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hoosier-architect · 8 years ago

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It’s the Final Countdown! Duh, Nuh, Nuh, Nuh! Duh, Nuh, Nuh, Nuh, Nuh!

03/03/17

Accomplishment of Design Objectives

Overall, I would say that I completed all objectives that I laid out before myself in this project. Now, did the rendering end up as photorealistic as I wanted it to? No. However, I think that without any prior knowledge of the program and the timeframe that I was given, I would conclude that I have given a valiant effort. The exterior is completed, and I even implemented some basic topography and landscaping to give it a little more “pizazz”. (I have a newfound appreciation for masters of Revit—there’s a lot more to it than I could have ever anticipated!) Additionally, I have presented the two critical deliverables that I promised: the electronic file and a hard copy of the rendering.

Interestingly, I noticed that the purpose of my project had fleshed itself out from building my dream home to simply becoming familiar with Revit on my own so that I could use it as a marketable skill for future employment. I use the term “familiar” loosely here because I do not consider myself an avid user of this program by any means at this point, but I have been actively seeking out Revit courses and certification opportunities so that I can one day claim a proficiency in the software. Since I wish to work at a large, prestigious architecture firm one day, it makes sense for me to focus in Revit rather than another software like SketchUp. I feel that the switch in my project’s purpose was fulfilled in what I have to present to you today: my first Revit rendering!

Design Process:

This was a long and tedious project full of video lectures, sketching and resketching facets of the architecture, downloading hundreds of external BIM files, and face-rolling my keyboard a few times. Oh, and constantly texting poor Alex whenever I couldn’t figure out a problem in Revit, which was frequent.

The whole adventure began with printing out some case studies of residential projects and hand sketching a general concept of how I wanted the house to look (the URL links, as well as the Masonite and Andersen catalogs served their purpose). Afterwards, I opened Revit and began to play with it to see what all I could figure out on my own without any lectures, which wasn’t much. I spent a great portion of this project watching video lectures while simultaneously trying to replicate the activity in Revit. Revit is a temperamental software, so I had to use Alex’s Revit book and Alex himself to answer some of the tougher questions of how to navigate everything. Now, I present to you my screenshots to represent the electronic deliverable, and a handout of the elevations for the hard copy deliverable!

Lessons Learned:

Lesson numero uno: Revit is very difficult to teach yourself to use in two (nearly three) months! It’s a very intricate software that requires a heavy amount of time devoted to intensive study of the functions and resources. Lesson numero dos: Photorealistic rendering requires copious amounts of external references from manufacturers and databases. Alternatively, if I had a background in Photoshop, I may have tried to use that to manipulate the graphics of the project (add that one to the never-ending list of “things to learn”).

Lesson numero tres (I’m committed now, so I’m going to keep using Spanglish): I have learned to be more forgiving of myself when it comes to deadlines and unforeseen obstacles in a project. I had to make a choice to keep my confidence in the completion of this project, rather than lay fetal on my bedroom floor, defeated by the villain that is Revit.

Sources:

Andersen Windows: E-Series. 2014-2015 Catalog. Aug. 2014. 56-67, 98-105. Print.

Masonite: Entry Door and Glass. 2015-2016 Catalog. December 2015. 170-172. Print.

Grissom, Alex. Oh wise one who knows Revit previously. Person. (;

Stine, Daniel J. Architectural Commercial Design Using Autodesk Revit 2016. SDC Publications, No date of publication available.

http://www.thefreshexchangeblog.com/assets/Screen-Shot-2012-05-15-at-10.42.00-PM.png

http://www.madsondesign.com/project_gallery/houseplan_d202.html

http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse

https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/3-bedroom-dog-trot-house-plan-92318mx

http://houseplans.southernliving.com/plans/SL1648?index=10&search%5Bbathrooms%5D%5B%5D=2&search%5Bbedrooms%5D%5B%5D=3&search%5Bplan%5D=&search%5Bsort%5D=&search%5Bsquare_feet%5D=0%2C10000&search%5Butf8%5D=%E2%9C%93%��&J8v

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hoosier-architect · 8 years ago

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Interim Project Progress Report 2/22/17

Project Progress:

So far, I have sketched up the final design of the house I will be creating in Revit, have reviewed the lectures for Introduction to Revit via SolidProfessor, and have begun the skeleton of the exterior for all levels. (I want to apologize for the poor quality of the screenshots. The computer wasn’t picking up all of the lines (i.e. the roof over the entrance) in Revit when I used the Snipping Tool for the shots! There are more features to the project that will not show in the screenshots.)

