From buildings to neighborhood

One of the nice things about digital modeling is that once you have something modeled (a tree, a building or a cat) it is easy to copy. Once you have the buildings, color schemes and trees, the next step is to assemble it all to form a neighborhood. This lets you see what a small group of these homes would look like.

In designing this prototype, I wanted to create buildings that work together to make a harmonious neighborhood. No one building stands out, and yet there is enough variety in shape and color that the buildings aren’t monotonous.

The color schemes are different but complimentary. The colors in one scheme are put on differently than the next scheme. The shape that gets the accent color in one scheme gets the darker background in another. This creates further variety.

These images are sort of snapshots of a walk through this neighborhood. Images from top to bottom:.

.Overall view looking down the street, showing the buildings facing the street, sidewalks, rows of trees and the neighborhood street.

.Elevation through the street, looking directly at the sides of 2 1/2 of the buildings. If you look carefully, you can see 2 front doors facing the street. The narrower space between two of the buildings (on the left) is a landscaped pedestrian entry courtyard. Front doors to the homes that don’t face the street are located along these courts. The wider space on the right is a motorcourt.

.Street from another angle. An entry court is on the left.

.Looking across the street from a patio to a courtyard.

.View from a second floor bedroom window, down a courtyard and out to the street.

.View from a second floor bedroom window, looking out to the street.

.Closer view across the street. Some homes have patios along the street. One of these patios is in the foreground on the right.
.Looking across the street and down a courtyard on the right side.

Next article: An animated walk through the neighborhood, and some 3D images.

From drawings to 3D models

Elevation drawings are flat, showing only one side of the building at a time. 3D models can show all sides of a building. Using the elevations I drew, I created 3D models of the end and the interior buildings. Pieces needed a little adjustment at the corners, where 2 elevations meet. I had to design and draw the less exposed elevations I had left out, in my rush to start the model. Then I “walked” around the buildings, looking at proportions, connections and details, making further adjustments.

I had decided that I wanted to add color and landscaping to the model. I used different colors on different masses as a way to break up the buildings.

All the computer power we have can give you great precision. 3D models can be very tight, with absolutely straight lines and uniform colors. Unfortunately, I don’t like that tightness. It makes the buildings like they were made on an assembly line. Real walls in one color have variations from texture, irregularities and the time of day. Real corners are soft and slightly irregular. Also, precise drawings don’t convey that a concept is preliminary and can be changed. I decided to use even more of that computer power to undue some of the precision.

I used a combination of effects available within the modeling software along with elements I created. I really don’t like the flat colors. I developed a texture pattern that introduces small dots of complimentary colors. I used a softer, more hand drawn line. I also don’t like the tree choices that are available. They all look very “computer-ish” with hard edges, flat colors and no transparency. Real trees have soft edges, are transparent and in San Diego they often have flowers. I created a flowering tree that, even though very solid, has lots of transparency.

These sequences show the progression from plain to final model, from hard white planes to textured, softer planes with trees.

Next article: Assembling the 3D models to create a neighborhood

 I have been working on an affordable housing concept  recently. My goal is to design quality homes that could be built simply and affordably. To achieve that, I have focused on the efficient use of land and simple construction. The next four articles will explain my design.

Unfortunately, architectural ideas can be easily copied, regardless of copyright protection. My concept uses some new design ideas, so I won’t be able to show the site plan or floor plans in these articles. I will be focusing on the exterior design and the design/modeling process in these posts. If you are seriously interested in these concepts, please contact me using the “Contact Steve” page.

Some details for the technically inclined:
.density 14-18 units/acre
.unit size 2 Br-4 Br, 1,000 sf to 1,450 sf
.parking: resident 2/unit, guest on streets at .33/unit
.construction type V-B (simple house construction, with no special fire resistance or sprinklers required)
.Occupancy R-3

The 2-unit buildings are grouped around entry courtyards. The courtyards are placed along a street. The streets provide guest parking, landscaping and sidewalks leading to the entry courts.

I chose a more “modern” design using masses, recesses and color rather than sloped roofs and ornamentation. I think this is cheaper to build and looks better on a budget. Historical detailing can look thin when built, and is often stripped down to reduce costs.

The roofs are slightly sloping, simple to build and drain. They have parapets, low walls around the edges, to screen solar collectors. The parapets allow solar collectors to have the optimum orientation without being visually intrusive.

Freehand sketch-front elevation: I start with freehand sketches. I am trying to develop the look and feel of the buildings at this stage, in a quick way without worrying about the details. I am dealing with mass and shadow at this point, and some very basic ideas of using different colors on different masses.

Hardline elevations-front, left, interior front: Once I have an approach, some ideas about how the building will look and how the different pieces (windows, doors, corners, roofs) come together, I get a little more accurate. The end buildings, those located next to the streets, are visible on three sides, each of which needs attention. The interior buildings, those reached and seen only from the entry courts, are visible only on one side. Shown here are 2 sides of an end building and one side of an interior building.

Model elevations–front,, left, interior: As a hint about the next posting, I created a 3D model. This shows the same elevations, as seem within the model.

Next article: Making a 3D model of the design