Public Funding for Designbuilder Software Limited

To develop and implement tools to process and compare building simulation model results (eg energy use) with operational reality and create a new proactive 'industry engagement and outreach system' to disseminate them, extending market sectors and key products.

DesignBuilder Software Ltd. (DBS) teams up with De Montfort University (DMU) and Zero Energy Design Ltd. (ZED) in the research and development of innovative building performance simulation software that can be used to assist design decision making in all stages of the life cycle of low impact buildings. The most significant innovations include: (1) the concept of “one tool, multiple user interface” to meet the demand of different target audiences; (2) the first commercial software with a robust algorithmic optimisation capability suitable for selecting practical cost-effective energy-saving measures; and (3) a new on-line service-based business model that would help build a user community and provide easy access to design guidance and facilities. The primary output of the project will be a low impact building design/decision tool capable of identifying a range of optimal design configurations. The tool will be accessible and useful for a number of industry user groups from architects through property owners to occupants. The new software will be based on DBS's existing industry-leading product, DesignBuilder v3. The specialities of the academic partner (DMU), i.e. cutting-edge optimisation technologies and knowledge of existing UK building stock, plus ZED's expertise in delivering low impact building design, will be integrated in the new tool. In addition to the new user interfaces and the optimisation engine, a library of components and templates, cost and carbon emission models, as well as a prototype of the on-line service platform, will be researched and developed.

Although there are many tools purporting to facilitate the design of low impact buildings, many are expensive and lack the ability to simultaneously predict the impact of design options on multiple performance indicators. They typically address the design and construction process in a piecemeal fashion and do not interoperate with other tools. To address these shortcomings, we have developed the Low Impact Development Explorer (LIDx) tool which allows users to easily develop 3D models of developments and immediately see the implications of their decisions as the design progresses. LIDx offers the real-time display of multiple performance measures; embodied carbon, waste, and cost, on an easy-to-read dashboard. LIDx has been developed as a plugin to the free SketchUp 3D CAD tool from Google, essentially extending SketchUp into a BIM tool. It has been developed to interoperate with software for energy modelling and simulation in real-time using the gbXML standard for green building data exchange. It can also generate BIM data into the Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie) spreadsheet format being promoted by the UK Government BIM Strategy Group. A series of 8 short YouTube videos have been produced to demonstrate the end-to-end functionality of the tool. This is available on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/tsbLIB/videos ) and through the project website (www.lowimpactbuildings.org ). The LIDx software prototype is being made available through the project website and we are soliciting funding for further development.