NYU-Housing & Innovation in Revit (HIR)

Introduction and Overview

As Brooklyn establishes itself as a technology and innovation hub, projects to modernize Downtown Brooklyn and the MetroTech area are being set into motion regularly. New York University plans to expand its Brooklyn campus to reflect its consistent desire to foster innovation, engineering, and a successful college experience. To that effect, NYU has requested that your organization remodel the Jacobs Building at the Tandon School of Engineering.

More and more companies are moving towards Autodesk Revit as their software of choice for modeling buildings. Your company has also adopted Revit as the optimal option for NYU’s remodel request. The ultimate goal is to present the university with a six-floor (minimum) building model that will include classrooms, lecture halls, a recreational space, dorms, and facilities to enhance the students’ quality of life. The building should include electrical and plumbing considerations.

The Housing & Innovation in Revit (HIR) endeavor is a pivotal step in solidifying NYU’s place in Brooklyn and providing students with added living space, resources, and an ever-growing campus. As such, ensure that the building you design will meet the high standards and aesthetic expectations of New York University.

Figure 1: The Washington Square Arch, widely regarded as the main symbol of NYU.

Specifications

New York University has commissioned your firm to redesign the old Jacobs Building into a college campus expansion for the Tandon School of Engineering. The lot is approximately 200 feet by 200 feet and is bounded by Jay Street and Johnson Street. The campus expansion must include:

• Classrooms
  • Ten 40-student classrooms
  • Eight 20-student classrooms
  • Two 100-student lecture halls
• One recreational space
• Dorm rooms to accommodate 100 students
• One facility of choice
  • Restaurant/cafeteria, gym, tennis court, etc.

As the space is 200 feet by 200 feet, additional rooms are allowed to be placed in the building as long as the above requirements are met. Additionally, electrical and plumbing schematics must be completed for one recreational space, one dorm room, and one classroom. This includes all electrical wiring and plumbing pipes. Using these schematics, the cost of operation must be calculated for the entire facility. The completed building must have at least six floors. The campus must also achieve a LEED accreditation of at least Gold (four categories of the six available categories). The LEED accreditation system is explained further down the page.

Figure 2: Exterior of the Jacobs Administrative Building on Jay Street.

Building Code

The new campus must adhere to the General Engineering Building Code as outlined below:

• Fire Code
  • Each floor must be equipped with sprinkler heads and emergency evacuation stairs.
  • Fire alarms must be placed in each classroom, dorm hallway, and recreational space.
    • Electrical wiring for the fire alarms are not necessary.
• Wheelchair Accessibility
  • Each floor, classroom, and recreational space must be wheelchair accessible.
  • At least one bathroom stall per floor must be wheelchair accessible.
• Security
  • Every entrance and exit must be guarded by a 24/7 security guard with a desk and tap-in system.
  • Entrances to dorms must have a turnstile in addition to the standard security guard.
• Structural Rules
  • All doors must be at least 6 ft 8 in tall and 32 in wide.
  • All walls must be at least 8 ft tall.

LEED Accreditation

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Teams choose the best fit for their project. The different categories for the LEED checklist correspond to principles of design, construction, and maintenance. For the purposes of this project, the checklist has been streamlined. All prerequisites from a category must be incorporated into the building design to count toward certification. LEED Silver certification requires completion of at least two categories; LEED Gold, at least four categories; and LEED Platinum, all six categories. Achievement of each prerequisite will be accomplished through drawings, cost estimates, and explanations of the design. Extra credit will be awarded for LEED Platinum certification.

