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Personally, I would not take on anymore debt. I can’t tell if you have any experience yet? I am not sure that getting an MLA will make you any more hire-able in a few years…but you will have overwhelming student debt. Assuming the economy picks up, take a look at what you will make per year and then figure out what your student loans repayment…[Read more]

Ah!  No footing or rebar!  Beautiful!

I hope you will keep us updated on your adventure!

here is a pretty good tutorial, albeit silent
Rendering arch in photoshop

That will work.  I have been working with dry stack stone walls, using veneer stone with cmu’s as structural backing, for a while and it does work on low walls and steps–it should work with steel too. 
I don’t even use the cmu’s– I just use regular concrete block and install the same as cmu’s–much less expensive.

Which rendering program do you use for lighting and finish effects ?
 

• Podium
• Twilight
• Kerketheya ?

I have all three and never have used a single one.

Besides Daniel Tal’s book (Google SketchUp for Site Design)  and Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture any other guidebooks or training manuals that you would recommend to help me get to the level your at (yeah I know … lots and lots of practice)
 
How do you do the distortion on the architectural facades ?
 

• find one with the right or…

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In the bottom image above you can see the general massing and scale of buildings.  I would then find architecture to place onto this face.  I try to find high res images of architecture and other items and then distort them to fit the perspective.  When using architecture its best to find clean facades without obstructions, such as trees and uti…[Read more]

Thanks for the commentary. Keep it coming

Thanks, Mark.  I’m thinking now of pouring a footing, building a CMU wall for a backing and fixing the steel to the wall.  This way I can get away with thinner steel and still maintain the structural integrity of the wall.
I welcome any further ideas…

For instance, how and where do you get your architectural skins for the sketchup buildings and how do you apply them ?

Very nice work Kody. Can you briefly outline your steps from the SketchUp model and the rendering techniques methods you use for Photoshop for the ones on the right ?

Jonathan,
We used rolled steel with stakes (3/8″thick x 8″ ?) to make steps (with grass) once, but used it in a curilinear design–running the steel back into the slopes.  The curves helped it keep it’s shape and prevent overturn.    I remember it was pretty quick, but we did have slight settling issues several years later (of the fill soil itsel…[Read more]

I find it too time consuming to waste time using a complex modeling program and rendering engine to create the perfect scene with correct lighting, materials and landscape.  Often rendering times can take some serious time and if you don’t like it, you make a minor tweak and wait again….Rather I produce a quick skecthcup model (if needed for…[Read more]

The best landscape architecture software is what you can get the most out of it. I was with a firm early in my career that had 3D Studio, but nobody in the office knew how to use it beyond beginner level!! Its like keeping a Hummer H1 vehicle in your garage for only a 2 mile, grocery store trip on paved roads. In order:
 
AutoCad
MS…[Read more]

I’m talking about anchoring it laterally to prevent overturn.

Thanks for the commentary. Keep it coming.
 
Landplanner

Brick with Zoysia?

Thank you for your commentary. Your resume is knock-out impressive so your in an upper class by yourself.
The firm principal in the Shanghai office has admitted that they do some evenings and weekends when required.
 
You used the word “very” three times before long hours, and that is a tad scary. I understand that the speed by which projects are…[Read more]

 
Im an Australian Landscape Architect and Urban Planner and Ive worked in Southeast Asia, China and the Middle East for the past 12 years. 
 
It has been the most pivotal and positive things i ever did in my life and and I can strongly recommend it to you.
 
Be aware that working culture in China is fairly hardcore.  Very, very, very long hours…[Read more]