Intelligent 3D Curtain Wall Design

Goethe said that “By seeking and blundering we learn ....“

Well I am not so sure that I would like to start a career in engineering knowing I was blundering in order to learn. But his point is bluntly put - that what we call 'knowledge' is gained through making mistakes. In other words, engineers push the envelope in design, making things bigger or lighter until they fail and then seeking out what went wrong.

In some cases, this leads to fundamental research to capture the laws of nature in formulae. In other cases, it leads to best practice or rules. This is how the aerospace industry has made flying one of the safest modes of transport.

Templated Designs

So why not apply this knowledge and practice in the design of Glass Curtain Walls? Capture the knowledge and practice of others in formulae and rules?

Well, at Desktop Engineering we have taken this idea and developed what we term an Intelligent Glass Facade for façade designers and fabricators.

Using Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, we have captured the rules and formulae that drive the shape, strength, weight and cost of a panel, together with the transom, mullion and gasket design.

By using this intelligent templated design, with an automated process for replicating them on a 3D building model, in minutes’ users are able to create a full design, together with manufacturing drawings, material schedules and costs. Alternate designs can be recreated by simply varying one or several parameters and then seeing the resultant recalculated cost and design.

Of course there is no one single set of “knowledge” or “experience” as then there would be no differentiation between competing façade fabricators. However, with the basis of one set of Knowledge within our Intelligent Glass Facade, we are able to customise this to suit particular fabricators.

Watch the short video demonstration to highlight this process, give us a call on +44(0) 1993 883555 or email us to find out how we can help you.

Learn more in the Dassault Systemes whitepaper: 

END-TO-END COLLABORATION ENABLED BY BIM LEVEL 3: An Industry Approach Based on Best Practices from Manufacturing