Conceptual Design

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to work in an early conceptual environment? I want to make early massing studies and space planning without committing to object types (i.e. windows, doors etc). I use MAC so there is no SketchUp plugin, do most of you use Archicad for conceptual studies or do you use a third party application then import (if so how do you import it into the template)? Any suggestions would be helpful,

thank you.

[David Larrew]

You could use simple Slabs, Meshes, and Roofs for a massing studies. Or you could use Zones (2D/3D) for a more program-driven conceptual design approach.

[Anonymous]

Thanks David, great suggestions! This is what I thought but wanted to see how others have been doing it.

[Dwight]

And the conversion from slab blocks to a real building can be as few as two steps:

1: Take full floor height massing slabs and reduce them all at once to 8" thickness to become real floors.

2: Use Magic wand on slab edges to instantly generate walls.

Viola.

[David Larrew]

Don't forget about SEO (Solid Element Operations) for sculpting your massing.

[Srinivas]

ArchiCAD mesh tool should be good enough, here is a project that we did some time back for our client with 0.005 mts accuracy wtih the survey data from the engineer (XYZ values), no addons used, the area of this site is 285,850 Sq.mt.

The colors in the model might not be good but we were given the task of just modelling it.

[Anonymous]

Awesome! thank you for your responses and the example!