sandr037

This post is a continuation of my look at Cooper Robertson’s design for Disney’s Buena Vista Studios in Hollywood, California (1990). The previous post covered 8 mundanely informative views. This post will cover two of the more interesting views. The first view is a ground level view of the food bar proposed for the base of the water tower. All drawings are an 8” square format. The first wireframe sketch started with the rough CAD model that I used for the aerial shots (see previous post). The shading provides a vague idea of the space and structure. In this second round sketch I’ve created a much more understandable image. I copied the CAD model and used the copy to eliminate all parts of the model that couldn’t be seen from this viewpoint. I then used pastel and pencil to evoke a sunlit spot. In the third pass the viewpoint was adjusted slightly, and the design was developed and detailed. After some minor adjustments this ink line drawing was produced on mylar… … and color was adde...

Late in 1990 I got the chance to work for Cooper Robertson, one of the premier design/planning firms in New York City. They were doing master planning for the Disney Corporation, Buena Vista Studios in Hollywood, and wanted quick but accurate drawings illustrating the plan.  Following are a sampling of the drawings I produced for the job (A second post immediately following this will present a couple of views that were developed further). Each view was potentially a finished presentation rendering, but several were left at the black and white ink line stage. The development of each view will be in chronological order; that is, wireframe followed by shade & shadow, finished ink drawing, and transparent color. I’ll add comments as seems fit. The first view is an aerial showing one of the cross streets used by the employees for access, food and recreation. A copy of the main CAD model was made with this viewpoint in mind (eliminating lines not seen), and the unwanted lines that w...

Columbus Circle, Steamboat Springs & the Queens Museum. When computers began to be used in architectural offices, they were unstable and relatively primitive. I lived through that period of frustration, elation and work-a-rounds.   This is just one of a number of posts I want to write about it – partly, just to leave a record of the work, but mainly as an example of mixing the digital with the hand. In the early 1980s 3D computer modeling was not an option in architectural offices. Just buying a computer with the requisite memory and graphics was way too expensive. But in 1985 the office in which I worked bought an early CAD computer and a very early version of AutoCad, which was used for Building Department submission drawings. Simple diagramatic drawings were created, with much computer crashing and gnashing of teeth.   The simplest 3D modeling was a faint glimmer in the recesses of that early software.    The layout above was done for the Columbus Circle Comp...