Year 1 Semester 2
Parametric Architectual Skyscraper

Software

Blender 2.93

Adobe Photoshop 2021


1.1 Concept

My passion for architectural desin started at an early age. In high school I learned blueprint design the old school way with rulers and drawing pens but enlightment came by learning Blender. Originally I intended this work to be part of the Stylised City Scene weekly task however even before much progress was made and as my ideas evolveded it was replaced by the Neon City. I did not want to leave this project unfinished and set out to find new inspiration. I found futuristic designs of real cities and discovered the Blender G.I.S. add on so I decided to make a futuristic image of my hometown Budapest.


1.2 The Parametric Skyscraper

Parametric design is a process based on algorithmic thinking that enables the expression of parameters and rules that, together, define, encode and clarify the relationship between design intent and design response. (Wikipedia, 2020) I found this design concept intriguing and started experimenting with modifiers. First I created a plane, applied Mirror and Screw modifiers changing the angle iterations. Within the Simple Deform swapping from Twist to Taper and adjusting the deform factor I got the final outline. Adding more Subdivisions and Bevelling the frame were the last seteps of modelling. Finally I made and applied a glass and metal materials.(1.2.1) As the last step I added a skybox to the scene by taking advantage of another Blender add-on HDR-sky.
1.2.1

1.3 Google G.I.S.

Another fairly new extension is Google’s Geographic Information System (G.I.S.) Add-on.(1.3.1) It is a set of tools for importing maps from Google Earth satellite data into Blender.(1.3.2) Furthermore, thanks to NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission elevation data can be imported to the same coordinates making possible to project 3D images of terrain or even city buildings.(1.3.3) Originally, I wanted to import my hometown Budapest’s city center elevation map and fill it with futuristic skyscrapers and buildings however the height map was missing crucial details. For that reason, I decided to model the Gellert Hill and the bridges on the Danube myself at a later stage therefore the map and elevation data images are of Lower-Manhattan and for illustration purposes only.
1.3.1
1.3.2
1.3.3