Capturing a Scheme Design for Rainscreen Cladding

Abstract:   This article reports on the exploratory application of product modeling techniques to the cladding of buildings. More specifically, it focuses on the development of a product model to formally capture the scheme design for a building that is clad with "rainscreen cladding." Such a model would enable the cladding scheme design to be conveyed in digital form throughout the subsequent procurement process. Rainscreen cladding was selected as being an exemplar of the cladding types used on buildings, although the resulting product model provides for the capture of visual and functional requirements. The article introduces the wider context of the research, explains the particular focus adopted for the modeling, describes the as-developed product model and includes an outline of prototype software that was developed specifically to help validate the model. The resulting product model could readily be reworked as a cladding extension to the IFC or the CIS/2.