A stable geometry transformation module from 3D geometry data to building energy model

It is suggested that building performance simulation should be prioritized in the early design stage. One of the main research gaps was the geometry transformation from Computer Aid Design (CAD) model to Building Energy Model (BEM). This transformation was limited by the complexity of building energy model and its difference to sketch building model in geometric representation.

This research established and validated a geometry transformation method from *.obj boundary representation data to BEM. It is improved from a method which can automatically recognize the first level space boundary (1LSB) by closed contour recognition on the dimensional reduction (DR) model, and generate the space from *.obj geometric data based on the 1LSB. The topology of second level space boundary (2LSB) was built, and the geometry and topology data were translated into a structural building information model which can be used for energy simulation by the software MOOSAS. Furthermore, the method was tested on a *.obj model dataset including 2000 sketch models made by architect students.

The method shows great robustness in any building geometry input. It has been packed into a python module. This open-access module can be included to establish an automation from CAD model to BEM like energyplus models.