German Wood Awards 2009

The German wood awards have just been given to a variety of projects that include built objects – anything from highrises to garden sheds – and new products for wood construction. The first prize went to an amazing object: A seven story apartment building in Berlin whose structure consists of glulam columns and beams as […] Read more..

Getting ready for 2010 in the Autodesk world

Now that the Autodesk 2010 versions are finally available, it is time to get familiar with them. I am particularly looking forward to the new Revit functionality (3D modeling and paneling tools), but there’s far more than that in the Autodesk software roster. Maybe the main change to grapple with is the ribbon menu UI. […] Read more..

Shells and tension structures

Shells and tension structures (cable nets or fabrics) are beautiful structural elements that provide a very lightweight organic shape with a visually clear structural language. When it comes to creating these, however, specialized tools are required since the underlying math is anything but trivial. If you want to work with shells or tension structures, try […] Read more..

Interactive 3D Visualization of Building Envelope Systems Using Infrared Thermography and SketchUp

This project explored the application of the visualization capabilities of Infrared Thermography in conjunction with three-dimensional models of buildings. Three-dimensional modeling is a powerful tool for visualizing and representing building conditions that is used by architects, builders, and contractors. Also, a three-dimensional model is better understandable than a more abstract two-dimensional representation (like a floor plan or an image).

Curtain walls in wood

Coming from a wood background, it is a bit disappointing that most (low- to mid-rise) curtain-walls or storefront glazed walls contain only aluminum mullions as their support around here (US). It appears that many architects simply don’t specify these in wood. This fact came to my attention again last weekend when I visited the recently […] Read more..