Sketchup, Piranesi, Artlantis & Ecotect

Sketchup, Piranesi, Artlantis is doing very well in China as a combination tool with Ecotect. to find out more...

Winners - North Sydney Bus Shelter and Canopy Entrance CompetitionWinners - North Sydney Bus Shelter and Canopy Entrance Competition

A very interesting bus station by Hannah Tribe and Marcus Trimble. to find out more...
Image from http://www.gravestmor.com/strips/north_sydney_02.jpg

Aquatics Centre

Noticias Arquitectura shows a video clip of Aquatics Centre by Zaha Hadid.

A Quality Management Framework For Architectural Design Phase Best Practices

I located a thesis abstract of quality management framework for architectural design phase best practices by ABDULLAH SANI BIN AHMAD from UTM Faculty of Built Environment done in the year 2000.
"Available literature indicates that considerable research effort has been directed towards the construction phase of building projects rather than the design phase. At present, the design phase has received little emphasis in relation to its degree of influence on project quality. However, it is well recognised that the design phase has the greatest impact on the quality of building’s performance. The design phase is the main indicator of success for the subsequent phases of tendering, construction, and maintenance. The objectives of this research are to evaluate the importance of quality management in producing quality design, and to establish a quality management framework for architectural design phase best practices." to find out more...

Artlantis Tutorials

The artlantis contains some tutorials, yet I've never manage to watch them. However, sketchup forum helps. to find out more...
Graphisoft had some artlantis R Online Tutorial Clips as well:- http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/solutions/artlantisr_demos.html#

Artlantis

A minute you spent is a minute's result you get. Computer renderings is a time consuming process. The better the results, the more time you need to spend. It is all about efficiency and cost effectiveness at the end of the day. Everyone would crave to drive a Mercedez Benz but how much you need to spend on your transportation, just to bring you from one place to another? The concept is the same. 3dmax/Cinema4/Maya is great, as if you are driving a Benz, but how much time, efford, and cost need to be spent? It all depends on the job requirement. The balance of time, cost and efford.
BIM may have higher price at initial stage but think about the cost effectiveness of your work flow and entire design process. To me it worth millions by saving half the time spent just on drafting. Either ArchiCAD, REVIT, or even Vectorworks. We must invest. Time or efford at the initial stage to save more time and efford at the end of the day. It is a process of improvement and evolution in architectural design process everyone have to face, either now or then.
Rendering software. Maxwell, 3dviz+Vray, Artlantis, Piranesi, Cheetah3d(Mac) are great rendering software packages, it depends on your budget. As for starters I would recommend Artlantis+Piranesi, then when your budget is getting better, go for 3dviz+Vray+Piranesi. Piranesi is plus for non-photorealistic renderings.
Sketchup is as a design tool. Hopefully ti will be developed into BIM system. Then it would a real design+architectural software that makes every architects/designers' life easier and better.
Personally, I would now go for archicad, artlantis, sketchup and piranesi! Too bad not much firm in Malaysia or China is into archicad. My selection for archicad is due to the rendering results. Revit and ArchiCAD are more of less the same BIM system. The important matter is, they are BIM systems.
I had recently spent much time and efford browsing and looking for software packages.
I hope you would find my blogsite useful, you can support by linking my site into yours. to download Artlantis...
Image from http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/productivity_tools/artlantis.html

Mental Ray

"mental ray® generates images of outstanding quality and unsurpassed realism and achieves scalable performance through the exploitation of parallelism on both multiprocessor machines and across networks of machines. The software uses advanced and proprietary acceleration and recursive sampling techniques for faster rendering on even the smallest, single processor machines."to find out more...
Passage from http://www.mentalimages.com/2_1_0_mentalray/index.html
Image from http://www.mentalimages.com/4_4_architecture/images/thumbnails/lehrterbahnhof/_001.jpg

Vray

What is VRAY?
"Enil Enchev - an architect working for Bonart and a father of two - has devoted himself to 3D modeling and architecture. Enil kindly answered some questions regarding his work. "to find out more...
Some useful links here:-
http://www.vrayrender.com/
http://commerce.vismasters.com/
http://67.15.36.49/team/Tutorials/linda_vray/vray_02.asp



Image from http://www.chaosgroup.com/fa/fa20050209.html
Passage from http://www.chaosgroup.com/

IntelliCAD

IntelliCAD is another drafting software similar as AutoCAD yet with much competitive selling price.
You can download IntelliCAD here for the trail version. There are several versions depending on the requirements needed by your company.
Image from
http://www.autodsys.com/purchase.htm#top

Autodesk Revit Building 9 Free Download

Please read before download.
Download the Revit trial version here.
There are some other comparisons of revit and archicad here from archicad talk. to find out more...
Image from http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/RTF-Revit_Building_9_Web.pdf

Shin Takamatsu

My collegue introduce me the famous Takamatsu from Japan. to find out more...
Image from http://www.takamatsu.co.jp/

Design Collective Architecture Network Sdn Bhd

Finally found another interesting firm in Malaysia. Works mainly focuses on residential projects. to find out more...

