VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTION
(LINK – Sketchup tutorial: Importing DWG drawing into Sketchup)
Virtual construction has proven to be a very reliable way to review and troubleshoot an architectural design prior to building the house proper. Its key advantage lies in its inherent capacity to illuminate problem areas, and to resolve conflicts with structural and mechanical systems.
Parametric modelling software such as Revit is already quite prevalent in the design and construction of large-scale residential and commercial projects, but it is still relatively uncommon in single-family residential house construction. Unfortunately, the cost of Revit is quite prohibitive for smaller design offices, not to mention that learning the software can be a daunting task.
Sketchup has quickly become a favourite tool with many design offices. It is often used for preliminary conceptual design, and later on, the model is further developed and used as a presentation tool for meetings with the client. But, it can also be used very effectively to assemble and test buildings digitally, where varying degrees of complexity can be embedded into the model to suit specific project needs. The section below presents a number of such case studies.
WHISTLER CABIN
This was one of those opportune situations where the client/owner of the house commissioned the virtual model. Its purpose was two-fold: 1. To run a coordination check on the structure and make sure that it fit nicely into the building envelope; 2. To create a tool for the evaluation of material finishes.
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West 6th, Vancouver Residential House
(Construction photos of this project can be seen here)
The virtual model for this house was developed in parallel with the construction drawings. It became an invaluable tool in the testing and evolution of building envelope details. The Sketchup stick model was eventually rendered for presentation purposes.
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E46 Residential House, Vancouver
The scope of this project was to create shop drawings for the framing of wall, roof and floor modules. The modules were pre-fabricated off site.
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Thopmson Cr Residential House, Vancouver
(Construction photos of this project can be seen here)
The 3D concrete and steel model was created as a way to verify the foundation drawings. A CAD foundation plan was imported into sketchup c/w all the relevant spot elevations. Concrete walls, including corbels, recesses and cutouts were then built in Sketchup relatively quickly. If there were any ambiguities in the foundation drawings, they revealed themselves immediately, and the drawings were corrected.
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West Vancouver House
(Construction photos of this project can be seen here)
In the closeup of the structure below (and the section above), the red-coded elements belong to a 3-dimensional structural model. The latter was created by a third party who were commissioned to prepare steel shop drawings. (Software such as TEKLA is used for this purpose, as an example). The 3d beam model was then imported into sketchup. It was then relatively quick and painless to run a coordination check on the architectural and structural systems.
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Cypress St House, Vancouver Residential House
(Construction photos of this project can be seen here)
The project presented below is a tiny homage to Martin Tipton, a virtual construction guru who introduced me to the field. He was invaluable and equally generous in sharing his experiences and knowledge. The few images presented below are excerpts from his digital model for a house in Vancouver. The detail in the model is simply unparalleled.
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GALLERY OF DIGITAL STRUCTURAL CONNECTIONS and THEIR REAL-LIFE IMPLEMENTATION.
(see also: steel to glulam connections, steel to steel connections and steel to concrete connections)
The following is a series of screen captures from a Tekla Structures model prepared by PR Engineering of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Included are corresponding construction site photos.
Refer to CASE STUDIES –> Whistler project for more construction photos.