Streamlined checklist:

1. Location and Transportation
   1. Diverse land use (p.16) – Design provides space for goods and services not directly related to the college campus. (Examples: cafe, gym, multi-purpose spaces for the public, etc.)
   2. Disability access – Detailed features are provided for Americans with Disability Act. (Examples: reserved parking, wheelchair accessible ramps)
   3. Bicycle and EV facilities (p.22) – Bike racks and electric vehicle charging stations labeled in drawings.
   4. Reduced parking footprint (p.26) – Realistic dimensions for parking spaces with minimal allocated space for parking lot if facility of choice is a parking area.
2. Sustainable Sites
   1. Open space (p.36) – Inclusion of green space on the campus grounds. (Examples: gardens, park space, rooftop vegetation, pond)
   2. Rainwater management (p.37) – Reducing storm water runoff and built land impact on hydrologic cycle. (Examples: rainwater retention pond, rainwater storage, rainwater reuse)
   3. Heat island reduction (p.39) – Minimizing paved and rooftop surfaces. (Examples: vegetative surfaces, trees, shade from energy generation systems)
   4. Light pollution reduction (p.41) – Detailed placement of outdoor lighting fixtures, maximizing security and minimizing light pollution.
3. Water Efficiency
   1. Water quality management – Real-time quality monitoring system, shutoff system for cases of contamination.
   2. Water use reduction (p.51) – Use of low flow appliances and minimal irrigation, details for all water uses. (Example: sprinklers, sinks, toilets)
   3. Water heating and cooling (p.60) – Intelligent placement of high efficiency systems.
   4. Advanced water metering – Real-time quantity monitoring system of all water use. (Examples: irrigation, indoor plumbing, reclaimed water, boiler usage)
4. Energy and Atmosphere
   1. Optimize energy performance (p.74) – Use of low energy systems. (Examples: lighting, refrigeration, appliances)
   2. Advanced energy metering (p.77) – All electrical use run through a single meter.
   3. Demand response (p.79) – Energy use changes throughout the day.
   4. Renewable energy production (p.80) – Location and connection to electrical system. (Examples: solar, wind, thermal)
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
   1. Air quality management (p.107) – Ventilation and monitoring of air. (Examples: carbon monoxide detectors, exhaust vents, air filtration system)
   2. Interior lighting/daylight (p.129) – Enhanced interior lighting. (Examples: dimmers, daylight, window shades)
   3. Thermal comfort (p.127) – Enhanced temperature control for individual comfort. (Examples: localized heating and cooling, circulating fans, radiant flooring)
   4. Acoustic performance (p.136) – Sound absorbent surfaces are greater than the ceiling area. (Examples: acoustic tiles, acoustic wall panels)
6. Innovation (p.140)
   1. Connected building – Design the campus for internet connectivity and connected devices. (Examples: Wi-Fi router, networked registers, inventory systems)
   2. Intelligent inventory – Real-time monitoring of inventory, if applicable. (Examples: shelves with sensors, database connected to registers, exit door scanners)
   3. Security and safety – Enhanced security technology. (Examples: automatic police contact, automatic fire contact, notifications)
   4. Sustainability – Focus on innovative green technologies not included in other categories.

Power/AC/Heat Calculations

Using the information from electrical and plumbing schematics, calculate the total power usage for the operation of the campus per day. Then calculate the energy costs for a typical year. Determine the total A/C requirement. What is the dollar cost per year for air conditioning? Determine the total heat requirement. What is the dollar cost per year for heat? Tabulate this data neatly in a table, graph, or chart that presents the information clearly. The standard unit of measurement for these power measurements is the kilowatt-hour (kWh). This information is also necessary for the requirements under Cost Estimate.

Microsoft Project

HIR groups must create two separate Microsoft Project schedules; one to time manage your semester-long design project and one to plan out the theoretical construction schedule of your building design. You can learn Microsoft Project by doing the MS Project Skill Builder.

The SLDP schedule must include all tasks related to the project from the start of the project to Submission. The Microsoft Project schedule should include the following:

• Minimum of 20 tasks.
• Milestones should be clearly indicated on the project plan (duration of zero days).
• Each task must include the person responsible for completing the task (resource names).
• Use the "Copy Picture" function to include the project plan in the presentations. Do not take a screenshot.
• Gantt chart must be displayed alongside the tasks list (fit onto one slide).
• Gantt chart must clearly show a progress line.
• Clearly state during the presentation whether the project is on-time, behind schedule, or ahead of schedule.

