Design Contest

[Robert Fuchs]

Here are some Images of designs we did for a competition for a local company. Unfortunately we did not get the job but sill came out with some nice designs and images IMHO. What do you guys think? I tell you, I bet some of the designs would have been a lot easier to draw in AC11 than in 10.

Robert F.

[Robert Fuchs]

Here is a updated rendering. I moved the sun around and it does make a difference in the image.

Robert F.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info, Robert. I will investigate the SEO technique further.

I love the updated image. The extra sun falling on the face of the building really brings the image alive. The shiny red reminds me of the Rojkind house on the AC10 logo!

I have to say you don't see enough bold colours on buildings really, which is a shame. A splash of a primary colour here and there is quite fun in the right situation.

[Dwight]

Where my book could help you is in getting the cars more metallic and in making the sky and sunlight colors enliven the image with warmth. You have your light intensities figured out and that's the basic rendering problem.

Putting clouds or more color in the background could enliven the glass facade, but light color and background are taste rather than technical issues.

[KeesW]

Hello Robert

Looks like a stylish design. Not very old-fashioned!

Maybe I am opening a hornet's nest. I've tried to find modern architect designed houses on the web and have noticed an almost 100% pre-occupation with quaint, 19th or early 20th century style designs. Is that really what the USA market demands, or are architects unable to move from the traditional, old fashioned forms to something fresh and current?

[Anonymous]

KeesW wrote:
Maybe I am opening a hornet's nest. I've tried to find modern architect designed houses on the web and have noticed an almost 100% pre-occupation with quaint, 19th or early 20th century style designs. Is that really what the USA market demands, or are architects unable to move from the traditional, old fashioned forms to something fresh and current?

I've noticed that as well. For some more contemporary work (from archicad users) have a look here - all from Christchurch, New Zealand, except the last one, who is in Nelson:

www.formarch.co.nz
www.wta.co.nz
www.pivnice.co.nz
www.matzarchitects.co.nz

[Rakela Raul]

Is that really what the USA market demands, or are architects unable to move from the traditional, old fashioned forms to something fresh and current?

Maybe a software limitation?

[Dwight]

Rakela wrote:

Is that really what the USA market demands, or are architects unable to move from the traditional, old fashioned forms to something fresh and current?

Maybe a software limitation?

Yeah. Like Archicad's Automatic Palladian Corbel tool that attaches itself to the exterior faces of walls and cannot be removed. THAT keeps us archaic.

[Rakela Raul]

talking about just myself, and i do it everytime:
i start using ac from the very inception of the project, meaning from the design phase...thats a huge error on my side...i should get a pencil, tracing paper and do it as i used to........when that process is done....get my dear ac and build the model.

[Dwight]

Rakela wrote:
talking about just myself, and i do it everytime:
i start using ac from the very inception of the project, meaning from the design phase...thats a huge error on my side...i should get a pencil, tracing paper and do it as i used to........when that process is done....get my dear ac and build the model.

But you are presuming that every architectural exercise is actually a creative one that requires exploration and experimentation - not a soul-destroying space-packing geometry exercise or a soul-destroying maximizing the FSR exercise , or a soul-destroying minimizing the building costs by putting up a blank-faced block exercise. Maybe you Floridianites end up with more than a leaky brown box and a flickering neon sign for your architecture, but that is not how it plays out most of the time.

I find that by starting out in Archicad on a building type i already know will go a certain way is swell because Archicad gives me great confidence in knowing my areas and volumes, identifying real opportunities rather than fudged ones and in seeing fundamental mistakes. Sketch paper and sepia graphite might fuel optimistic imagination but computers fuel sad soul-destroying reality.

[Anonymous]

Were you using US Aluminum, Vistawall or Wausau curtain walls in your design? (inside joke)
Is that why you didn't win?

I think it looks great.