My Favorite Models

[tkhoatson]

New year; new model…

Uhlenbeck Hall

This structure is conceived as a campus addition to house the department of Mathematics.

East-facing View

The side of the building facing the street is not actually the front… The structure at ground level is surrounded by a patio with lots of outdoor seating, shaded by the second-level classrooms.

North-facing View

On the patio, students can study or collaborate or even just chat, with views of greenery around.

Northwest Isometric View

The structure is conceived as a twisting volume, with clerestory windows over the central hallway at the second level, allowing natural light in and reducing energy costs. Classrooms also allow for natural light through large windows.

West-facing View

Each segment of the twisting volume is a different length. It begins on the inner wall and winds its way out as a representation of the Fibonacci sequence.

South-facing View

This side of the structure faces other campus buildings, and is ostensibly the front of the building, with two entrances - one just beyond the cluster of lilac bushes.

The façade on the right provides visualizations of Euler’s number and his constant.

Here it is possible to wind your way into the center courtyard.

Façade Detail

Along the building face at the second-level, a design on the wall provides a visualization of a harmonic sequence. Toward the right, the walls provide visualizations of other concepts, including the sequence of prime numbers.

Behind the curved walls ahead are staff offices and lounge.

Courtyard

At the heart of the courtyard are two trees, showing how natural elements can provide useful metaphors for mathematical concepts. Here also is a sculptural visualization of pi - the ratio of the diameter of a circle to its area - vertically stacking 3.14 diameters. (Some wealthy alumnus should donate toward the addition of a couple of benches here…)

Interior Detail - Ground Level

Artwork on the walls is illuminated by natural light from the glazing on the opposite side of the hall and illustrates mathematical concepts.

Interior Detail - Second Level

Here can be found more visualizations on the walls. Since this level has classrooms on both sides of the hall, natural lighting is brought in via clerestory windows above. (The dim lighting of this image is an effect of SketchUp showing the angle of the walls without regard to how much light is actually available.)

Overhead View

From this perspective, the true form of the structure is clearly seen, sited within the natural environment.

All vegetation and furnishings are from the 3D Warehouse.

[tkhoatson]

I was playing around with an AI tool, and I had a couple of results that were thought-provoking. There were still parts of the image that were basically nonsense, but it did give me some interesting ideas.

So I took some of the ideas from one image and rearranged everything to come up with…

Byrd Lake Cabin

This simple, yet comfortable structure rises as a single volume on two levels, between two stone masses. On the North side of the cabin, the octagonal stone mass does not mitigate solar gain but serves as a wind break for the front entry. At the top, it shields a small balcony.

North-facing View

The cabin reflects the heritage of the Lakota people who are still present throughout much of this area. Native symbols are visible on the upper façade, adding to the character and aesthetic of the structure.

West-facing View

A wrap-around patio on the ground level allows for access from the bedrooms. The upper level overshades the patio allowing for a more spacious shared space with large windows for expansive views of the natural surroundings.

Southwest Isometric View

On the sunward side of the structure, a pentagonal stone wall allows for the daytime warmth to be spread out through the cooler evening hours, while the cool of the night air is spread throughout the day. A spacious deck on this side allows for outdoor entertaining in good weather. A pair of glazed doors provide easy access to the deck along with expansive views of the lake.

South-facing View

The cabin is sited on a slight uplift, giving the structure several feet of elevation above the lake level, reducing the likelihood of flooding. The roof gable overhangs a portion of the deck, providing a bit of shade at midday in the hottest times of year.

East-facing View

As the ground slopes away again slightly toward the front lawn, a short flight of steps allows access to the ground floor entrance.

The vertically-aligned reclaimed wood panels of the ground level contrast with the horizontal siding of the upper level. By placing the reclaimed wood under the overhang, it is hoped to mitigate further weathering and extend its life.

Frieze Detail

Here is a closer view of the Lakota symbols. The alternating painted panels are carved in wood. It is envisioned to seek native craftsmen to perform the work.

Ground-level Hallway

The cabin is detailed in ash wood on the door and window frames, as well as the stairs. The door to the master bedroom is ahead on the right. Two other bedrooms flank the main bathroom in the middle on the left.

