by Ethan Leander Timm

Potentially, photorealistic architectural presentations may confuse an audience more than clarify. By implicitly claiming to look "real", they could actually hinder some creative conversation between architect, client, and the general public.

Without claiming to be real, at least in the visual sense, digital presentations that emphasize explanatory diagrams can successfully demystify a project's complex infrastructure. At Living Designs Group, LLC (LDG) we have found that digital modeling and production tools help explain to clients and users the complex sustainable systems underlying our 3D site and building models.

The collection of tools we use includes AutoCAD, 3ds Max, and SketchUp for geometric modeling; Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for graphic editing, After Effects for video editing, and Macromedia Flash and QuickTime for creating interactive presentations.

Using this combination of digital tools, we can go beyond traditional architectural representations and show how a building functions and how it interacts with its site and environment. The integration of sustainable systems within buildings and across entire sites is key to the architectural practice at LDG. Our presentations help make complex systems more accessible to clients and building users.   >>>

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A still from animation of the "Living Machine" wastewater system flow. Image: Living Designs Group, LLC Site overview of El Monte Sagrado, as seen in a Flash presentation created by the Living Designs Group. Image: Living Designs Group, LLC   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.