From Complexity to Clarity: How SSOE Streamlined Façade Decisions and Accelerated Collaboration Using Envelope Analysis

Executive Summary

SSOE, a global architecture and engineering firm, used FenestraPro Envelope Analysis to streamline project design decisions. By evaluating multiple glazing options through rapid performance simulations, the team accelerated decision-making, improved collaboration, and confidently selected optimal façade configurations. The result: a faster, more informed design process that balanced daylighting and cooling loads, completed in a fraction of the usual time.

When SSOE, a global architecture and engineering firm, took on the design of a new manufacturing facility in the Southeastern region of the United States, they faced a challenge familiar to most architects: how do we make informed, performance-driven design decisions early in the process, without slowing down collaboration, or compromising on quality.

At the heart of the project was a critical design decision: selecting the optimal façade glazing configuration. The team evaluated three options:

  • A traditional storefront system with multiple windows
  • A simplified, window-only design
  • A horizontal storefront configuration

While local building codes were considered, the primary driver for both the design team and the client was building performance—specifically, how different glazing strategies would impact daylighting and internal heat gains / cooling loads.

SSOE’s typical workflow involves extensive coordination across disciplines, which can often be time-consuming and fragmented. Although a Revit model was already in place, it was initially linked to Autodesk Forma for early-stage environmental analysis. However, this provided only external insights, leaving a gap in understanding how internal conditions would be affected by different design choices.

To bridge this gap, the team turned to Envelope Analysis within Forma. This tool enabled them to quickly study glazing percentages and assess their impact on both heat gain and daylighting across the building’s façades.

“Coordination with our mechanical designers was so much quicker and easier because we obtained information through Envelope Analysis early on,”

Dulce Lopez Parra, Architect at SSOE.

By running multiple analyses and studies in to the differing envelope options in rapid succession, the team generated comparative reports and visual data that supported faster, more confident decision-making. What would typically take hours was completed in minutes.

“Using Envelope Analysis allowed us to carry out a process that would usually take a full day – or more – in just twenty minutes,”

Through this process, SSOE was able to identify the optimal window-to-wall ratios (WWRs) for each façade—striking the right balance between maximizing natural light and minimizing unwanted heat gain. The clear, graphical outputs from Forma helped the team communicate their findings effectively, both internally and with the client.

Key Benefits Realized:

  1. Accelerated Decision-Making: What once took a full day was reduced to minutes, enabling the team to iterate faster and meet tight deadlines.
  2. Improved Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Early access to performance data streamlined coordination between architects and mechanical designers.
  3. Data-Driven Design Confidence: Visual insights and comparative reports empowered the team to make informed, performance-optimized design choices.

By integrating Envelope Analysis into their early-stage workflow, SSOE not only enhanced their design process but also demonstrated how digital tools can unlock smarter, faster, and more collaborative project delivery.

Contact Us

Add any comments here

Click to Submit Form