by Bob Giddings and Margaret Horne

From the 15th century through the 20th, architects worked with evolving techniques for presenting their designs to their clients. In the 1990s, this evolution seemed to quicken its pace with advances in computer modeling, animation, and "virtual reality." In their book, Artists' Impressions in Architectural Design, authors Giddings and Horne trace these developments, ending with a survey of the work of leading architects using computer-based technologies. — Editor

Throughout the 1990s, a type of animation that attracted much attention was the pre-recorded architectural walkthrough. This technique involved building scenes using geometric objects and enabling users to navigate between the objects. This simulated the effect of walking around a building or area and experiencing the feel of the environment. Architects and illustrators built on their knowledge of CAD and 3D modeling to add animation to presentations, initially in a nonimmersive way.

The exterior and interior images of Old Town Hall, North Shields, modeled by Insite Environments for North Tyneside Challenge, were taken from an animation that explored how a historic building was to be converted into business starter units, a cafe, and an auditorium.   >>>

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A model of Southgate Centre, Bath, produced for a public exhibition, 1998. Image: Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture for Chapman Taylor. Old Town Hall, North Shields; a still from an animation. Image: Insite Environments for North Tyneside Challenge   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.