Freelon Group + Paula Carr

I really enjoyed our visit to Freelon Group on Wednesday. It was the first firm that I have been to their building and I thought it was a great experience seeing the insides of a company and how they work. I enjoyed hearing how the interior designers work throughout the project and not just at the end. That was one thing similar to what Paula Carr had to say about tvs design. While at Freelon Group, I really appreciated their advice on what they look for at interviews. Although some things mentioned were contradictory to what some of the professors have told us, I was still open to hearing their opinions.

Following our visit at the firm, we traveled to the Durham County South Regional Library, designed by Freelon Group. This visit was inspirational not only because we are looking at this library in our IAR 311 class, but also our IAR 302 Studio where we are redesigning the Jackson Library at UNCG. My favorite part of this library was the slatted wood ceiling that peaked out around the edges of the interior. I also loved the colorful furniture throughout the library which really brightened up the space and turned a library into a place that I would want to be in.

I think these visits with professionals help a lot to inform us students of what it is like in the professional world of design. When Paula visited us, I thought she had a lot of interesting information to share. What stood out most to me was the way her design process worked. She sketches a lot to get ideas across quickly so that inspired me to sketch more at the beginning stages. Then she puts her ideas into the digital world and models many of the different ideas until they eventually pin them up to talk about as a group.

Building Information Modeling Response

Parametric Modeling can be described as the relationship between different parts of a 3D model. For example, in a Revit building model, everything has a relationship with each other. If you delete a wall in a model, everything that is on the wall such as windows and doors, will also be deleted. This is so there aren’t random building parts floating around in space. I can see how that could be helpful because if the windows just stayed there, they could be forgotten about and could throw off the model. But with parametric modeling, you have to be careful what you delete. Deleting “just a line” will delete the entire wall or floor or whatever that line is a part of.

The article discusses major differences between Revit and CAD. I have never used CAD before but I can understand the differences after reading about it. In CAD, you have to manually make each floorplan, section, elevation, and schedule. Whereas with BIM in Revit, all these drawings are automatically made just by making one model. This can be extremely helpful and time saving. Though I haven’t used CAD, I have used Rhino to do modeling, which the author also discusses. I feel like Rhino may be in between CAD and Revit, as far as intelligence goes. Changing something in the Rhino digital model automatically updates or deletes something in the other drawings. Rhino just isn’t as smart as Revit as far as drafting, since it seems to be more geared towards 3D modeling of objects rather than buildings. Overall, Revit is much more interactive and intelligent and I look forward to becoming proficient in the program.

Computing in Architectural Design: Summary

The development of architectural design on the computer has changed the way designers have worked throughout the years.

CAD systems have advanced in steps consisting of three generations. The first generation CAD systems in the 1970s consisted of two main routes. The Geometric Modeling route was primarily for automotive and aerospace industries led by companies like General Motors. They needed computer systems to aid them with drawing complex curves and operations to test designs. The Building Specific route was more for the needs of the construction industry. Universities such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Michigan led research on this type. The goal was to develop computing devices that could respond to the needs of the users without an architect.

The second generation of CAD system had a primary need for drafting and modeling applications. A big step was the introduction of the Macintosh computer in 1984 which made it more accessible to people. Large scale computers were really only able to be accessed by researchers. This is when early CAD systems were developed such as MacDraft, MiniCAD, and others that were easy to use. Soon after, more professional software was developed such as AutoDesk. Advancements of processors, display screens, printers, and high-end workstations, all led towards the ability for architects to communicate their designs with drafting and photo realistic renderings.

The third generation of CAD systems happened in the late 1980s-1990s. Advancements in the electronics industry allowed for more intelligent CAD programs. Objects could be made instead of just shapes and software could assist in the design instead of just communicate. Systems recognized walls, doors, windows, and rooms, and could manipulate their geometry and attributes. Later in the 1990s, Carnegie Mellon University produced a system that assisted with preliminary processes of designing like programming, layout design and schematic configuration design.

The author discusses roles that technology can play in the architectural design process. First is design tools. Drafting and modeling has been made easier by the use of electronic tools instead of the traditional pencil and paper. The software cannot use these tools alone so the design is still needed to instruct the computer to use the tools. Means of communication has been changed so that individual computers can connect to larger networks and other computers so that information can be shared quickly and efficiently. Computers can act as design assistants to do more simple tasks so the design can focus on tasks more complex. The computer can also help by answering questions and finding design solutions. Design environments; these computer programs make it so designers have to go to the computer to work on the design. Next is Habitable physical environments. Computers have brought intelligence even to every day life. They are able to control systems such as lighting and security systems. Computers are placed in cars to control fuel injection, temperature and air bags. Lastly, Virtual environments, like Cyberspace, make a place on the internet that is nonphysical, making it possible to view reality differently.

Overall, the design profession would be so incredibly different without all of these advances in technology. Computers and CAD programs make it possible for designers to make their designs realistic in the virtual world before beginning construction.