Class Notes: Introduction to Computers for Architecture Majors

Fall 2008 - Tue 10th Period (CIRCA CSE/E211 Lab), Thu 10-11 Period (Arch 116)

Instructor: Mark Schmalz

Project 7 Assignment

• Goal. The purpose of this project is to provide more experience in drawing 3-D views of a structure and its site from a basic site plan and front elevation, and to learn to use 4D-Viz features that we recently covered in class.

• Primitives. We will be using 4D-Viz primitives and editing commands covered thus far in class, together with light and shadow tricks that we will cover in class.

• Drawing Procedure. The following steps reference the Plan View and Elevation that we drew in Project 4. Also, you will be using the LAYER command/feature and you must have each of the layers in the following work description color-coded with a unique color that is visible on the printed wireframe views.
  Step 1. Construct the site (hillside with scrub bushes) from the site plan shown in the Wright drawings that you reproduced in Project 4. Call this layer "SITE".

  Step 2. Draw the masonry "stack" (as Wright called it) that comprises the fireplace chimney, masonry, and supports for the house. This should be done in a different layer than the site, which we will call "SUPPORTS".

  Step 3. Draw the ground floor of the house, filling in the cavities over the stack, except for the little workshop room in the "basement" of the house, which you can see in the elevation view. This layer should be called "FIRST FLOOR"

  Step 4. Construct the walls using two layers: EXTERIOR WALLS for the outer surface (horizontal redwood planks) and INTERIOR WALLS for the smooth wooden panelling of the walls. The windows should be in their own layer, called WINDOWS.

  Step 5. Draw the roof using layers EXTERIOR ROOF and INTERIOR ROOF, as in Step 4. Pictures of the Sturges house show that the ceiling (interior roof) was panelled, as well.

  Step 6. Put the sidewalks and planters (in back of the house) in the layer PATIO, and the latticework over the patio and the front of the house in LATTICEWORK layer.

  Step 7. You do not need to draw an outline box around the drawing, but please reproduce the plan view and elevation with your name and last 3 digits of your UFID number. Also, you should choose the text size so that this information fits neatly into the text box. Do not choose text size less than 0.13 inches. Put "CGS2470-P7-F08" on the lower line of the box.

  Step 8. Draw 3-D furniture in the house, according to the arrangement shown in the plan view. You may add a few chairs to the living room, if you would like - it will make the room look more realistic.

  Step 9. Be sure to set the PLOT command scale and offset such that your drawings are printed out so that they fill the 6 1/2" by 9" area allotted for each page (1 inch margins assumed). You need to print out and submit the following pages:

  1. Perspective View #1 - Rendered Exterior View
  2. Wireframe View #1 corresponding to Perspective View #1
  3. Perspective View #2 - Rendered Exterior & Interior View
  4. Wireframe View #2 corresponding to Perspective View #2
  5. Perspective View #3 - Rendered Interior View
  6. Wireframe View #3 corresponding to Perspective View #3

  
  
  Figure 1. CGS2470 - Plan view and elevation of the Sturges House (Los Angeles) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. For convenience, you may assume that the unit squares in the plan view are 6'-0" by 6'-0" in size.
  Reproduced from "Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Houses" by John Sergeant (Watson-Guptill Publications, Inc., ISBN 0-8230-7178-2). Copyright (c) 2004 FLLW FDN, Scottsdale, AZ - For educational use only, not for commercial use of any kind.

  If you need further views of the Sturges House, you can find many links on the Web, by entering the following keywords in the Google search engine at www.google.com:

  frank lloyd wright sturges house

  Some of these will provide perspective views and 3-D pictures. Also recommended are the books on Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture, available at UF's Fine Arts Library. The Architecture Library at UF also has a CD-ROM with Mr. Wright's home designs and drawings.

• Grading. The project (6 drawings) will be graded as follows:

     Item                                        Score
     ----------------------------------------- ----------
     How well plan view is followed              10 pts
     Quality of drawings (incl. furniture)       10 pts
     10 Layers present (4 points each)           20 pts
     Quality of four views                       60 pts
     ( 3 perspective views
       3 wireframe views with color-
          coded layers )
     ----------------------------------------------------
     MAXIMUM SCORE                              100 points
  

• Hardcopy. The completed project (six drawings ) should be printed on a color laser printer. A good place to print your drawings is the Architecture Lab or CIRCA computer lab on the second floor of the CSE building. Do not use a Xerox copier or do not copy any drawing from a Web page as an image. Both will be considered cheating, and will be dealt with severely.

• Items Due. The project is comprised of six pages, which must be stapled together with a metal staple. Give the instructor your completed project in class on Tuesday 18 November 2008. Projects turned in a day late will be penalized -10%; two days late: -20%. Projects turned in after the Monday following the due date will not be accepted unless accompanied by a documented excuse (note from your physician or advisor).