An overview of the Architectural Process

"What steps do you take when you add to a house? What is the process of getting a custom home built? How much will it cost? How long will it take? These are questions that I'm frequently presented with by owners. The road to completing a project winds around many bends, but it all starts with an initial idea. To illustrate the process, I'll take a theoretical project from idea to move in." to find out more...
Passage from http://www.ericksonarchitects.com/process.html

Apple Seminars

"See how ArchiCAD, eDrawings and VectorWorks allow you to view, edit and manipulate DWG files on the Mac. to find out more...
Watch Brad Peebler, President of Luxology, as he provides a tour of modo and find out how you can turn your inspiration and creativity into amazing 3D models. to find out more...
Join Jacques Sedille as he demonstrates and discusses the Mac and key 3rd party design tools that enable architects to imagine, design and communicate.to find out more..."
Passage from http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1511&page=14&highlight=archicad

Chinese Architectural Blog

"从建筑师的角度上看，ArchiCAD绝对是优于autocad的绘图软件，只是苦于国内用ArchiCAD的人太少，成了曲高和寡之作。
在发展“虚拟建筑”技术方面， Grapshisoft是全世界的领先者。在以模型为基础的建筑行业软件开发和 服务上，Graphisoft被公认为是全世界最优秀的开发者和供应商。这是最新释放的，时间：2006.5.23。Graphisoft ArchiCAD v10 International 最新国际版! 在全球建筑专业与室内、舞台设计等领域从业人员众所期待下,Graphisoft公司终于在2006年度五月份，於全世界推出最新版ArchiCAD 10 体验在“虚拟建筑”环境下的乐趣和好处的时候到了，ArchiCAD“虚拟建筑”让你充分发挥创造力——完全集中精力在设计上，你的时间可自由的用在你喜欢做的事——创造有灵感的设计！虚拟建筑的时代到了！"to find out more...
Always wanted to find a chinese architectural blog to blog about. Found a chinese architectural blog that introduce archicad 10.

Passage from http://smalljohnabc.spaces.msn.com/blog/cns!7AA3320FB472C7C9!1286.entry
Image from http://smalljohnabc.spaces.msn.com/Default.aspx?beid=cns!7AA3320FB472C7C9!1286&d=1#postcns!7AA3320FB472C7C9!1286

Architectural Software Package

What software do you need to establish an architectural firm?
I would assume some basic software as listed below:-
1.An operating system and word processing software:-
Microsoft office package and microsoft project , window system and lotus or other email operating system
2.Cost effective architectural program package:- Revit/Archicad/Autodesk/Vectorworks.
3.Rendering software:-
3dmax/maxwell/artlantis or others
4.Cost effective image tools:-
Illustrator/photoshop/piranesi
4.Other software:-
winzip/stuffit.
Architectureasia has a list of cad softwares and links. to find out more...
And some comparisons of architectural software by sketchup forum here.
Comparisons of architectural software from pushpull forum here.

Vectorworks for Smart Size Company

Found a quicksolution company that sells vectorworks, artlantis in Malaysia. to find out more...
There is a series of trainning sessions from nemetschek. to find out more...
For the books of vectorworks 12 here.
Some sharing and opinion on the software by pushpullbar. to find out more...
Look at the feature demos of Vectorworks 11.5 by nemetschek. to find out more..
For the Vectorworks12 feature demos here.
Image from http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10150&stc=1&d=1138011202

AutoCad Full Version Downloads

Comparisons of prices and autocad software free downloads for 30days' trial version by nextag! to find out more...
Downloads from Pugh...

Hand Sketch on sketchup

Movie 1, Movie 2 , trailers of workshops by Jim Leggitt, and tradigital Imaging with Sketchup.
The inspiration is generating renderings by hand based on 3d images generated from sketchup, a rather traditional yet powerful technique. Some introduction from Miragestudio7.
Image from http://www.sketchup.com/index.php?id=21&csid=102

Free Ruby Scripts

There are free sketchup Ruby Scripts from www.smustard.com and amazone.crai.archi which is very useful and powerful.
Flightpath.rb script sets up pages along a selected path to create animation. to find out more...

