Some Notes on Design and Current Projects

As I noted in my last post, I have not had much time to post lately - the end of summer brought a couple of new projects and the realization that I had been putting chores off around the house again.

This is a link to a great article in The Conversation - an online British journal that covers a multitude of ideas mixed with critical commentary - its pretty self-explanatory and should be mandatory reading for all designers. 'What Architects Can Learn From Designing With Children'

I am still working on the High Speed Rail project for Calgary-Banff and Calgary-Edmonton.  Some constraints have emerged for the main terminal in North Calgary that require the synthesis of not just the HSR project, but possibly 3 LRT lines, and a low-rise light rail shuttle.  We are going to have to propose additional terminal design alternatives because planning and development constraints on the adjoining property to the west may not allow a realignment of the LRT and shuttle lines. While we are hopeful about favorable planning for the alignment, and consideration of additional commercial zoning to promote a bit of an urban/suburban center around the proposed station, only time and successful negotiation will tell as to the final design.  I will be posting new models soon.

Here's a couple of visualization pieces for a game project that has yet to get off the ground (pardon the pun). I get a lot of undertakings that take a long time to get going, but that's the risk you take when freelancing.

Takeoff - Photoshop - 2014

Night Fight - Photoshop - 2014

All images copyright Vertigo Studios and Michael Knudsen

Evolving the Workplace .... and a Couple of Additional Portfolio Items

As the design and construction industry have moved into the digital age, the concept of the workspace and workplace has evolved slowly in some areas and quickly in others, Yes, telecommuting and the VPN have made working directly from home easier, but the fundamental work-space has not grown much beyond the physicality of bigger monitors, faster computers, and mouse and keyboard, or pad and stylus for control of the software,

Since the movie 'Minority Report', there has been a fascination about, and a drive towards, intuitive gesture based systems of control married to hardware, and one of the experimental routes has evolved into what is called projective capacitive touch or PCT.

I ran across a truly tangible resolution of this on Gizmag yesterday, and can hardly wait till I have one in my own office.  (As a side note, I highly recommend Gizmag for interesting current information on everything tech and design oriented.)

Ideum's Dynamic Experimental interface - note the files identified from the tablet, the wireless keyboard, and the lovely integrated giant monitor.  Make sure you  look at the the other images and video of the project - Gizmag Sept 11, 2014

There is also another project on Gizmag from DAQRI, a remarkable development of the construction helmet featuring integrated HUD and AR (augmented reality) displays

DAQRI Smart Helmet - Gizmag Sept 10, 2014.

And just because I have been too busy to post for a while, here's some more portfolio work.  The first are massing and facade studies for a fairly difficult house project on Scotchman's Hill just east of the Stampede Grounds in Calgary.

Scotchman's Hill House Project - East Facade Study - September 2014 - 3D Studio Max

Its a steep hill site with some fairly stringent geotechnical requirements to maintain a stable foundation. The pool aside, there's going to be a lot of concrete and re-bar to anchor the house. I'm not completely sold on the curved glass at the west elevation, but the client really likes it, and there is a certain lyrical quality that balances the more formal aspects of the elevation.

Scotchman's Hill House Project - West Facade Study - September 2014 - 3D Studio Max

Finally, here's some more recent work done in Photoshop.  The first is really just about exploring design, techniques in color, movement, and composition, as well as trying out some new brush styles and techniques.

The Chase - Photoshop 2014

The second is some previsualization work for a low budget science fiction movie just about to move to Kickstarter.  This scene pays homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey; still one of my all time favorite science fiction movies.

Discovery - Photoshop 2014

all images in this blog are copyright vertigo studios and michael knudsen