Welcome To Studiomaven!
Studiomaven is an online platform that targets students of environmental design and facilitates the peer-to-peer exchange of representational techniques, software tutorials, and other skill-training material relevant to studio practice. We are supported by an instructional improvement grant at UC Berkeley.
For more information, please contact us at admin [at] studiomaven {dot} org.
Workflows
Contain pages that discuss generalizable ways of using representational tools and techniques toward specific ends. Material here is presented in a problem-driven manner.
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Creating a NURBS Surface from Topographical Contour Lines
Use Rhino to model topography in 3D to better understand site context, produce site drawings, and build site-accurate 3D models. The workflow requires contour drawings to create a NURBS surface by using the Patch command. -
Extracting Line Work from a 3D Massing Model
This workflow describes the steps necessary to create a drawing set of a simple massing form. Students will learn how to cut an existing model, use viewports to create plan and section drawings, Make2d, organize layers for efficient editing in Illustrator, and exporting drawings to scale. Digital lineweights and standards are described along with the basic drawing tools in Illustrator. -
Importing US Census and ESRI data into Grashopper using Heron
This tutorial uses the Heron plugin in order to bring in US Census data and ESRI Demographics into Grasshopper from the web for mapping purposes. -
Isometric Drawings from Digital Models
This workflow shows how to use the Shear command to create an isometric view in Rhino of an existing digital model. The linework will then be exported to Illustrator where a few pointers on stylistic effects can help create descriptive and eloquent presentation diagrams. -
Fabricating a Digital Form Using the Eggcrate Method
This workflow presents a method for fabricating a physical model out of interlocking sheets of sheet material from a digital form using the "eggcrate" method of first preparing a solid mesh model for 123dmake, generating a sliced form in preparation for lasercutting, and finally assembling the cut pieces into a completed model.
Exercises
Contain pages that describe exercises that test student's knowledge of representational methods discussed here on Studiomaven.
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Hand-Drawn Views of a Simple Massing Model
This exercise practices producing drawings by hand from a 3d massing model. -
Mobile Object - Static Subject
In this exercise, students will produce a short animation (less than 1 minute), that describes the relationship between the parts and whole of a small architectural work, and between this work and its site. -
Model a Double Negative Space, Three Ways
This exercises practices basic 3d modeling skills by creating three abstract "double negative" spaces using three methods: solid modeling, lofted surfaces and sweep surfaces. -
Drawing Set of a Simple Massing Form
This exercise practices generating drawings from a 3d massing model. Four critical steps are reinforced within Rhino and Illustrator. They are sectioning, making 2d, exporting line work, and adjusting line work. The practice of layer organization is strongly emphasized. -
Material / Point Bonita
Create a series of VRay materials that are specific to your Sukkah model. Apply the materials and textures to your model. Visit the Point Bonita site and document the site's textures and conditions. Create a series of 3D objects to complement the given site model. You might choose to break the site into smaller or differentiated surfaces to assign different materials to the complex ecology of the site; you can add multiple geometry layers to overlay multiple textures.
Finally start thinking about how your Sukkah is going to fit in the site. Start thinking about a connection between your pavilion and the site. You can place your Sukkah anywhere on the site model, but you should think about three types of connections: Above the Site, On the Site or In the Site.
Tools
Containing pages that detail representational tools and pieces of software commonly employed in architectural production. Material here is presented in a process-driven manner.
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Rhinoceros for OSX
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InDesign CS5
Used to create documents for plotting and printing. Templates can be created to manage multiple pages, especially for books. -
Photoshop CS5
Used to manipulate and manage raster photos and graphics. Has a variety of tools for changing the color (hue), saturation and appearance of images. -
VRay
Rendering software to render from Rhino and other CAD packages. Difficult to render while using other applications, but very easy to use. -
Grasshopper
A visual node-based scripting tool that is a plug-in for Rhino. This used to be called 'Explicit History' for Rhino and a good way to describe it's usefulness is that it allows you to record a series of commands, where each step can be tied to a parameter for later adjustment.