DesignBuilder Software

🏘️Modelling a dormer roof (often called a “room in a roof”) and other complex geometry can be very difficult and time-consuming in some software. The information below might help. Outline blocks are one of several DesignBuilder features that help to make even the most difficult geometry modelling faster and easier. Shown in blue in the image, Outline blocks are representative 3D shapes without “physical” properties. So they can intersect with other objects, allowing them to be used to create complex shapes such as dormer roofs. Once you’ve drawn your Outline block, you simply trim it to the relevant surface and convert it to a Component or Building block as required. 📐Outline blocks can also be used as temporary planes for positioning construction lines and 2D PDF or DXF underlays from which Building blocks or other outlines and complex geometry can be created. While modelling dormer roofs can be challenging in some software, this common building feature provides a good example illustrating why DesignBuilder makes geometry creation and editing faster and easier. 🚀 You can find out more about this and other time-saving geometry creation and editing tools via the links in the comments below 👇 👇 . #DesignBuilder #BuildingPerformance #EnergyModelling #BuildingSimulation #EnergyPlus #Productivity #GeometryModelling #DormerRoof

✨ Featured Case Study: Integrated HVAC Design and Off-Grid Energy System 🏆 This post is based on award-winning work by a team from CEPT University, winners of the IBPSA World Student Modelling Competition 2025. 🌱 Maintaining strict environmental conditions in cultural buildings can be energy‑intensive, especially in remote locations with an unreliable grid supply. This study explores how integrated HVAC optimisation and renewable energy design can enhance both performance and resilience at the Bundanon Art Gallery, Australia. Using DesignBuilder, the team compared the existing ground-source heat pump system with an optimised hybrid solution incorporating VRF, VAV, and water‑cooled chillers. The optimised hybrid system delivered remarkable performance gains: ✅ 54% reduction in annual energy use ✅ 72% reduction in HVAC electricity consumption ✅ Energy Performance Index reduced from 297 to 134 kWh/m²·year ✅ Most zones maintained within 2% unmet hours ⚙️ The study highlights how conventional systems can mask inefficiencies when not aligned with zone‑level demands, while hybrid systems provide greater flexibility and efficiency. 🔋 By adopting a fully integrated, system‑level approach combining optimised HVAC design with renewable energy, it is possible to achieve substantial energy savings and move towards near energy autonomy. 📄 Read the full case study, written by Akarshna Krishnan, MTech & PhD, Building Energy Performance (BEP), CEPT University, from the link in the comments below 👇 . #SustainableDesign #HVACEngineering #BuildingPerformance #EnergyEfficiency #NetZeroBuildings

🤔 As climate change increases cooling loads and overheating risks, what cooling strategy should you use? When cooling loads increase, mixed-mode and DX-assisted “hybrid” strategies offer a middle ground between fully passive and fully mechanical cooling. But the modelling challenge isn't defining the strategy; it's testing how ventilation, controls, and HVAC perform coherently together. 💡 With DesignBuilder, you can quickly test these strategies in one model using EnergyPlus’s Detailed HVAC and airflow network. The simulation runs both in the same EnergyPlus pressure-driven model, so the interaction between openings, controls, and mechanical cooling is fully simulated rather than assumed. 🔁 You can test these hybrid strategies early, then develop the same model into detailed performance analysis, overheating or compliance studies without rebuilding it. To help you get started, we’ve produced: 🔹 a modelling guide for DX-assisted ventilation 🔹 a tutorial for Mixed-mode systems These resources are designed to reduce setup time and help you apply hybrid strategies more confidently. 👇 The guide is added here, and there are comments below with links to download it and to access the tutorial. #BuildingSimulation #MixedModeVentilation #EnergyPlus #DesignBuilder #AirflowNetwork #PassiveCooling

💡 Did you know you can now convert any DesignBuilder block type (Standard, Component, or Outline) to any other in just a few clicks using the recently extended Convert Blocks tool? 🤯 If you’ve ever created complex geometry, then realised you used the wrong block type, you’ll immediately see the value of this feature! If not, here are three scenarios to help you visualise where this can really help: 1️⃣ Early concept to detailed design: Build with Component blocks, then convert to Standard when you're ready to simulate zones and finalise systems. 2️⃣ Detailed model to rapid analysis: Convert Standard back to Component for fast feasibility checks without creating a separate model. 3️⃣ Wrong block type selected: Correct it without rebuilding geometry from scratch. It’s a small enhancement, but one that makes a big difference to modelling efficiency and workflow agility as your design and geometry evolve. 👇 Find out more via the link in the comments below. #DesignBuilder #BuildingSimulation #EnergyModelling #BuildingGeometry #WorkflowEfficiency

