The annual Tygron Community of Practice took place this year on November 11th. This meeting is by and for users: a moment where knowledge, experience, skills, applications, and the latest technological developments converge. During the CoP, several Tygron users, including engineers from TAUW, shared their experiences using the platform.
Climate adaptation requires smart solutions that are both effective and efficient. Ruben Keizer and Len Geisler of Tauw Consultancy and Engineering demonstrate how data-driven design using Tygron can accelerate and improve the process of climate-resilient urban projects.
“Today, we’re going to share with you the climate design challenges we encounter at Tauw,” begins Ruben Keizer. He emphasizes that the challenges are often similar and that a standardized approach ensures efficiency. Yet, there’s still plenty of room for customization. “Very often still very project-based, but we’ve now created a fully standardized approach for that as well.” It’s crucial that both processes and tools are designed to simplify knowledge sharing between parties and enable iterative designs to deliver results more quickly.
Iterative process
Tauw has established an entire web-based network of tools connected via APIs and stackers. “We’ve essentially built an ecosystem of different tools, each with its own place to answer complex questions,” says Len Geisler. From FME for GIS analyses to Tygron’s 3D client and various viewers for interpretation and communication, everything is designed for flexibility and efficiency. Geisler emphasizes the practical benefit: “It helps enormously with quality assurance, but also with design reviews, to have the right models in place.”
Keizer demonstrates how data from existing infrastructure, such as roads and waterways, is combined with project data to create both 2D and 3D representations that can be used for further analysis. Crucially, the process is iterative and supports both policymakers and designers: “We’re also noticing that there’s increasing interest from the design side, from project managers, to apply this in projects themselves,” says Keizer.
Standardization and Flexibility
The duo also discussed the various levels of design information provided, ranging from sketches to advanced BIM models via the Autodesk Construction Cloud. “As soon as a designer is finished in their BIM environment and we know they’re up to date, we can hit refresh and a new design is immediately added to the project area.” This enables truly iterative work, where a design cycle can be completed ten times with relative ease.
Geisler then elaborated on the analysis tools: “An example is walking distance to coolness; once that’s standardized, we’ll incorporate it into the flow.” This makes it possible to quickly and reliably assess climate factors such as heat, shade, and flooding in the design. The combination of standardization and flexibility makes the process scalable, from small redevelopments to larger urban projects.
