Exterior Architecture

I have always enjoyed designing buildings. Employing various design elements and tools, recreating known structures and conjuring entirely new structures is something I find personally very rewarding.

Chris

t the

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uthe

ran

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chThis project was for a local church who wanted some striking visuals to use in marketing media and their on-line presence. The building’s original design dates to the 1960’s and 1970’s so we went for a look that while clearly incorporating modern 3D modelling and rendering tools spelled old-school marker render.

The overall concept was very well received by the Pastor and congregation, and we went on to work together building a fully-functional web presence including animations drawn from these designs.

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Built as a concept for a catalog of homes, this large ranch home is incorporates a four-and-a-half-car garage while not detracting from the carriage-house details. A magnificent farm-house kitchen is also featured which includes gourmet appointments andoverhead beams.

The design includes amplestorage, central utilities,wine display as part of a trulygrandiose entry way, and a separate master suite witha luxurious bathroom, fireplace, and French door egress to a dedicated patio.

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The owners of this home wanted to add a pool house while preserving their western view of the mountains. This was designed to expand their house with existing lines and fascia while preserving the pitch of the roof to blend with the existing home.

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We all have dreams. This mansion is something I drafted up for thesheer fun of it. Included is an indoor pool house and a sizeable atrium. Being a car guy I also wanted to have a large garage featured on the right of rather than hidden behind the home.

Sometimes a little recreational design is in order; both for the purpose of fun and as a learning exercise. Drafting concepts or existing structures to learn new or tried-and-true methods is always a valid pursuit when there is time, so here I feature several of the more entertaining projects I’ve modeled over time. See if you can recognize any of them before reading the captions.

Fun Architecture

The old and the new. This is the infamous 1313 Mockingbird Lane address of Herman and Lily Munster.

I particularly enjoyed deciphering the curved roof lines with the Victorian cap, coupled with the ornate trim work in the buttresses and around the tower.

Located on a movie lot, this is only a set building and not at all real so everything behind the front face is entirely original.

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Along the same line, this is the home of Gomez and Morticia Addams, as seen in the 1991 film, “The Addams Family”. Like the Munster home, the primary interest lies in the roof line. In drawing this, I learned quite a bit about the Victorian / Gothic style in this home.

Something I found particularly interesting is the fact that the tower is supported in half by the home with the two beams bracketing the front door providing the remaining support. Most likely there is a cantileverSupport in these structures with the flooring joists, but still interesting.

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Homeowners associations happen. I’m being polite here. That said, often I am approached by someone who wants to build an exterior structure, but there are specific design constraints placed by homeowners associations. I’ve found that often a good design that brings aesthetic value to a neighborhood can actually be used to get associations to bend. As long as the end result creates rather than detracts value and is reasonable in nature, my designs have been known to gain a following within the association itself. Following are some examples of my designs and a few of the end results.

Exterior Structures

Modelled after a Buddhist temple in Thailand, this building is slated to become part of the “Little Free Library” movement. Two levels allow children’s books to be placed lower so that readers can be met on their own level.

This is a “miniature” building stands slightly under seven feet.

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It is slated to be constructed using three-axis wood CNC, 3D-print technologies, and fundamental woodworking. Lexan will be used for the visible sections, and the design incorporates a vented roof to prevent moisture build-up; hence, protecting the contents.

Each set of doors features interlocking involute gears so they open together, with the central knob separating out to one of the doors. The uniform gearing allows the perfect re-folding when the time comes.

Featured inside of this library is an additional wood-carved “book” which is attached via a tether. It is on its own a “geocache”, which part of a worldwide game played by

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many millions of people.

Details include scalloped shingles, lattice, pagoda roof lines, and beam construction for overall strength.

Sheds are particularly tricky in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. As a result, over time the restrictions from the association surrounding size and materials have become increasingly difficult to follow.

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I take into consideration the design of the home and pitch of the roof as well as overall beauty in the structure. Doing so allows the committee to see the need for exceptions in their normal restrictions.

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Updating a home’s curb appeal is always fun. With a few changes one can create an entirely new look. In this case, we went from an original build plan to a carriage-style with paint, doors, lighting, and roofing. Still a work in progress and waiting for nicer weather to finish, the remainingchanges include carriagestyle shutters, a postlight, a newly-pouredretaining wall, sidewalk,rear decking rails andoutdoor seating, andan outdoor fireplace.

I have a drive for design-to-production work whether it be in architecture, engineering, machinery, learning resources, or presentations and facilitations. Working with tools to lead people in experiencing paradigm shifts is a passion whether in a professional or personal capacity.

As a reference, my library of public domain CAD works in the Trimble 3D Warehouse can be browsed and downloaded from: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/user.html?id=0028832351044282262834484

ADDITIONAL LINKS