🍃 Natural ventilation cooling alone isn’t sufficient for some buildings and climates. But have you explored whether mixed-mode ventilation could meet the cooling demand using less energy? 🏢 DesignBuilder provides an easy way to use the global gold-standard EnergyPlus Airflow Network to predict natural airflow through buildings. This improves the accuracy of passive design, overheating studies, and hybrid ventilation analysis. 🔀 The mixed-mode ventilation option in DesignBuilder prioritises natural ventilation, with mechanical cooling operating only when needed. DesignBuilder’s mixed-mode option provides: 🔹 Airflow driven by wind and buoyancy 🔹 Windows and vents opening when indoor conditions call for it 🔹 HVAC taking over only when natural ventilation can’t maintain comfort 🔹 Shut-off logic for rain, wind or extreme outdoor conditions ⚙️ It provides a practical way to test how passive and mechanical strategies can work together to optimise building performance. See the link in the comments below 👇 for a free step-by-step tutorial to model Mixed Model ventilation in DesignBuilder. #MixedMode #HybridVentilation #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability #NetZero #Overheating #BuildingPerformance

📈🚀 Simulation-Driven Design Helps to Exceed NECB Standards 🏗️ A Calgary multifamily project set out to cut energy use by at least 25% and GHG emissions by over 50%, using the NECB 2017 Green Buildings Priority Stream as its benchmark. DesignBuilder enabled the team to model the building in detail, test viable options early, and target the most impactful efficiency measures. This turned an ambitious mandate into a data-driven design process grounded in performance rather than guesswork. 🎯 Parametric analysis evaluated envelope upgrades, glazing options, and mechanical systems simultaneously, identifying combinations that compounded incremental gains into major performance improvements: 🔹 Envelope: insulation levels, roof R-values, wall constructions 🔹 Glazing: window-to-wall ratios, triple-pane specifications 🔹 Mechanical: radiant floor heating, condensing boilers, high-efficiency DHW systems and low-flow fixtures The final design exceeded all targets, with several scenarios reaching ~30% energy savings and >51% GHG reductions. No single measure delivered the result; it was the compounding effect of optimised systems modelled accurately together. Read the Calgary case study from the link in the comments below 👇 #EnergyEfficiency #GHGReduction #NECB2017 #GreenBuildings #SustainableDesign

🌬️ As building envelopes and HVAC systems improve, effective modelling can reduce the risk of natural ventilation and infiltration becoming the weakest link in a building’s performance. 🏢 DesignBuilder provides an easy way to use the global gold-standard EnergyPlus Airflow Network to predict natural airflow through buildings. This improves the accuracy of passive design, overheating studies, and hybrid ventilation analysis. Using DesignBuilder’s calculated natural ventilation option, you can model: 🔹 Pressure-driven airflow through windows, vents, and cracks 🔹 Opening control based on temperature, enthalpy or adaptive comfort (CEN 15251 / ASHRAE 55) 🔹 Opening modulation to reduce cold draughts and over-cooling 🔃 You can also easily switch between the simple 'scheduled' and detailed 'calculated' natural ventilation options in the same DesignBuilder model, making it easy to move from quick early-stage testing to detailed analysis as your design evolves. 🎓 To find out more, see the comments for a link to our free short tutorial on Calculated Natural Ventilation. #DesignBuilder #NaturalVentilation #BuildingPerformance #PassiveDesign #AirflowNetwork #BuildingPerformance 

🐣Easter Holiday Closure and Support Details 📅 Please note that DesignBuilder's UK office will be closed for the Easter holiday on Monday, 6th April. 🔧 Our Support Desk will remain operational during the Easter period, ensuring that technical support is provided as usual: https://lnkd.in/dAr-tmaw

🚀 DesignBuilder v2025.1.1 Released A new maintenance update for DesignBuilder v2025.1 is now available, including a range of improvements to enhance performance and stability. ⬆️ If you are currently using DesignBuilder v2025.1, we recommend upgrading to v2025.1.1. The update can be downloaded from our website via the link below. 🔍 To learn more about the key features introduced in the latest DesignBuilder v2025.1, visit our website. See the link in the comments below 👇 #DesignBuilder #SoftwareUpdate #BuildingSimulation #EnergyModelling #BuildingPerformance #SustainableDesign

👏DesignBuilder Insights Wins ASHRAE UK Award! Announced at the ASHRAE UK Awards last Friday, we are delighted to receive the ASHRAE UK “Advanced Visualisation Techniques” Award for DesignBuilder’s new Insights platform. We appreciate ASHRAE UK’s recognition of the innovation and rigour behind this new DesignBuilder capability. So what made Insights stand out? 🔍 Deeper Data Exploration Move beyond static outputs with fully interactive analysis of optimisation, sensitivity, and parametric results. 📊 Parallel Coordinates Plots Quickly identify trends and correlations using intuitive “brushing” tools and colour-coded variables, making complex multi-dimensional data far easier to interpret. 🫧 Bubble Plots Add extra layers of insight by visualising multiple dimensions at once. Bubble size and colour reveal performance and design relationships at a glance. 🤝 Collaboration & Reporting Turn analysis into action. Generate high-quality visuals and share findings seamlessly with your team to support more informed, evidence-based design decisions. Whether you're taking a deeper dive into your building's simulation results, fine-tuning your building's performance, teaching simulation, or conducting advanced research, Insights is designed to help you gain a better understanding and make better decisions. 👇Find out more about Insights from the link in the comments below. #DesignBuilder #Insights #Visualisation #Optimisation #BuildingPerformanceSimulation #EnergyModelling ASHRAE ASHRAE UK Chapter