Sketchup forum are now open to public which contains tips, tricks and discussions of the ruby scripts and various powerful features of sketchup tool, the tutorials, the techniques, the presentations and so on. to find more...

Image from http://forum.sketchup.com/showthread.php?t=40538

Why Many Architects Won't Design Traditionally

An interesting article from Architecture and Morality"...modern architecture struggled to express monumentality, function was not apparent to the users due to the style’s minimalism and lack of signifying ornament. Modern architecture seemed contemptuous of the local context, deliberately clashing with the surrounding built context instead of harmonizing with it.In response, the trends in design have adapted to these criticisms, incorporating context to form a new synthesis commonly called critical regionalism. The rise of the Post-Modern style addressed the importance of traditional architectural motifs and the need for the building to clearly express what it is (albeit in its ironic and ambiguous way). And still much of the design highly regarded by the architectural profession still borrows heavily from the formal innovations of the earliest Modernist pioneers. This incessant tendency among the most highly regarded architects to design in the modern idiom fails to win many fans outside professional and academic circles or people with a general appreciation for modern art. One gets the impression that only if architects could return to using traditional styles and conform to classical rules of design and re-use time-tested building typologies, then all would be hunky-dory and architects wouldn’t come off as smug aesthetes." to find out more...

Architecture in China Today

"It’s a hotbed of innovative architecture, from diaphanous theaters to buildings heated and cooled by water China ’s current building boom is doing more than sucking up the world’s supply of steel — it’s creating a stage for some of today’s boldest architecture and engineering." to find out more...
The image beside shows the National Grand Theater, Beijing by Paul Andreu and ADP, which is under construction and to be completed in 2008
Passage & Image from http://wadias.in/site/arzan/blog/archives/10-wonders-of-the-new-china/

Interactive Architecture

I had been thinking of using digital walls or illusionary partition in architecture that lasts for decades without worrying the rain/sun/weather factors. Communication can be made possible through "digital architecture". Today I found a blog that states interactive architecture~!
"Interactive Architecture, for me is about the potential for digital systems to make decisions about our living environment and then influence that environment. Architecture as a whole discipline should aim to improve the environments we live and work in. Interactive Architecture is an extension of that dealing at the cutting edge of digital technology."to find out more...
This is great work!
Passage & Image from http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/about/

Thurman street Lofts

There is a project introduction of Thurman Street Lofts by Holst Architecture which I find interesting. to find out more...
And an introduction from archidose.






Image from http://www.thurmanstreetlofts.com/

Un Studio

"UNStudio does understand the changing role of architects. New production methods developed by the building industry, the current transnational condition of architecture, new design techniques and the changed, more functionally complex, nature of the architectural project itself have led us to develop new working strategies. We are interested in helping our clients develop an insight into a location, its problems and potentials. This insight then serves as a decision making tool for those responsible for the planning of the location in question. The architecture we propose results from our continuous search for the balance between a process-oriented approach with its unknown outcome and an enduring professional vision.We favor an integral approach to architecture. Time, use, circulation, construction and all other material and virtual systems and underlying values are studied, visualized, related to each other, and finally joined into an inclusive organizational structure. " to find out more...
Passage from http://www.unstudio.com/studio/design-method
Image from http://www.unstudio.com/projects/year/2006/1/139

Disassembling and assembling model in sketchup

It is amazing we can do the assembling and disassembling animation in Sketchup. As to share this simple technique as below:-
1. Visibility control. Through putting each components/groups in different layers, you manipulate the visibility components/groups on multiple pages then slideshow them.
2. Face me components. "You can add "face me" property to an existing component. Just right click and select "Entity Info", there, on the "Definition" tab, you can find the "Always face the camera" option. You may need to reveal it by pressing the upper-right arrow in the Edit Info dialog if it is in the hidden mode. "[1] to find out more...
3. Ruby scripts. As listed below:-
-ExplodeImplode (exim.rb). http://www.smustard.com/script/ExplodeImplode (for sale)
-Transformer_beta.rb http://www.crai.archi.fr/RubyLibrary...rary_Depot.htm.
4. Two screen capture programs. to find out more...
For some more detailed discussions and tutorials as listed below:-
- http://forum.sketchup.com/showthread.php?t=67839
- http://forum.sketchup.com/showthread.php?t=40624&highlight=transformer_beta.rb.
And some door opening techniques here.

