PERSPECTIVES
The year’s top technological trend is carving out a place for itself in the architecture industry. Virtual Reality (VR for short) can provide architects with quick outputs of virtual spaces that may not be built for months or even years. VR is a three dimensional simulation of a real or modeled environment/space that can be inhabited, and often interacted with, through the use of special VR equipment. In order to navigate smoothly through a virtual space a highly powerful computer is needed.
VR has also become an effective marketing tool for many real estate agencies. Capturing VR footage of an existing space requires no expertise in the field, just a 3D camera in a fixed location. The process after a room is scanned varies and depends on the brand of the equipment. For example, Matterport’s monthly plans allow a user to upload room scans to the cloud “where a powerful algorithm” processes the data. In other words, all of the captured photos are stitched together to form a 360-degree image.
Rapid outputs of interior spaces stand to significantly benefit the architecture community, which is constantly looking to streamline practices and maximize efficiency. Design software platforms such as Autodesk’s Revit have begun to integrate VR as an output option. Revit allows users to place a fixed point and provides a 360-degree, three-dimensional view of the space from that position. The procedure is realized in a matter of minutes by selecting any point in a built model and adjusting graphic options. VR promises enormous value throughout the design process in its ability to communicate design strategies within a firm or to consultants, contractors and clients. For years, clients have struggled to fully comprehend or visualize a space based on floor plans. VR could act as an effective tool for architect-client communication from both a time and cost standpoint.
Improvements to visual representations most specifically image distortion are needed to the current VR outputs for a more comfortable and smooth virtual experiences.Although it is still in the development stage, the possibilities are boundless. Imagine a VR experience where you are standing inside a modeled room and have the ability to simulate the sunlight entering for any given time and date or the ability to walk-through different modeled spaces. Solar studies and walk-through animations already exist, so it will not be long until it’s incorporated into the VR option. It’s safe to assume that these advances could lead to the creation of architecture from first person perspective and the use of gestures as modeling tools. The ability to interact with design models in virtual spaces would be groundbreaking. These ideas are already in the works, so try not to blink because you just might miss this revolutionary step in design.
Check out our project Forbes Townhouse VR Experience:
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=okfAW2JEcjw
The boarded-up store at Savin Hill Avenue and Sydney Street in Dorchester “has been an eyesore on Savin Hill’s main drag for years,” per Jennifer Smith of the Dot Reporter.
There’s a plan afoot now to replace that eyesore with a gleaming commercial building of three floors and with room for up to three tenants, including very likely a neighborhood market.
Developer James Baker recently presented the plan for 110 Savin Hill Avenue at a meeting of a neighborhood civic group, calling it “an aspirational development.”
RODE Architects is behind the modern design, which seeks to integrate the new building with its surrounding streetscape.
Stay tuned!
Read the original article, by Jennifer Smith for the Dorchester Reporter, here.
In 2014 Mayor Marty Walsh released a Climate Action Plan to ensure the city is prepared for the impacts of climate change. This plan outlines an approach to cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 25% citywide by 2020 and by 80% for city operations. At RODE, we stand behind the Mayor’s Action Plan and are focused on how our work can improve the communities around us, spatially and environmentally. We find value in applying our design knowledge to create energy efficient buildings with low carbon footprints and contributing to the collective effort throughout Boston to address climate change and the threat it poses.
One of RODE’s core approaches to sustainable development centers on adaptive reuse, the renovation and repurposing of pre-existing structures. Rather than promoting the wasteful processes of demolition and new construction, RODE seeks to find inspiration in existing buildings’ unique characteristics. One such example is JM Lofts, an apartment community and recent RODE project, which is located in the heart of downtown Haverhill. Originally built in 1882, the project included the complete rehabilitation of the 20,000+ square foot building into ground floor retail and live/work space, and 18 one and two-bedroom lofts with an industrial aesthetic. This approach is more environmentally sound and utilizes existing materials that would otherwise have required production and shipment to the site. This method decreases the time needed to build the project, as well as the reliance on fossil fuels, and creates an aesthetic capital that can further enhance the design.
Climate change is a global concern that requires a collective response; however, it has varying levels of impact on each community. In pursuit of sustainable development in the Boston communities, RODE works to minimize environmental impact by making adaptive reuse an essential component of our development practice. We’d love to hear what others in the city are doing to positively affect climate change, drop us a note here.
As a part of the University of Michigan’s Spring Break Connections Externship Program, RODE hosted two architectural students February 27 – March 3.
A day at RODE is never dull and it takes an exceptional student to make their mark as part of RODE’s team. Those who maintain a positive attitude, are willing to step outside their comfort zones, ready to work across a variety of projects, and eager to learn new skills to develop the knowledge required by the field will thrive and bring these key learnings with them to apply to their studies and in the next chapter of their lives.
The student experience at RODE is rewarding on both ends and we are consistently inspired by the ingenuity and impressive work ethic that these young minds bring to the table. We were honored to have Michigan students Willow Davis and Jingxi Miao with us this semester and pleased to share their feedback on the experience.
Willow Davis, Junior Undergraduate (Right):
I requested RODE because I liked their local commitment to the city of Boston and the diversity of individuals at the firm. Using teamwork to construct a physical model for 6 and 14 West Broadway was a valuable experience because it allowed me to understand the culmination of the firm's effort for each project. While at RODE, I learned a lot and look forward to applying these skills back at Michigan.
Jingxi Miao, Sophomore Undergraduate (Left):
The open office plan at RODE creates a dynamic space and adds a level of efficiency to the design workflow; the background music promotes a welcoming atmosphere while people move around freely to collaborate - this is the essence of RODE. To my delight, not only did we learn more about the architectural process and model building skills, but we were able to learn more about the great City of Boston.
RODE's restaurant work and intensive collaboration process is featured in this month's issue of Foodservice East. Check out some highlights below:
“We’re a very process-oriented design firm and restaurants make up 10 to 15 percent of what we do. We know our process. There’s a lot of complexity from the kitchen to the front door.”
The architects like to work with chefs and general managers as well as doing an “exhaustive study” with patrons. When their work begins on a project, they look at what the space looks and feels like as a starting point. “We don’t dictate the final outcome,” Robinson explains. The goal is to translate the owners’ vision in an architectural way, he points out. Asked what is the hardest part of the process, he thinks it may be trying to let the client let go of preconceived opinions. “We ask them to post what they like and don’t like on a Pinterest page and think about the architectural part. We pull out images of what they like and talk about them. It’s important to take notes, listen and come back and re-present what we heard back. We show them images that evoke what they think the client is talking about and ask them to come up with three ideas. “We distill their thoughts into a vision,” Robinson explains.
His favorite part of the process is going back at the end and seeing what worked or didn’t work. “We love to experience it, talk and enjoy it and celebrate the joint vision when they’re happy and doing well.”
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Read the original article in its entirety here.
