We’re excited to announce the launch of PreDesign; SketchUp’s brand new tool for design research. PreDesign is a web-based tool that provides the insights you need to understand how the climate should influence your design, before you get started in 3D. All you need is a location and a building type. If you are an architect, landscape architect, urban planner, or looking to develop a project, PreDesign will enable you to better understand your site’s specific climate to zero-in on the most viable design options and craft an intelligent narrative with context. With PreDesign, you set the stage for success and get clients on board with your proposals.
PreDesign provides a concise overview of the seasons, sky conditions, and predominant winds in your site. You’ll also get recommendations on how to respond to these conditions and answer answer questions such as, “What type of shading devices should I be considering?”; “How much glass is too much glass on each facade of my building?”; “What types of windows should I be looking to specify?” and much more. Armed with these insights, you’ll be able to decide, with confidence, what architectural features you need to make the most of your site and propose thoughtful, climate-responsive design solutions.
If you are a SketchUp Pro, Studio, or Enterprise subscription customer, you can already access PreDesign. Just go to predesign.sketchup.com and login with your Trimble ID.
For more about PreDesign, you can read the full announcement here in our blog.
The full announcement says that I can access it now if I have a Pro Subscription (I do), but no link! Only link is to interactive webinar on December 3!
One validation they can make as a way case study is to make the predesign in one existing building (or several) and check the results between the case study and the predesign results, check numbers and %.
Thanks Dave. Which bits seemed off to you?
One thing to be aware of, the calculation factors in the occupancy schedule of the building type you used. If you looked at office it wouldn’t have counted very many night-time hours, for example.
Thanks trampy.
The advice is largely based on achieving the equivalent insulation to what an ASHRAE code compliant baseline would require. Glazing Ratio - How Its Calculated | SketchUp Help
With that code, the more insulation you use, the better. I also don’t always agree with that as a solution (and energy modellers have many arguments about that too).
Sorry. I was sort of being facetious. I think generally it’s colder here in the winter than that indicates and it tends to be hotter and more miserable (due to the humidity) in the summer. There aren’t many days in the summer that I’d call “Glorious”.
It’s time-step based so we have a calculation for every hour from the historical weather data for your site (yes we have a calculation to work out if, at that time, it’s “glorious”).
Until we have a support article, you should know anything from 68F to 86F, without high winds, fits in the yellow space. Residential covers all hours from 6am to 10pm so the % of hours in the middle of the day is constrained relatively as well.
Anyway, definitely know when I will be coming to SE Minnesota now…
This is an amazing Architectural Design Toole that I have been waiting for for years -it is truly innovative not gimmicky and potentially a real help to clarify Climate in Design -many thanks -sadly I am near retirement ( I am a Building Designer /Home Energy Assessor) so this has come a touch late but will benefit my communication with Clients immenseley -many thanks
Question -does the Design Toole take the changing effects of Climate Change into Account -eg here in Australia many locations have become hotter since the 1970s? -our Climate Data is out of date !!!