For help in planning the project, review the manual page How to plan the schedule and calculate costs for a project.

Additionally, create a construction schedule using Microsoft Project. Model the schedule after other sample construction projects. The items included in this schedule include:

• Clearing site
• Laying foundation
• Studs and structural members
• Wall construction and window installation
• Painting
• Electrical wiring and lighting installation
• Plumbing

Drawings

The following paragraphs discuss the drawings required for the project using Revit. No other software will be accepted for submission. Revit is free to download using your NYU email, and all computers in the EG Modelshop and NYU Tandon computer lab have full copies of the software.

Consult the Revit How-To Guide to create your college campus expansion. The How-To Guide contains useful examples for designing your building, but do not copy the instructions for your project as they only serve as examples of the features available in Revit. The How-To exercises are also due as part of Milestone 1.

Each floor of your campus must have an accompanying drawing. It must be fully dimensioned and include all aspects of the room design including:

• All door and window openings
• Material choices
• Furniture
• Lighting fixtures

All electrical and plumbing drawings must include:

• Wiring, outlets, switches, and light fixtures
• Sinks, toilets, and showerheads with hot water, cold water, and sewage pipes

Model

Design your campus using Autodesk Revit as your primary design tool. Create a convenient layout to accommodate the items listed in Specifications. Once the design is complete, generate a walk-through video of the campus. It is also mandatory to submit a floorplan of at least one floor for 3D printing. 3D print the exterior shell utilizing the EG Prototyping Lab. For extra credit, you can 3D print two or more floorplans. Revit floorplans can be setup for 3D printing as described in the How to Make an STL File from a Revit File Guide. Additional 3D printing details can be found in the 3D Printing Guide.

Figure 3: Example of a classroom in Autodesk Revit.

Cost Estimate

Three separate tables (construction, operation, and labor) for cost estimation must be created using the following guidelines:

• Cost of Construction: Using the wholesale price of all materials and components in your design, calculate the total cost of construction of your building design (not including labor). Tabulate a bill of materials and generate a complete cost estimate for the entire campus.
• Cost of Operation: Calculate the total cost of operation per day and per year of the new campus. Tabulate energy usage and associated costs into a neatly organized table, as described in the Power/AC/Heat Calculations section.
• Labor: Calculate the total cost of labor for construction of the campus. Do not include the cost of labor for operation. Refer to the construction schedule to create this estimate. Neatly tabulate the costs into a table.

Extra Credit

HIR groups can receive extra credit for achieving Platinum LEED certification in their building design. You can also receive extra credit for completing Benchmark A, Benchmark B, or Submission early, or completing your respective SLDP's 3D printing extra credit task as described in the 3D Printing Guide. Refer to the EG1003 Grading Policy for exact point values.

Milestones, Benchmarks, and Deliverables

As work is done on the project, three Milestone presentations will report on the project's progress. All of the items assigned in each phase of the project are called Benchmark deliverables. These deliverables often consist of a combination of written submissions, presentations, and demonstrations. Benchmark assessments evaluate the progress of the project.

Preliminary Design Investigation

The Preliminary Design Investigation (PDI) is extremely important, as it lays the groundwork for the project. It outlines the project idea, inspiration, and goals.

The PDI must include:

• Cover Page
• Project Overview
• Goals & Objectives
• Design & Approach
• Cost Estimate
• Project Schedule
• Relevant Pictures

An example PDI template can be found here. The PDI is due by Benchmark A. Do not forget to include the items listed above. Use this link to access the VEX PDI Rubric.

Milestone 1

See How To Give a Milestone Presentation for the format of a Milestone presentation.

Milestone 1 Deliverables:

• Presentation:
  • Project description
  • Design approach
  • Mission statement
  • Completion of Revit How-To exercises
    • Include screenshots
  • Cost estimate
  • Microsoft Project schedule
  • Progress update: current state of the project
  • Brief explanation of what LEED categories are being tackled
    • All four required categories
    • Give a few examples on how it will be accomplished

Look Ahead: What tasks are planned between now and Milestone 2?

