A short vacation breather, and a tip on modeling organic shapes.

So, I’ve been a bit behind in posting lately because I’m currently between jobs (really, actually BETWEEN jobs). More on that in another post. My wife and I decided to take a short trip to New York to celebrate our upcoming fifth wedding anniversary. Being in New York City for the week remembering the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we didn’t know what to expect. Outside of the very public ceremonies, the mood was not very much different than other times that I’ve traveled there. I usually like to sit in Bryant Park for quiet reflecting. For those of you who might be wondering – that is where my profile photo was taken. Unfortunately, there were event tents set up over the entire park, so I quickly remembered an old favorite – Paley Park just a short walk up to 53rd. It’s a very small plaza, but quickly transports you from the city with the mesmerizing white noise of its crisp waterfall.

I’ve tried to go visit the Guggenheim many times over the years, but things have never worked out. It had either been closed for the addition, or just not the right day of the week – since they are open only five days per week. This time, of course, it is under exterior restoration and its signature spiral ramps are not visible behind the scaffolding. Still, this was very much worth the trip to see the Zaha Hadid exhibit. If you happen to be in the city prior to the end of the exhibit, October 25, I highly recommend seeing this. Sure, most high-profile architects will show off models, drawings and photos of finished works, but it is the extensive collection of concept paintings that she has created which are on display that make this a very special experience.

{ Images  No Longer Available – Removed from post}

Of late, her work has moved from the angular aesthetic to the more free-flowing ‘organic’ form as seen in the science center image above.

For more interesting links on this architect:

Design Museum – British Council: Design in Britian

Wikipedia
The Sky-scraper revitalized: Differentiation, Interface, Navigation – Patrik Schumacher

I promised a tip, so here it is:

Some of you might ask: How do I create organic shapes in Revit? Well, the answers are not really straightforward. It really depends on your skills as a 3D modeler, the types of forms you wish to create and what they are going to ultimately represent in the building design. I highly recommend you type NURBS in Revit help to get on the right path. NURBS (non-uniform rational B-splines) surfaces provide an infinite number of parameters for creating complex forms. You can create roofs and curtainwall systems directly from NURBS surfaces in Revit. Unfortunately, the best way to create NURBS is by using a third party application or Autodesk 3ds Max.