely be different. Based on the study, PreDesign offers you the most effective intervention combinations in groups of different types – combining more of them will help you win extra hours that the future residents could spend outside, even on less warm and less sunny days.

Predesign helps guide office and school projects as well

Nowadays it is crucial to use all of the possible resources that computational technologies have to offer so that you can make the most of your architectural intervention to the site. This will not only help you create a more sustainable and reliable design but also guide you in your concept and presentation to the client. With PreDesign you can get a clear perspective of the usefulness of the proposed design and avoid a lot of common mistakes that architects make when starting a project.