Benchmark Assessment A

Benchmarks evaluate the progress of the project. Benchmark A is due at the end of Model Shop Session II. There are penalties for not completing this on time. Refer to the EG1004 Grading Policy for more information.

To pass Benchmark A, the design must complete all of the following:

• One recreational space design
• One 40-student classroom design
• One 20-student classroom design
• LEED explanation for two of the categories
  • A few sentences explaining how the requirements will be integrated into the design
• Submission of logo design (or extra credit print fulfilling the mandatory logo print) in the 3D Printing Submission portal
  • More details about this can be found in the 3D Printing Guide

Milestone 2

See How To Give a Milestone Presentation for the format of a Milestone presentation.

Milestone 2 Deliverables:

• Presentation:
  • Project description
  • Design approach
  • Design changes since Milestone 1
  • Mission statement
  • Revit drawings:
    • Dimensions must be included
    • 1:240 scale
    • Floor plan
    • Front elevation
    • Most detailed side elevation
  • Cost estimate (previous and current). What changes were made?
  • Microsoft Project schedule (previous and current). What changes were made?
  • Progress update: current state of the project (time, budget, etc.)
  • Explanation of all four LEED categories being tackled
    • Include screenshots of your Revit model showing some of the implementations

Look Ahead: What tasks are planned between now and Milestone 3?

Benchmark Assessment B

Benchmark Assessment B is due at the end of Model Shop Session III. There are penalties for not completing this on time. Refer to the EG1004 Grading Policy for more information.

To pass, complete all of the following tasks:

• One recreational space design
• All classroom designs
  • 20-student, 40-student, and 100-student
• Facility of choice design
• Electrical and plumbing for one dorm room
• One completed floor plan - to be submitted for 3D printing
  • STL file of floor plan must be submitted using the 3D Printing Submission portal on the EG website
  • To receive approval of the design, visit the EG1003 Prototyping Lab
  • The STL file must be submitted and approved by Benchmark B
  • Revit floorplans can be setup for 3D printing as described in the How to Make an STL File from a Revit File Guide
  • For more information, read the 3D Printing Guide
• Explanation for all four required LEED categories
  • Some of the requirements should be shown in the Revit model
  • Ideas that cannot be shown in the Revit model should have a more detailed explanation:
    • Examples of other building projects implementing something similar
    • Explanation of the technology required
    • Justify this decision over more common solutions
• Approval of logo design (or extra credit print fulfilling the mandatory logo print) by a Protolab TA

Milestone 3

Milestone 3 Deliverables:

• Presentation:
  • Project description
  • Design approach
  • Design changes since Milestone 2
  • Mission statement
  • Revit drawings:
    • Dimensions must be included
    • 1:240 scale
    • Floor plan
    • Rendered isometric 3D view
    • Front elevation
    • Most detailed side elevation
    • Plumbing drawing
    • Electrical drawing
  • Cost estimate (previous and current). What changes were made?
  • Microsoft Project schedule (previous and current). What changes were made?
  • Progress update: current state of the project (time, budget, etc.)
  • Explanation of all four LEED categories being tackled
    • Include screenshots of your Revit model showing some of the implementations

Commissioning

Projects must be commissioned before Submission. Refer to the syllabus for Submission deadlines. There are penalties for not completing this on time. Refer to the EG1004 Grading Policy for more information.

