From 3D Model to a Realized Condo
A condominium starts from a 3D model and eventually becomes a dream home. Blueprints are often a collaborative effort between clients, designers, and fabricators.
Whether you are playing with Lincoln Logs,
Legos, or just making a tower from wooden blocks, more than likely you have created a 3D model at one time or another. These childhood playthings are often the beginning of a career in architectural engineering.
Most of today's condo developers and contractors use some type of 3D model to study or to give potential homeowners in the new development options when choosing their floor plan. Often times a condo sales office will have a miniature model of the homes and the interior so that you can see how each home model will be laid out, including the location of all furniture and linens.
The process starts with the building of the 3D model by communications between the model builders and the architects of the condo development. The developers send the blueprints to the CAD computer so that the model creators can put it all together to create the model. It starts out as a 2 dimensional model and is later put together into a 3 dimensional form by using a polygon mesh.
The builder also has to consider on what scale they want the 3D model to be made so that they can show an accurate representation to prospective homebuyers. This is complicated as they have to decide how much space will be available in the development's showroom, how it will be transported from the concept location to the showroom, and how much money the developer has for model development. The models can range in size from 1:1000 to 1:10 of actual building size.
Once the scale has been determined, it is time to start building the 3D model. To do this, you have to decide on what kind of materials that you are going to use to build it. These usually range from plastic to cork and are usually taken from local sources if possible. If it has to be special ordered, it does make the model a little more expensive to construct. The project designer also chooses the color scheme and the model builder is expected to perfectly match these chosen colors. If not, they may be asked to make the adjustments that are needed to get the colors just right. Often multiple models are made to show different home designs so that the prospective owners have floor plan choices.
Once the 3D model has been built to the chosen scale, it is ready for the prospective buyers to inspect it so that they can have their dream home built on the lot of their choice.