Upper-level Gathering Space

The light stone wall contrasts with the dark wood paneling for aesthetic effect, but it also brightens the room, as does keeping the ceiling bright behind the rafters. At the top of the stairs is a small sitting area. On the left is another bathroom and the utilities room. Beyond that, around the corner, is the small, yet full-function kitchen. And the dining and seating areas face the glass doors.

Note: All vegetation and furnishings are from the 3D Warehouse.

[tkhoatson]

It’s hard to believe I haven’t posted anything new here since January…!

Back in February, my wife fractured her spine, so I’ve been doing a lot of the housework, which leaves a lot less time for this hobby.

But the other factor is that I’ve been working on a model that pushed SU 2015 to its limit, so I had to play all kinds of games to be able to finish it…

[tkhoatson]

In the past, we lived in Indonesia for more than a decade. There you can find rice paddies arranged in terraces on the hillsides:

And you can also visit the site of an ancient Buddhist temple complex, Borobudur:

Just as the temple complex was influenced by the nearby volcano, these and other places have influenced and informed the design of…

Plaza Kembang

This multi-purpose volume houses retail, commercial and residential programs on 31 levels.

Geometric Layout

The plan evolved from a design of 4 intersecting circles, each containing concentric rings. The intersections of these rings gave rise to the ascending shape of the structure.

View from Above

The sprawling complex has major traffic arteries on all sides. But the combination of programs allows residents to minimize their exposure to the heavy traffic. Live, work, play and send your kids to school all without leaving the complex. Shopping, restaurants, entertainment and other amenities are on the premises.

Isometric View from the Southeast

The plaza is encircled by large trees to provide shady spots on open areas like park land. Outdoor concerts can be held with artists performing on the second level as a stage while the audience lounges on the grounds below.

Street View

At the corners of the site, buses, taxis and other forms of public transport can pick up and drop off visitors. On the sides of the site, visitors can be dropped off at the main entrances.

Elevation

Each level is fringed with living hedges of vegetation, reducing the need for walls or railings and contributing to the natural aesthetic. Lower walls have natural stone facings in alternating dark and light earth tones.

Southeastern Overlook

The residential levels feature two types of vegetation for the hedges, both different from the commercial levels, and the artificial grass carpet on the balconies is lighter at the higher levels.

Southern Overlook

Residents looking down from their apartments will feel as if they are living in the mountains and looking over the green terraces of agricultural plots.

Note: I want to acknowledge the work of others…
photography: Adrien Brun and Alea Film, courtesy of Unsplash
Hedges: Markus v N and Vinay D (both with significant customization)
Prunus Laurocerasus Hedge: Gilles F
Robinia Pseudoacacia: Magdalena K

[tkhoatson]

While working on the previous model, sometimes I would get so frustrated with the performance issues that I would set it aside for a while. During those times, I worked on another model…

The Pentaring House

Model A

View from the North

This home has exterior walls of stone, with wood detailing. In effect, it has turned its back to the street, to increase privacy with regard to the public.

View from the East

The somewhat star-shaped volume becomes a bit more open toward its neighbors on the sides. Wide windows in the living room allow for views out, while clerestory windows in the bathroom allow natural light in.

South Isometric View

The four-season porch offers the greatest openness to the neighbors behind the home, promoting a sense of close-knit community. It is flanked by bedrooms on each side. In the center of the structure is a small courtyard. In this model glass doors to the courtyard are topped by clerestory windows to give maximum natural light to the encircling hallway.

View from the West

In this model, the kitchen has no windows, while the utility room and the master bathroom have clerestory windows.

Model B

View from the North

In this model, the exterior brick walls rise to the gabled roof, which pitches upward toward the outside, in contrast with the gables of Model A.

View from the East

In this model, clerestory windows top the outer walls, bringing extra natural light into each room.

South Isometric View

In this model, again, there is a central courtyard. However, this time the roof pitch is angled inward, leaving open a possibility of the addition of an interesting water feature which comes alive when it rains.

View from the West

In this model, the kitchen is able to receive natural light from the clerestory windows.

View from Above

The two models can sit side-by-side within the same neighborhood allowing for comparison and contrast. From above it becomes more clear that each home is constructed from 10 pentagonal modules.

Neighborhood View

In this neighborhood, residential parking is discreetly tucked below, allowing for greater openness and an uncluttered street. This entrance ramp is one-way, with a matching ramp on the other end of the block for vehicles to exit.