Building a career in Architecture with SketchUp
At Emltec, the home of Sketchup in the UK and Ireland, we asked our Sketchup community to dream up their ideal home office in the spirit of keeping us all relating and inventive in the most challenging times. There was a raft of incredible entries. We talk to him to delve a little deeper into his design process.
The plug-in works under Windows only, No Mac OSX version is currently planned; it was tested with SketchUp 2014 and released with no known issue. Please remember that the OBJ format does not support instancing multiple copies of the same object (components). If you are using Components, keep in mind that the output OBJ file size will impact.
Hi Pedro! Can you introduce yourself to the Sketchup UK community?
I would say that I started using Sketch-up at age of 14. Since that age, I wanted to become an architect, and I wanted to develop my creativity in design and planning houses, so I started slowly to design my home. Everything was still new for me. How do I draw this way, or how do I measure, etc. Until I get familiar with the software after finish my home, I start designing more and more homes with different shapes and sizes.
That was probably my hobby when I was a teenager on summer vacancies.
A few years later (I was 18 years old), I do some work for interior designers, nothing major, but it was extra cash. I was 19 when I came to the UK to study architecture, and even I?ve been using Sketchup on my projects.
How does Sketchup help with your design process?
Sketchup is a simple way to represent my ideas in 3D. Some projects take longer than others, but Sketchup is such dynamic software enabling as many agile changes as I need to form a solid project in a short amount of time. Creating the concept, I sketch first on the I-Pad, and then I start modeling in Sketch-up for an easy understanding of space.
What?s the one functionality you?re glad Sketch-up has?
Simplicity, The functionality I?m glad Sketchup has is the very software itself! Everyone can start easy learning 3D just by using Sketchup. Main tools from sketch line by line give you the freedom to design anything. It will take time to master the program.
After that you can come away with such a great result on your projects with the same quality as any other architectural software. Another feature that helps me a lot with my design is the ease of link-ability with other software. It improves my projects even further.
What type of projects are you the most interested?
I would say the residential ones or we are designing for a client or ourselves. It is interest and a pleasure to see a client?s reaction when we present the dream homes for something they imagine themselves living in 3D.
A house is probably the most expensive investment a family will make in their life now. The VR technology makes even easier to choose the most likable features. Architect has to expect challenges through the projects. That excites me the most: every project is different, purely because every client is different.
Are there any necessary extensions you use with Sketchup that aid with your workflow?
I use some plug-ins that help speed up the quality and workflow of the project, for example, Skin_Bubble, RoundCorner, Lumion LiveSync, and a few others. I believe plug-ins are essential for any project. In contemporary architecture, the demand for creating something unique, functional, and sustainable is paramount ? it?s imperative to employee productivity and functionality via these plug-ins.
What?s next for you in your career?
I?m completing a BA (Hons) Architecture this year, and I am looking to apply my expertise and knowledge in a role that will allow me to develop and continue to progress. I want to start my Master?s degree in Architecture next year and then a Ph.D. in architecture. I also plan to work in Japan for one year to gain experience and learn different architecture techniques. This experience will grow my knowledge.
It will help me to design more great sustainable buildings in the future.
For a long-term goal, I hope one day to start my architectural firm and make a difference in people?s lives and help the sustainability of this planet a bit more through architecture.
