Dr Andrew Marsh will be giving a FREE lecture at the AIA in New York this Tuesday (14th Nov. 2006) entitled "Starting from Square One: Integrating Environmental Simulation into the Digital Design Process".

Andrew will of course be demonstrating many of the advanced features and uses for ECOTECT within the design process, but also championing the adoption of performance analysis from the earliest design stages -- showing that it's not only possible, but an extremely productive and stimulating process for the design team.

Date: Tuesday, 14th November, 2006

Time: 6pm to 8pm ET

Location: Center for Architecture. 536 LaGuardia Place, New York. Main Lecture Hall (Lower Level).

Admission: FREE

Further Information: aiany.org/calendar/event.php?id=1003292

Important Note: Seating for this event is limited. You must RSVP to Paul Seletsky at SOM in order to attend.

Lecture Overview:

The challenges involved in the design of high performance buildings offer architects the chance to fully engage with some of the more interesting developments in building analysis and simulation. Rather than cede control to an army of specialist engineers, many of the methods and techniques involved can actually be used by the designers themselves.

This is very important as it then becomes possible to tightly integrate analysis and simulation within the early design process, providing architects with invaluable insight early enough to guide and shape design decisions at all levels.

Andrew's talk will cover:

• the many different kinds of analysis architects can now easily undertake,
• just what level of detail is required to provide useful design information at each stage in the process,
• how the visual representation of simulation results is key to their usefulness and the insight they can provide, and
• how iterative and generative analysis can be used by designers at the earliest stages to provide a vital reference against which all subsequent design decisions can be judged

What materials to use, how big to make windows, how much insulation is needed - these aren’t things we should be making a guess at, or applying generic rules of thumb, or even being guided solely by catch-all building regulations.

For these types of questions designer's need hard, accurate, timely and useful information. Square One's aim is to develop software and analysis tools that provide exactly that.