My next steps toward the design will be to review Intermediate Revit lectures on SolidProfessor, import BIM objects through multiple sources (Sweets Catalog, BIMObject, etc.), and implement new features to the drawing such as materials, landscape, and lighting. I also still have some edits to make to the windows on the west elevation.

Accomplishment of Objectives:

By today’s date, I had hoped to have the design complete in Revit. After going through the lectures so far, I realize that this is an unreasonable expectation. There’s far too much time invested in absorbing the lectures, let alone finding BIM objects to import to make the drawing look professional, to consider having the design completed in Revit at this time. One unforeseen obstacle is that I have been without my personal computer since the beginning of the semester, which has taken time away from any progress that I may have made at home. However, the computer should be fixed by the end of this week, and I can devote more time at home towards the lectures and compiling resources. I will have to push back some other task deadlines to compensate for this setback, but not to worry as I gave myself plenty of extra time to work with!

Project Methods, Activities & Resources:

So far, I have completed the sketch for my home design by hand, reviewed online lectures for an introductory level understanding of using Revit, and applied those lessons to my design in Revit. To finalize the design I am going for, I have referenced both Andersen and Masonite catalogs (as well as their websites), various inspirations of current models of architecture (their URLs listed in the Sources section below), and updated the dimensions from a previous sketch (I wanted the great room/entryway to be wider and therefore more proportional to the side sections of the house). The deliverables I have today are limited to the screenshots that I have posted, as well as a basic sketch that I began the design with (the dimensions are not updated since I made the decision to change them while rendering the house in Revit). I expect to produce both a physical copy of the home by at least a printed version, but possibly a 3D model (using the 3D printer) if I have the time; and an electronic file in PDF format.

Project Timeline:

As previously stated in the Accomplishment of Objectives section, I am not currently on track for my initial deadlines that I had set up for myself. I have to admit that the window of time for the tasks I had given myself were ambitious and now realize them to be unrealistic. I have built in a large amount of time to forgive the setback of goals, and with my computer being fixed this week, I hope to dash through the remaining deadlines without a problem!

Lessons Learned so Far:

I have learned that even though the pace of progress for this project has been a little lax for my comfort, I am a resilient individual who is capable of making up the time. I have also discovered that I tend to push myself a little too far when it comes to the timing that teaching myself a new software might take. I have been forced to modify the way that I approach this project since I have been without my computer, but I have made the most of my time while on campus to use any extra time to work on the design.

Sources:

Andersen Windows: E-Series. 2014-2015 Catalog. Aug. 2014. 56-67, 98-105. Print.

Masonite: Entry Door and Glass. 2015-2016 Catalog. December 2015. 170-172. Print.

Grissom, Alex. Oh wise one who knows Revit previously. Person. (;

Stine, Daniel J. Architectural Commercial Design Using Autodesk Revit 2016. SDC Publications, No date of publication available.

http://www.thefreshexchangeblog.com/assets/Screen-Shot-2012-05-15-at-10.42.00-PM.png

http://www.madsondesign.com/project_gallery/houseplan_d202.html

http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse

https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/3-bedroom-dog-trot-house-plan-92318mx

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hoosier-architect · 8 years ago

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Hoosier (Who’s Your) Architect?1/27/17

Project Overview:

I must design a project of my choosing for my portfolio portion of the DESN225 course that I am taking this Spring at Ivy Tech Bloomington. This is a project that will be submitted to potential employers in the future, so quality and complexity are a necessity. Furthermore, I will be required to present my project to my peers in multiple forms: a mandatory proposal, as well as a physical representation and/or a digital rendering.

