Installation no 3

Shipping containers can be a environmentally friendly and cost effective housing solution by reducing the amount of building materials required in construction as well as re-cycling what is essentially scrap metal and thereby reducing waste and carbon emissions. Disused containers are no longer sea-worthy but are still structurally sound. The modular nature of containers makes them adaptable to a variety of design possibilities from single homes to apartment buildings.

Using a standard 40” shipping container as the starting point, augmented is utilised to visualise the transformation of four containers into a house enabling the viewer to visualise a number of design possibilities through the use of augmented reality markers and BuildAR software.

The CHK container kit home by Lot-ek Architects inspired the initial design as it uses only four containers and maximises living space. The physical model is built to resemble four unmodified shipping containers joined together. The AR markers are magnetic and as they are attached to the model sequentially the design progresses allowing the viewer to visualise the model with new additions to the house such as a roof, wooden deck, exterior cladding and landscaping.

The spiral staircase and fire station doors are recycled components, which were added from Google’s 3D Warehouse.

 

Trial and errors

 I've encountered a few challenges during this assignement so far, firstly with my markers,  I designed new ones as BuildAR could not distinguish between the first set. The new ones made BuildAR crash but I got that fixed thanks to a hint from Josh (don't add a white border) After days on end of watching 3ds max tutorials I reverted to equally unfamiliar but more user friendly SkectchUp for my model design and exported to 3ds Max so I could hopefully add some animation. The textures went missing however and everything from SketchUp didn't look quite right in 3ds max after exporting to .ive format

In the meamtime my physical model is coming together, though the idea is that this model stays white and all the changes happen in BuildAR.

WIP

I downloaded an AutoCad model of container and imported into 3ds Max and started to modify

4 Containers added together and stripped of interior walls

Modifying this model proved tricky and time consuming as it has many vertexes and all the pieces soon didn't fit very well together. Renders didn't look that good either

I started from scratch in Sketchup

 Now that I have a few models at various levels of development in Sketchup, I'm hoping to have more success working on this model in 3ds max, where I can add windows, doors, stairs, textures, trees and animation.

Below is a first attempt at using animated ive file in Build AR



Urban development

This interesting video from the 2010 Venice Architecture Bienale shows the Australian exhibit using 3D visualization technology to show future possibilities with the increase in population density and  development of cities.

Background images

Container homes by Zigloo designs

Container homes by Zigloo designs

Container homes by Zigloo designs

Monaco House by McBride Charles Ryan (not a container)

Bark Design Collective

Container City, Nicholas Lacey

Urban Space Management

Lot-ek

Container homes by Zigloo designs

Installation 3 propsoal

Installation 3
                                                             

My proposed concept is to use augmented reality to visualise a container home in progressive stages of design.

Container homes provide an eco-friendly housing solution by reducing building materials and re-cycling what is essentially scrap metal, disused containers that are no longer sea-worthy. The structural robustness and modular nature of containers also lends themselves to a variety of interesting design possibilities.

I plan to build a physical landscape and model which will correspond to the AR version. Using a standard shipping container as the basis of my design, augmented reality will be used to creatively engage the viewer in the design possibilities that can emerge from the container model.  Adding markers to the physical model enables the viewer to experience the transformation of the container design, such as the addition of a roof, different exterior cladding as well as modification to the surrounding landscape, by adding trees for instance.  I've chosen markers that correspond to the recycling symbols found on containers, as that seemed fitting of the nature of this project. Technologies to be used: Sketchup, 3ds Max, Build AR

Assessment Criteria

 

Blog: Is your blog neatly laid out and easy to follow, with all task requirements posted to your blog?

Images: Are your images of an acceptable quality, showing thought and consideration to image selection and camera framing? Are all images not your own referenced correctly?

Text: Is your descriptor text for the concept of your Augmented Reality concise and informative? Does the explanation convey significant information to the

viewer that the object doesn’t inherently portray itself?

Augmented Reality Models: Are your AR models handled in an intelligent way? Have you thought carefully about how to manipulate your models to be best viewed with your Physical Markers?

Markers: Are your markers attractive and convey a relationship with your AR 3D models? Is the thematic of your markers clear and understandable?

Installation: Does your installation work? Is there a novel approach to how your markers relate to your models? As a package does your Physically Digital model provide the viewer with an insight into your subject matter?

Submission requirements

Supporting sketches of your design ideas in progress. These should be a continuing exercise used to help with your design process.

· Visual References (around 10 images/videos on blog, with references)

· Minimum of 200 words describing your project.

· Physical models/system to base your AR on

· Minimum 1 x 30‐60 second video (polished, and with sound), showing the interactive elements of your project in a creative way.

· Minimum of 4 AR Markers – with different related models/content based on each marker.

Starchitects and glasses

Couldn't help but post a link to this site after seeing people try out their virtual glasses ;)

http://famousarchitect.blogspot.com/2007/08/10-pay-attention-to-your-glasses.html

Assignment 2

I used a model of an Apple Store by finder9 in Google's 3d Warehouse. Apple's stores have a  minimalist design aesthetic that embodies the simplicity and user-centric design principles upon which the Apple mac, iPod and iPhone have been built.

I made a cardboard model to approximate the shape and size of the Sketchup model. I also removed many of the items in the existing model to simplify the design. I then used the Apple iPod silhouette ads and logo, converted to black and white to create markers for different sides of the building. By rotating the box with the markers the viewer can get an augmented reality experience of the interior of this model of the Apple building. I left the front facade of the building intact.

Laying out the different sides of the building in SketchUp

The model in AR

Side view in AR

The box with markers

The box with markers

Custom markers in AR

I made a custom marker and used it to get an AR view of a model of the Prada building in Tokyo.

Model of Prada Tokyo, by Herzog de Meuron architects

I decided to shelve the Prada building for Assignment 2 as the irregular shape of the building would mean that more then one side of the building and therefore more then one marker would be facing the camera at a time, which would be a problem in BuildAR