Here is a short video of my first animation using the Artlantis software package to show how the ReZist-It panel system is assembled.
The model geometry was created in Google Sketchup and each piece was imported individually and saved as an object. Each object was then individually placed and animated.
The WebEcoist recently posted a great article “When Caves and Architecture Collide” that showcases some of the extraordinary structures man has erected inside of caves over the millennium. Matthew Rogers, the author, notes that he wanted to showcase what happens when “beautiful caves get mated with the architectural and artistic abilities of our ancestors (which, sadly, still seem to outdo us by leaps and bounds).”
Besides enjoying the stunning photographs, Matthew’s words made me think about a theme that has surfaced again and again among architectural thinkers:
Why do we frequently perceive the creations of the past to be superior to our own in the present?
I think there are many reasons why today’s architecture may be perceived as lesser then the past and I would like to explore a few of them.
We look around today and see all of our current creations, the good, and the bad. We know from archaeological evidence that man has always built a lot. The majority of ancient architecture was made of mud bricks or wood that has been washed away over time. What remains are the monuments, the temples, the grand architectural statements. I think that in a thousand years we will look back on today’s architecture with the same awe and reverence as we do to our predecessors of thousands of years ago. All of the rubbish architecture will have been cleared away leaving only our grand statements, our monuments. The people in the future will say, how did they build all of that without holographic modelers and construction robots? We know from archaeological evidence that man has always built a lot. The majority of ancient architecture was made of mud bricks or wood that has been washed away over time. What remains are the monuments, the temples, the grand architectural statements. I think that in a thousand years we will look back on today’s architecture with the same awe and reverence as we do to our predecessors of thousands of years ago. All of the rubbish architecture will have been cleared away leaving only our grand statements, our monuments. The people in the future will say, how did they build all of that without holographic modelers and construction robots?
Is the architecture of yesterday superior to our own by”leaps and bounds”? In some ways I think so. But I sure would like to see a medieval lord erect a 2,684 foot skyscraper.
The AFP ran a story yesterday about Prince Charles and his latest clash with architects over his traditionalist views on architecture. (Prince Charles faces new architecture row) This isn’t the first time the prince has angered British Architects. 25 years ago he described the proposed National Gallery Extension as “a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend”, much to the outrage of the British architectural establishment.
Yesterday’s British press was rife with stories about the Prince and his architecture views, it was as if he had committed a great sin against humanity just by threatening to again express his views on architecture. Yet, for Architects, the Prince really has committed an unforgivable crime. In 1984, he was invited to present the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture to the Indian architect Charles Correa, instead of giving a simple toast and presenting Correa with his medal he lambasted the state of current British architecture. All of this occurred at the 150th anniversary of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). So, now with the news that the prince was again to speak at the RIBA, and the release to the media of portions of his speech, he has reignited the flames. What the prince doesn’t realize is that Architects more than anything hate to be critiqued, especially by those not in the profession. In Architecture “everyone is an expert”, and that’s one thing Architects can’t stand.
Is Prince Charles really a living Ellsworth Toohey? (more…)
I have been struggling with the California Architect’s Board (CAB) for the last 6 months or so to have my work experience recorded correctly so that I can take the California Supplemental Exam (CSE) as my final step in getting my Architects licence. It has been a very frustrating process dealing with the Sacramento bureaucracy, but finally, with the help of Mike who handles the CSE applications, I have applied to take this final test in a long line of tests.
The road to becoming a licensed Architect is a long one. The requirements vary from state to state, but generally they require an intership, a certain number of years of education, completing a series of nine NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) exams (is now reduced to seven), and in California, passing an oral examination in front of a panel of three licensed Architects.
One of the newest Revit blogs to hit the Internet is Buildz by Zack Kron. Zach does a really good job exploring the art of modeling complex parametric shapes in Revit. I love going to his site to see what interesting things he’s creating.
A recent surprise on his blog, a few days ago, was the release of a basic script for performing a batch render in Revit 2009 and Revit 2010. Using the script feels like you’re doing some weird voodoo but it gives me hope that we will soon have this capability available to the masses with an easy interface. I don’t think Zach is a trained programmer so even though the script is a bit tricky to use I have to applaud his being able to put something like this together.
If there are any programmer/Revit users out there I would encourage you to take Zach’s script to the next level… or maybe Autodesk can include this function in Revit 2011? Hint Hint.
Download Zach’s Revit Batch Render Script and give it a try!