- What are the principal advantages of creating a conceptual design model using masses before diving into the detailed design and building element modeling?
If the client does not care for the grand idea of a large structure, then time spent on detailed design elements could be wasted when you are asked to go back to the drawing board!
- Should all buildings be modeled first using conceptual masses? When is it needed/appropriate? And when not? For example, should you create a conceptual mass model of a small house?
Since much of the advantage of conceptual masses lies in their ability to quickly abstract large relatively simple forms and relate them to each other, I'd argue that less advantage would come with small structures. Moreover, if the site is highly constrained and the designer does not have much geometric freedom, conceptual masses will not be very helpful.
- Can you think of any examples of a real building around the world that most likely was created by exploring the form using conceptual mass models? Please post and share images of these examples to Harmonize.
Any Gehry building would, I’d think, start with a (very!) conceptual mass – Frank Gehry’s crazy sketches! Which are then translated into CAD conceptual masses. That’s perhaps the most top down approach I can imagine.
Lewis Library at my alma mater, Princeton:
Any Gehry building would, I’d think, start with a (very!) conceptual mass – Frank Gehry’s crazy sketches! Which are then translated into CAD conceptual masses. That’s perhaps the most top down approach I can imagine.
- How would you abstract the essential form of these famous buildings using conceptual mass elements that you can create in Revit?
- One World Trade Center: https://www.archdaily.com/795277/one-world-trade-center-som
I would loft one square to another rotated and (very high up!) σ;θαρε
- CMG Headquarters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMG_Headquarters#/media/File:China_Central_Television_Headquarters_2.jpg
Ι’d cut/extrude one half of the concrete section of the building, and then fill with the blue tinted glass
- Twisting torso: https://www.archdaily.com/771471/santiago-calatravas-turning-torso-wins-ctbuhs-10-year-award
Same as OWTC, but with a more extreme radius of curvature. May have to use a sweep-like feature instead.
- Apple campus: https://www.archdaily.com/804970/apple-campus-2-held-to-fantastical-standard-of-detail-new-report-reveals
A torus, though judging from the ridiculous level of detail demanded by Apple, I’d suspect we’d have to jump very quickly to the lower level elements…
Because the building bulges in the center, I would loft in two sections (bottom to middle, middle to top)