To pass, the design must complete all of the following:

• Revit drawings (1:240 scale):
  • Floor plan for all floors
  • Plumbing system (recreational space, one classroom, and one dorm room)
  • Electrical system (recreational space, one classroom, and one dorm room)
  • Front elevation
  • Most detailed side
• Model of building (3D Revit) (1:240 scale)
  • Walk-through video
  • One 3D-printed model of a floorplan
    • Must show model and 3D Printing Submission Approval Form to a TA
• A LEED accreditation report
  • 5 - 10 pages
  • Sections to include:
    • Cover Page
    • Introduction
      • Short explanation of what LEED is
      • Explanation of the project
        • Include screenshots of your Revit model
      • Level of LEED certification being tackled
      • Explain why LEED certification is beneficial
    • Overview
      • Checklist showcasing what LEED categories are being tackled
        • Can be showcased through a table, checklist, or other form of graphic
    • LEED categories
      • Explanation on how each of the requirements for the category are being implemented
        • Examples of other buildings (only to be done if implementation cannot be showcased through Revit model)
      • Screenshots of Revit model
      • Drawings showcasing some of the LEED requirements being implemented
• Printed logo (or extra credit print fulfilling mandatory print requirements)

Final Presentation

The Final Presentation will be a technical briefing, similar to the Milestones, but also serves as a sales presentation explaining why your company should be selected instead of the competition.

Your Final Presentation must include:

• Company profile
  • Company name
  • Employee profile, role(s), and qualifications
  • Mission statement
• Problem statement
  • Why is the project happening?
  • What does the audience need to know?
• Project objective
  • What is the purpose of your project?
  • Who does your project help?
  • What problem does your project solve?
• Project description
  • Specify LEED certification
    • Examples of LEED implementations in Revit
  • Revit drawings
    • All floor plan drawings
    • Dimensions
    • 1:240 scale
  • Views of exterior of building: front elevation, side elevation, isometric elevation
    • Dimensions
• Market and product viability
  • Does your company have competitors?
  • What makes your project unique?
  • How does your design compare to competitors - cost, quality, features?
  • Is the project versatile?
  • What is the price of your project?
• Conclusion
  • Reiterating project purpose
  • Highlight project features
  • Future goals of the company
  • Why should your company be awarded this contract?
• Video pitch
  • Price of project
  • Walkthrough animation of building in Revit
  • Embedded into Final Presentation
• Problem statement
• Solution overview
• Company description and qualifications
• Drawings
  • Specify LEED certification
• Cost estimates
• Microsoft Project schedule
• Construction schedule
• Walk-through video
• 3D-printed model
• Why should the company be awarded this contract?

Submission

All SLDPs must be submitted online. Please visit this page for the link to the Project Submission form and each project’s individualized login information. To submit, login to the EG1004 website using this special login information. Submitting with an NYU account or any other account will generate an error. Components may be resubmitted at any time before the deadline. Please note that submission times are based on the most recent submission.

Please note the deliverables for this project are as follows. If any of the following items are omitted, there will be a penalty. Be sure to click "Submit" at the bottom of the form and allow sufficient time for uploading. The following list includes deliverable items that are required:

• Submission deliverables:
  • Final presentation
  • Initial sketch
  • Final drawings of design
    • All floors must have an accompanying drawing
  • Model
  • STL file of one floor for 3D printing
  • Walk-through video
  • Final Microsoft Project schedule
  • Final construction schedule
  • Final cost estimates
  • Table with power, A/C, and heat tabulations
  • Resume(s) (no fictitious resumes will be accepted)

Late Submission

Late submission is not allowed. If a project does not Commission or receive Partial Commission by the deadline set forth in the syllabus, the project will not be allowed to submit and will receive a 0 for the project grade. To receive Partial Commissioning, two TAs must evaluate the project and determine its degree of completion according to the Commissioning requirements and the project will be given a grade accordingly. Please refer to the EG1004 Grading Policy for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use a 40-student classroom as a 20-student classroom as well?

A: No, each type of classroom must have a unique design. However, all ten 40-student classrooms can be the same design as each other. The same applies to the 20-student classrooms and 100-student lecture halls.

Q: What's the largest number of floors I can create?

A: The largest number of drawings you feel confident creating before the end of the semester. 100 floors = 100 drawings.

Q: Why am I getting an error when I try to add sanitation pipes to my plumbing plan?

A: Check page 26 of the Revit How-To guide!