Passage [1] from http://forum.sketchup.com/showthread.php?t=67839
Image from http://forum.sketchup.com/showthread.php?t=67839

Scottcarver

"Our approach to architecture demonstrates a balanced reconciliation of budget to user demands. Clients’ needs are consistantly addressed throughout the design process and this procedure ensures accurate priorities are established. The success of this philosophy is demonstrated in the firms’ extensive list of built work within the areas of club design, retail centres, educational and sporting facilities, residential developments, industrial and commercial projects. By exceeding client expectations repeated commissions and long standing relationships are cultivated and maintained."to find out more...
Sketchup is one of their tools, and some of their work is published in sketchup. to find out more...
Image from http://www.sketchup.com/?id=21&csid=178
Passage from http://www.scottcarver.com.au/

Rojkindarquitectos

"Michel Rojkind was born in Mexico City in 1969. Studied architecture in Universidad Iberoamericana 1984-94. He worked independently from 1993 to 1998. Rom 1999 to 2002 he team up with Isaac Broid and Miquel Adria to form Adria+Broid_Rojkind Arquitectos in which they collaborted for three years and designerd more then 25 projects. He was editor of specialized technology section for international architecture megazine Arquine 2000-2001. UIT the idea of investigating new directions in 2002 he opens his own his actual office rojkind arquitectos s.c. parallel to his office, en 2004 together with Tatiana ibao, Arturo Ortiz and Derek Dellekamp they found "MXDF" urban research investigation center."to find out more...
For his archicad winning projects here.
Image from http://www.rojkindarquitectos.com/

Animating SketchUp Models with Ruby

It is so simple to create animation through sketchup. Just a simple click of slide show or exporting animation will result some renderings that can moves, animating, just like creating movies.
"SketchUp has several ways of animating scenes. But due to its focus on architecture, they emphasize flybys of static models. Although they are easier to use than the technique described here, they don't provide the ability to build dynamic models of visual entities that move independently on their own volition. The figure shows the kind of animation we'll be concerned with here. The goal is to animate the dynamic elements in this picture (crew, airplanes, bombs, torpedoes, etc) against the background of the other static elements (landing strip, control tower, hangar, quarters). This involves giving each of the dynamic elements enough 'artificial intelligence' to govern their movements internally, influenced by their interactions with other elements of the simulation."to find out more...
For more ruby scripts, you can find it through http://archsymb.com/ruby/
Passage from http://www.virtualschool.edu/animation/index.html

Troppo Architects

"Troppo is a practice of regionally based practices, aiming to develop regionally responsive architecture.
For the place of each project, let’s promote a Sense of Place:through an architecture that responds to climate and the local setting:a dynamic architecture of adjustable skins;that connects the indoors with the out(or should it be the outdoors with the in?):a non-constant architecture that responds to the morning, the evening, the season, the heat, the cold, the sun, the rainthe moment that will never pass again.
Troppo embrace the informality that is the Australian lifestyle, both in our approach to design as well as practice:NO BOW-TIES HERE!.
We believe that architecture should express a certain poetry, its users’ personalities,and the uniqueness of the mix of place, people and the day; but also some basic logic…
We believe that a building is foremost a structure. From this standpoint only rational design decisions can flow – with consequent robustness, ‘buildability’ and economy. And we believe that a building should be fun, friendly and forever adaptable.
We are committed to the notion of environmentally sustainable, responsible architecture. Which leads to a whole-of-site approach (and beyond).
Building is a verb, too: we enjoy thinking bout the (human) process of building developing building programs that incorporate local materials and trade-skills,artist and community resources: an event that might add to a community’s social and cultural fabric.
T R O P P O A R C H I T E C T S : 2 4 Y E A R S O N Our story began with the publication of ‘Influences in Regional Architecture’ in 1978 – Australia’s first history of architecture outside the urban arena. The registered practice commenced in Darwin in 1980 with the aid of an NT Government history grant to research (and eventually define and publicise) the History of Tropical Housing in Australia’s Top End.
This knowledge has in turn enabled us to create a new and relevant contemporary architecture for the local climate and cultural setting: a contemporary architecture with a traditional base. In the meantime this regionally responsive approach has also been applied to projects in the Kimberley, Perth, Esperance, and inland WA; Adelaide, coastal, rural and far-northern SA; Melbourne and Victoria; Alice Springs and the Centre; Townsville, and north and far north Queensland; and most recently, inland and north-coast NSW. Overseas work includes Malaysia, Tel Aviv and Bali. ... And the public promotion of environmentally responsive design still remains a driving focus.
Troppo is nationally and internationally recognised, and is Australia’s 3rd most awarded practice (ever)."to find out more...
Passage from http://www.troppoarchitects.com.au/
Image from http://www.troppoarchitects.com.au/images/rozak1.jpg

