What brief input does TESSA 1.0 offer? 

TESSA currently offers the following brief inputs: 

Building Separation

The minimum distance between adjacent buildings. A single value is applied to the entire site, uniform across all zones. Default value is 7.0m, and can be customised, although regulations may apply. 

Max Building

The maximum number of buildings desired in a zone.
Default value is 100 (maximum bound) to allow our suite of algorithm to optimise the site design. 

Example: if the user sets this value to 3, all Design Options generated will contain a maximum of 3 buildings. This can lead to disproportionally long buildings generated within large zones.

Podium

Allows the user to add a podium. 

Podium Use

Commercial is the only option that is currently available.
The area available for commercial unit(s) is given in the Design Metrics, and is calculated after allowing for services, amenities and main entrances.

Podium Level(s)

If Podium is enabled, the number of podium level(s) desired.
Default value is 1.

Podium Height

If Podium is enabled, the height of each podium level. 

Default is 4.0m, which is measured from the top of the ground floor slab to the top of the slab on the floor above. It accounts for the slab thickness to support the residential modules above but not the supporting ground floor slab.

Residential Floors Count

The number of residential floors above the podium. The total number of floors is Podium Level(s) + Residential Floors Count.

Building Height

The total height of the building from the top of the ground floor structure to the top of the upmost structural component.

CIL (Clear Internal Height)

The height measured from the Finished Floor Level (FFL) to the underside of the ceiling in habitable rooms. The CIL accounts for a suspended ceiling zone suitable for building services and floor build-up. Fixed at 2.45m

Unit Mix

The target distribution of the following unit categories to be aggregated in all buildings of a zone: 

• 1B2P 
• 2B3P 
• 2B4P 
• 3B5P 
• 3B6P

Coming soon (TESSA 1.1)

Service Areas

• "Method of energy generation": allows the user to change the default MEP system.
  This will vary the minimum size requirements for service areas.
• "Electrical power requirements": allows the user to change the default assumed electrical requirements of the buildings aggregated in a zone.
  This will vary the minimum size and room requirements for service areas.

The user also has the option to add the following service requirements: 

• Sprinklers
• Electrical substation  
• Rainwater harvesting system
• Greywater harvesting system  

Façade Options

For the external render of the façade. This will based on a number of options compatible with our physical product, to refine the cost plans generated in TESSA and how buildings are rendered.