My first objective is to decide what to design. Architecture is my passion, so naturally, I will choose to design a house. However, just any run-of-the-mill house will not present the “wow” factor that I am hoping to achieve so that I may set myself apart from my competition. I also wish to incorporate landscape architecture and sustainability into my designs, so perhaps I can kick it up a notch to represent both in my design? I’m also taking on the challenge of teaching myself Revit 2017 so that I can present my design in 3-dimensional form. I wonder if Revit can create plants or sustainable structures? If anything, I suppose that I will enhance the detail of my house to compensate for the lack of solar panels and flowers.

Now that I’ve decided what I’m going to design and how I’m going to present it, I should get down to the nitty gritty details of what it will look like. To get some inspiration, I’ve collected numerous pictures of currently designed houses and am currently picking through them for attractive features. At first, I was going to make my house two stories, but I’ve honestly never really wanted a big house. I want something comfortably cozy to create an intimate atmosphere; perhaps this is what creates the sense of “home”? Consequentially, I nixed the two-story idea and have started from scratch with a different design—something ecofriendly, but aesthetically appealing and modern: a contemporary farmhouse. I think the locals would appreciate a farmhouse design, seeing that Indiana is most notorious for its corn and soybean fields. I have begun a series of pencil drawings on paper to get a generalized feel for what I want the exterior to offer, but I am constantly revising; something is missing from the outside that draws a person in. I want this house to be something that everyone notices, and admires the melding of rural nostalgia and sustainable composition. My deliverables will be a digital rendering of my home design via Revit, as well as a physical copy of the drawing. If I finish ahead of schedule, I plan on taking my project yet another step further and use the 3D printer to create a scaled model of the house!

Deadline Scheduling:

February 1- Have a sketch prepared of the house in its 3 perspectives: front, right, and aerial

February 8- Finalize sketch concept; complete formal project proposal

February 15- Begin learning Revit and creating my 3D rendering of the house

February 22- Complete the house in Revit; begin working on other portions of the portfolio

March 1- Finish touch-ups on the Revit drawing for final draft; finalize all additional parts of portfolio requirements

May 3- Turn in finalized portfolio project for an A+ because I know you busted your a** on this!

Progress:

Currently, I am working on the frontal view of my house and have two additional views to illustrate. My current draft of the house is unsatisfying, but I am determined to work on it until it’s perfect. I will begin studying Revit in the next few days as I finish my sketches, which will put me very far ahead of schedule! On the other hand, I have not incorporated a source other than my pictures (online sources). I plan on using some of the window styles that I use at work, so I will be sure to reference Andersen’s windows as my first book sourced!

Obstacles:

My most daunting task is to teach myself a new software from scratch. Thankfully, there is a young man in my class who is very familiar with Revit and has agreed to council me when necessary. In addition to that, I am initially frustrated that I haven’t come up with a final draft in my home design the first day attempting it. I will set it down for the night and look at it again tomorrow with fresh eyes in hope of new inspiration. Finally, the projects that I am working on at my job complicate my time management for this assignment. Never the less, I am determined to stay up late or wake up early as required of me to give my best efforts in both education and employment!

Resource Requirements:

o Pencil

o Drawing my sketch drafts before attempting Revit

o Paper

o Drawing my sketches before transferring them into digital creations

o Computer with Internet access

o Illustrating my design on Revit

o Sending/saving my files to my e-mail and Dropbox as backup

o Submitting the electronic portions of this portfolio

o Creating my LinkedIn account

o Creating my Tumblr blog account

o Revit 2017 software

o Creating my home design in a three-dimensional format

o Microsoft Office

o Authoring posts for my blog

o Writing literary portions of the portfolio

Dimensions:

o Front: 55’-0”

o Kitchen Front: 20’-0”

o Great Room/Entrance Front: 15’-0”

o Bedroom Two Front: 20’-0”

o Right Side (Kitchen & Master Bedroom): 45’-0”

o Aerial: 55’-0” x 45’-0”

Resources:

Andersen Windows: E-Series. 2014-2015 Catalog. Aug. 2014. 56-67, 98-105. Print.

Masonite: Entry Door and Glass. 2015-2016 Catalog. December 2015. 170-172. Print.

http://www.thefreshexchangeblog.com/assets/Screen-Shot-2012-05-15-at-10.42.00-PM.png

http://www.madsondesign.com/project_gallery/houseplan_d202.html

http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse

https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/3-bedroom-dog-trot-house-plan-92318mx

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