Grimshaw Architects | Miami Museum of Science Environmental Modeling

CASE was hired by Grimshaw Architects as part of a US Department of Energy Renewable Energy Project Grant to assist in the research, design and planning necessary for a full integration of the renewable energy resources and optimal energy efficiency in the new Miami Museum of Science.

CASE, along with Grimshaw, Arup Lighting and Syska Hennessy Group are investigating effective passive and active design strategies to reduce overall building loads, exploring both on and off-site approaches to renewable energy and developing the museum building as an exhibit to inform new approaches for energy efficient design. CASE was hired to enable and manage the flow of information between the various software platforms used by the design team and consultants, linking geometry with analysis data.

CASE also provides in-house environmental modeling and analysis for the design team in order to facilitate an iterative approach to design incorporating preliminary environmental feedback. Specifically, we use tools such as Ecotect and IES, linked to models from Revit and SketchUp, to evaluate the impact of overall building mass, materials and programmatic organization on natural ventilation, solar shading, and daylighting.

Ecotect: Sectional CFD Analysis, showing effects of open (top) and closed (bottom) conditions

Ecotect: Level 4 CFD Analysis, showing effects of open (top) and closed (bottom) conditions

All images courtesy of Grimshaw Architects.