Category Archives: Architecture

3D Model, Architecture, Design, McAlmon Apartment

Schindler’s McAlmon Guest House, part 1 of 3 – Introduction

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Why do I like Schindler?

The McAlmon House was built in 1935 in Los Angeles. It is one of Schindler’s better known houses. He moved an existing bungalow down the hill to the front of the lot. He added a living room and garages to it and wrapped it up in his sculptural forms. This became the guest house. The new main house, designed in the same vocabulary of forms, was put towards the back of the lot-at the top of the hill with wonderful views to the northeast.

Continue reading Schindler’s McAlmon Guest House, part 1 of 3 – Introduction →

3D Model, Architecture, Design

Affordable Housing Prototype-Part 4 of 4, Animation and 3D

From static to model to animation, and some 3D views

Once you have a 3D model, you can make an animated walk-through. Click on the arrow button in the lower left-hand corner, and wait a few seconds for it to start.

Don’t try to enlarge this image, my website can only display a lower resolution video that is best viewed small.Even with the software and resolution limitations, it gives a real feeling of what it would be like to walk through this neighborhood.

I had a lot of fun making this, my first animation. I learned a tremendous amount about making animations, and how much time you can spend selecting angles, sequences and generally fiddling around.

Our cat makes his second website cameo appearance in this animation.

 

3D Photographs

A 3D model also allows me to indulge in one of my old interests-stereo photography. The basic principal is that you take two photos of the same scene. The camera is moved over between them by the distance between your eyes. Then you show the left photo to the left eye, the right photo to the right eye, and your brain creates the 3D depth. Here are two old ways of doing this.

Free ViewYou can get the most striking depth using this method. Unfortunately, you can also get a headache and eye strain. It takes some practice, but is quite impressive when you get it.

Click on the image to enlarge. Position your head vertically, about 2 feet from your monitor. Slightly cross your eyes until the two images merge in the middle to form a third image, then focus your crossed eyes on the middle image. It helps to try to get the two images of the person to exactly align.

A more detailed description of how to free view, with some examples, can be viewed at: http://education.sdsc.edu/bewise2009/3d/3dstereo.html

Anaglyph Image

Get out those oh-so-stylish red and blue glasses you saved from childhood, and take a look at this image. An anaglyph combines the two photos above. One image is tinted blue, the other red. When wearing the red/blue glasses, each eye sees only one image and voila’-3D!

This image was created using terrific (and free!) anaglyph software written by  Takashi Setitani. One source for red/blue glasses is: http://www.rainbowsymphony.com/freestuff.html

3D Model, Architecture, Design

Affordable Housing Prototype-Part 3 of 4, Neighborhood

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.