1. A
rchitecture is about providing a sense
of place, a comfortable setting to live,
work or play. It’s also about how a
building fits into its context, how the elevation
and shape relate. Building performance is
also an important consideration – how do
you achieve an architectural solution by
adding additional criteria such as controlling
heat losses and heat gains, while also
maximising natural daylight?
BIM brings new opportunities
to design
Advances in Building Information Modelling
(BIM) present massive opportunities for per-
formance considerations to be married to the
aesthetic. The emergence of computational
design in manufacturing has shown a way
that design options can be presented and
refined based on set goals. FenestraPro is
taking this approach into the AEC industry and
providing a solution focused on performance
led generative design, which uses selected
performance goals to explore permutations
of the design solution to find the best option
to meet the aesthetic requirement.
Imagine automatically generating different
design outcomes based on performance
requirements while having instantaneous
feedback from different perspectives, includ-
ing the aesthetic, to produce the most opti-
mised design solution available. In simple
terms, the concept of generative design is
like finding directions in Google Maps – it
allows you to choose from different “routes”
to your final (design) destination without
compromising on where your planned
arrival is, or how to get there.
FenestraPro
FenestraPro utilises this concept by allowing
the user to explore different options on how
to get to the desired place they want to get
to from a design standpoint, while optimis-
ing façade design. In both the conceptual
design environment and the project environ-
ment, FenestraPro dynamically proposes
design alternatives based on user defined
energy requirements. It is a unique applica-
tion that operates within Revit as a modeless
add-in, reading directly from the model and
generating the design solution on the model.
Optimal design solutions including glazing
arrangements and shading design are cre-
ated and written back to the model dynam-
ically and intuitively. Further development
will see the introduction of more sophisti-
cated shading devices, as well as introducing
defined alternatives for glazing and shading
to meet pre-defined performance criteria in
the project environment.
Generative design focuses on aesthetics
and performance to create quality
Rachel Waite, Business Development Manager, FenestraPro discusses
the importance of performance led generative design for AEC…
The concept of generative design is changing
the world of design by saving time through
the generation of multiple ideas, along with
performance-based options, boosting cre-
ativity by exploring additional design options,
and preventing expensive changes thereby
saving time and cost. FenestraPro is leading
the way in performance led generative
design for AEC and enabling the designer to
create better performing buildings to meet
the aesthetic intent.
1
Rachel Waite
Business Development Manager
FenestraPro
Tel: +353 (0)1 661 9609
rwaite@fenestrapro.com
www.fenestrapro.com
www.twitter.com/fenestrapro
“Modelling and simulation are an important way to evaluate facade performance.
Effective design tools should evaluate accurately, but more importantly should speed up
and simplify the design process, so that it becomes affordable for the design firm and easier
for designers of all technical abilities to carry it out. Tools that provide rapid generation of
design alternatives become the key to this comprehensive, affordable design approach.”
Adam Simmons – Regional BIM Manager, Gensler, Washington DC.

2. Façade Performance
Software for Architects
www.fenestrapro.com
20W/m2
10W/m2
30W/m2
OPTION 1 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 2 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 3 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 5 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 6 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 7 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
OPTION 4 - Heat Gains 20W/m2 OPTION 8 - Heat Gains 20W/m2
Required Heat Gains
Set Performance Goal (eg Heat Gains/Daylighting)
FenestraPro will apply appropriate
% Glazing to Model
Set Geometric Parameters (Openings, Height etc)
FenestraPro will apply appropriate
% Glazing to Model
Set Glazing Specification/Shading etc
FenestraPro will apply appropriate
% Glazing to Model
LEADINGTHEWAYIN
PERFORMANCEBASEDGENERATIVEDESIGN
FORTHEAECINDUSTRY
FenestraPro Premium for Revit will drive facade design according to the
required performances (Heat Gains, Daylighting &Thermal Performance) to
give the designer multiple options to achieve those goals. As the designer
sets further parameters, FenestraPro will iterate further options.
Example below shows Heat Gains:
for Autodesk Revit
VERSION 3.0
Design Better
Performing Buildings
BIMToday_MockLayout2.indd 4 20/12/2016 12:59