Research Project Investigation

ABSTRACT

 What I’m proposing to undertake for my research project is somewhat intertwined with my studio project for this semester. Currently, my studio is working on a residential project that incorporates retail as well. What we are trying to accomplish is an urban residence that will attract people of all ages, in hopes that the city will develop and flourish. For this classes project, I want to focus on perfecting the model of the exterior structure, using sketch up. I will then place the perfected model in its existing location in Albemarle, NC using a map from google maps that I will place in sketch up. After I have completed both of these tasks I will render the model in Podium. By doing all of these things, I will have advanced my skills in computer aided programs and my eligibility in the practice of interior architecture. All of the computer programs I have listed above are used in the interior architecture practice, and it would be beneficial for me to learn them at a higher degree.

 METHODOLOGY

 To accomplish this project, I will first use sketch up, which I am fairly well at, to create the model of the residence. I will then have to learn how to take a geographical map of the city of Albemarle and crop it to the scale I need, and figure out how to import that image into sketch up. Importing the image into the 3D scene in sketch up is going to take a lot of altering when it comes to scaling it to look realistic, as well as making the map match the scale of my sketch up model of the residence. I will have to play with the opacity, and transparency of the image to make it look like the model I’ve built belongs in the image of the city. I want it to look like its been there and that’s where it belongs. By incorporating daylight, the collaboration of the 2D image and the 3D model should come together to look like one. The shadows that are cast and the highlights in the environment will help blend the two together to look like one cohesive image. By using Podium to render the finalized image, the viewer should not be able to distinguish between the 2D graphic, and the 3D model.

 OUTCOME

 What I hope to accomplish from this research project, is more knowledge of computer aided software and rendering programs. I hope to accomplish a finished product that “wows” the client and gives them a holistic view of the architectural structure in the environment for which it was designed. By doing so, and doing it well, I hope to win over the client with the exceptional renderings that are comprised of, attention to detail done by transparency, and opacity to blend different mediums into one 3D image of the model and its surrounding environment.