Architecture Firm Licenses Epic’s Unreal Engine

After exploring the crossover of design professionals entering the gaming world, it was inevitable that gaming technology would enter the design profession. I naively assumed it already had. So the news that HKS, one of largest architectural firms in the US, announced they have licensed the Unreal Gaming Engine, the 3D engine used in games like Unreal Tournament from Epic games. It didn’t seem like big news until I read the press release and learned that they were the first. By the way, whatever happened to the promise of Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)? I imagine using the Unreal Engine is great fun. From my experience with 3D, the walkthrough tools found in most 3D software do not react the same as if you were in a first person shooter - no collision detection as you passed through walls, nor did it recognize walking up a set of stairs or a ramp - so the experience is limited. I haven’t had a chance to use the latest 3D software, so maybe this has changed a bit. If HKS is going through the trouble of licensing this technology, I doubt it has. In a recent Business Week article, HKS explains the benefits of the new technology. Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Adopting the new technology is also helping HKS address long-standing challenges. The firm had found that clients often have trouble translating two-dimensional images—let alone architectural plans—into accurate ideas of what a building or interior space might look like in reality. "The worst is when a client sees a finished building and says: 'That's not what I expected,'" says Pat Carmichael, the company's advanced technology manager and visualization guru.

Traditionally, projects were presented to clients in the form of a series of still images (which took hours to render) or as more sophisticated animations (which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce).”

HKS’ press release states that the cost of this technology to their clients runs between $65K-150K, so it is not cheap. I am sure there will be third-party developers that will offer this to smaller firms as with most technologies it will only get cheaper. I look forward to the day when it is common place. I realize Unreal’s engine is far more advanced than Second Life, but I wonder if technologies like Second Life will accelerate this adoption and provide a place for people to explore the latest condo or public project? The future is always interesting.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Landscape Architecture

Every time I turn around, another architect is adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) Technology. The adoption rate has been extraordinarily fast and it is only a matter of time until all design professionals will need to work within its framework. Just in case you have never heard of BIM, it is a fundamental shift away from CAD, which has basically been a more efficient drafting tool with limited database capabilities. BIM on the other hand is a complex three dimensional model of a project that includes extensive database capabilities. Since you are designing in three dimensions, at its most basic level you can more easily detect conflicts in the building. This could include a conflict between a structural beam and a mechanical duct of some sort. This reduces necessary changes during the construction process. In addition, you can pull traditional two dimensional drawings from the model. When the model is updated, the drawings are updated. Some other cool features include keeping track of schedules and cost estimating through comprehensive cost databases. This technology can allow you to quickly evaluate changes to the design, but the entire system is based on the accuracy of the model.

The model is central to the entire process. Because the system relies on the accuracy of the model, those imputing the information need more knowledge than what was typically needed for traditional CAD. In many cases, the operator in a BIM environment needs to understand the building process because they are literally building every aspect of the building. This is good for those who have the experience, but difficult for new graduates and the offices that need to train them to be productive. But even if the information has been input accurately, the tradition of shop drawings during the construction process raises other issues. Some see the model becoming the shop drawing as fabricators add to the model and get approval from the designer. This inevitably raises liability issues as the central documentation is being changed throughout the construction process.

BIM has also changed how design professionals work. Because the model is started early on in the design process, much of the work is done in the schematic and design development stages of the projects verses later in the construction document process. The construction document process becomes more of a formality and if someday the model becomes the document, the construction document process may disappear all together. This affects the traditional billing system where the emphasis is on the CD stage. Now design professionals need to consider reworking their compensation to be more front loaded because it is where they are spending more of their time. Of course this begs the question, how flexible is BIM and does it hinder the free flow of the design process? Hopefully I can address this in a future post.

I must admit I have not had the opportunity to use BIM, so I am only speaking from discussions that I have had with those who have used it. They have all been architects, and as a landscape architect I have not seen our industry begin to integrate BIM into their practice. In my opinion, it is because it is well suited for buildings that are predictably orthogonal. The added complexity of slope seems to make it much harder to develop it easily. On the other hand, maybe landscape architects just can not see the benefits or don’t have to use it. Most architects who use BIM simply export traditional 2D base plans for the landscape architect to do their work.

Despite these issues, BIM continues to grow and landscape architects may have to adopt it or be left behind.

Recycled Site Furniture by loll Designs

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this site furniture by loll Designs located in Duluth, MN. They are using 100% recycled High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Richlite, an environmentally friendly composite wood. I love their simple and elegant designs. There are a number from which to choose, but most are oriented to a less formal relaxing style (i.e. adirondack). I see most of them being used in a residential setting, but that is not to say they would not complement the right outdoor public space. I wonder how well the materials would hold up under public stress? They offer a dining set in square and rectangular tables. The laser engraved artwork option for the backs of the T77 dining chairs is a nice touch. Despite how great they look on their website, I would still want to see the Richlite in person before I used them on a project. Unfortunately, most of the styles only come in black and white, but a few offer splashes of color. One interesting website detail is the indicator as to how many recycled milk jugs go into each piece of furniture. Their site is definitely worth checking out.

Urban Design and Architecture of the Virtual World

Are you ready to take your design practice to the virtual world? The other day a colleague told me their friend was considering applying for a landscape architecture position within metaverse prime, a company that designs environments for Second Life (SL). For those that may not know, SL is an on-line persistent virtual world where people participate virtually in a “Second Life”. Within it people can earn local currency and exchange it with real world currencies. To get some idea of the landscape, check out SLs Google-like Map.

I was not surprised to hear about the need for landscape architects to design virtual sites, but amazed that it had finally happened. In 2000, I gave a lecture about the future of landscape architecture to a local garden club and ended it with the thought of landscape architects becoming involved in developing video games. At the time, I had been tinkering with developing models of environments for the on-line, first person shooter Quake III. It was fascinating to have total control of the environment and then interact with it. Obviously, it was not the same as the real world. Smell, touch, and the feeling of space were noticeably absent, but the design did affect the player’s behaviors and were enjoyable to view. I couldn’t help but approach it from a landscape architect’s perspective - an unlimited budget and not having to necessarily worry about physics was liberating.

I have not entered Second Life and at the moment have no plans to do it, though I must admit I have considered it. If I do I will let you know how it goes. After a few quick searches, it is interesting that there are some design professionals offering designs for both the real and virtual world. Two examples I have run across include architect David Denton’s practice and Crescendo Design. Two of the best articles I have read on the subject include a tour by Archinect and one by the Guardian. The Archinect article covers the Landing Lights Project, which uses the SL interface to facilitate the public process for designing a real world park in New York and is a very interesting use of the technology. Some companies are using the virtual world for training and it makes you wonder if some day we will be attending an ASLA or AIA convention in a virtual world.

Overall, SL’s current graphics seem a bit crude by current gaming standards, but as computing power increases I can see this becoming less of a problems and the platform becoming more and more popular. Despite the graphics, from the screen shots I have seen of Second Life, I would say it could use a lot of creative energy from architects and landscape architects. Computing power alone does not improve creativity. So if you are looking to expand your practice, you may want to stake your claim in Second Life and begin to conquer the virtual world.