Metal rainscreen system: adaptive component vs curtai wall

[graphite]

I am working on a project which uses a metal rainscreen assembly. I am trying to figure out if modeling the metal panel as an adaptive component would be better than having the metal rain screen modeled as a basic wall: curtain wall. The adaptive component route seems more efficient downstream when detailing; however, I can see more time spent up front modeling the adaptive way.

Other downstream thoughts, what effect do these different methods have upon scheduling and material takeoff?

Or should this be solved with curtain panel pattern based?

Thoughts/recommendations?

[damon.sidel]

I'd definitely go with the basic wall: curtain wall. I'm not sure what efficiency you see for detailing adaptive components. We were using a pattern-based panel (essentially an adaptive component, right?) for our facade system. It was good for quite some time, but when it came time to start detailing, we found trying to add more detail to the panel family became extremely cumbersome. It really depends on how you're using it, but I really think if the standard curtain wall works for your purpose, it will prove easier in the long run. Can you post an image of what your metal rain screen system looks like?

[rosskirby]

Unless you're going to use a prescriptive specification, I'd go with the generic curtain wall and detailing. Otherwise, you may be wasting your time tying your design into a product that isn't going to be used.

[graphite]

Looks like that is how the manufacturers are distributing their families as well. Basic wall: curtain wall. I guess the pattern based curtain wall allows for more flexibility when representing custom curtain wall applications? It would be nice if somewhere there was a diagram which defined pros and cons or typical applications for all these systems. Curtain wall, adaptive component, pattern based panel. It seems as though they all can do the same thing but differently?
I'd definitely go with the basic wall: curtain wall. I'm not sure what efficiency you see for detailing adaptive components. We were using a pattern-based panel (essentially an adaptive component, right?) for our facade system. It was good for quite some time, but when it came time to start detailing, we found trying to add more detail to the panel family became extremely cumbersome. It really depends on how you're using it, but I really think if the standard curtain wall works for your purpose, it will prove easier in the long run. Can you post an image of what your metal rain screen system looks like?

[damon.sidel]

It seems as though they all can do the same thing but differently?

In my experience, the basic wall curtain wall works 99.9% of the time. If you do a Google search for the pattern-based panels and adaptive components, you'll mainly see very, very custom stuff. A lot of double-curved surface facade systems. Check out the conceptual design tools section of the Revit forum or the buildz blog for examples of the adaptive components and pattern based panels.