Six Degrees of Simulation

摘要

In architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), every building is its own prototype, a one-off, an original. This approach places high value on analytical tools that enable designers to simulate and visualize the behavior of a proposed structure under varying conditions. Prescriptive building codes provide static formulas that regulate passive aspects of building performance, such as structural "dead loads" or thermal insulation values. However, descriptive aspects of dynamic building behavior— from lighting and acoustics to seismic and wind loads to fire resistance and escape routes-—require, correspondingly dynamic mathematical simulations that can best be understood through visualization.