DESIGN FOR LIFE - CLIMATE, ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY

MY collegue had pass me this information that I would like to share here.
"Troppo Architects has been designing buildings for the tropical climate for more than a quarter of a century. Times have changed since the early works. Despite the fact that sound climatic design responses developed in 1980 remain sound today, we find ourselves facing a new set of design problems. A changing society has revealed a whole new array of design constraints to which an appropriate response must be developed. Troppo Architects is now meeting this challenge in 5 states covering the length and breadth of the country."
"DESIGN FOR LIFE
- CLIMATE, ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
by
Geoff Clark
Troppo Architects, Australia
PROGRAMME REGISTRATION FEES
Date : 26 June 2006 (Saturday) RM 30.00
Time : 6.30pm - 8.30pm Free for PAM Members
Venue : Auditorium
National Museum, Kuala Lumpur
This event is accredited 2 LAM CPD Points"
to find out more...

Olympiastadion Berlin

"In 1912 during the 1912 Summer Olympics the city of Berlin was designated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 1916 Summer Olympics. Germany's proposed stadium for this event was to be located in lands located in Charlottenburg, in Grunewald Forest, to the west of Berlin -- thus the stadium was also known as Grunewaldstadion. A horse racing-course already existed there which belonged to the Berliner Rennverein, and even today the old ticket booths survive, on Jesse-Owens-Allee street .) The government of Germany decided to keep the nearby Grunewald forest as it was, as well as the exisiting built environment. With all this in mind they hired the same architect who originally had built the "Rennverein", Otto March."to find out more...
And for the FIFA World Cup 2006's link~
Passage from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Stadium,_Berlin
Image from http://www.stadiumguide.com/germany2006.htm

Revit: beyond architecture

BIM, building information modeling, I am wondering when can Malaysia adapt to this revolution that happened ages ago.
For some tutorials I located here.
"Autodesk has recently introduced dedicated versions of Revit for Structural and Building Services engineering to sit alongside the core building design tool. Paul Woddy, CADline, discusses how Revit is maturing into a multi-disciplinary AEC design tool." to find out more...

Passage from http://www.aecmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Itemid=37

Archicad10

The Archicad10 is giving an interactive guide to people who is interested of learning it. A simple movie towards introduction of Archicad10 here.
"This interactive guide is intended to support you throughout your early experiences of Archicad®.
Q. What level of Archicad knowledge do I need to benefit from these movies? A. None - this guide has been developed for beginners and existing users, taking their next steps in virtual modeling.
Q. What will I gain from using this guide?A. You'll pick up a broad and working level of Archicad modeling knowledge, and an appreciation for the potential you'll have with such design flexibility at your fingertips.
Q. How long will the full guide take to go through?A. If you progress through the entire guide - step-by-step - we estimate you will have invested half-a-day towards your career development" to find out more...
And don't forget to take a look at the archicad talk, the graphisoft forum you cannot afford to miss!
Passage from http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/ac10/ITG/
Image from http://graphisoft.vo.llnwd.net/o1/AC10/ITG/Movies/ITG_Teaser/index.html

Creativeweave

Our company is trying to introduce an expansive material into one of the banking booth, a wire mesh material, they call it the creative weave from Germany. It is roughly 1000rm/sqm (approximately 360usd/sqm) here in Malaysia. to find out more...

Image located from http://www.creativeweave.com

Design leadership

"Design leadership can be described on one hand as leadership, that generates innovative design solutions, on the other hand with individuals with an oustanding creativity. Turner[1] defines design leadership by adding three additional aspects for design leadership, the difference in leading through design, the sustaining design leadership over time and the gaining of acknowledgement for achievements through design . Turner[1] separates the core responsibilities of design leadership in following six activities:
envisionising of the future
manifesting strategic intent
directing design investment
managing corporate reputation
creating and nuturing an environment of innovation
training for design leadership " to find out more...
Passage from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_leadership

Architecture Blog

Archizoo got some interesting articles which you might find it interesting to read.
There are architectural case studies by architecture2030 that shows many interesting projects. to find out more...