Group Design Project module @ NTU

The 'Group Design Project' was a live project carried out once again in term two of my MSc at Nottingham Trent University. Although it was called a 'group' project only really the initial site surveys and feasibility studies were carried out as a group the rest was individual. The module was also a continuation of last terms 'Design Communication' module so along with using Autocad, Sketchup, Artlantis and photoshop (software we were already familiar with) we began tutorials in Vectorworks and Cinema 4D.

The project involved interviewing the manager of a council owned leisure centre that is adjoined to a school. Currently the two share an entrance and changing rooms raising all sorts of issues ... The gym was also very small and had high-end equipment squeezed in to what was a storage room wrapping around the front of the building. The proposal therefore was to include an extension to the current leisure centre offering a new private entrance and reception area, an increase of 300% to the gym and new private changing rooms.

Below are the 2 boards that i used to communicate my idea to the council, for these visuals i used a Sketchup model, rendered in Kerkythea and post-processed in Photoshop...

In addition to these and as mentioned above we also began using Vectorworks and eventually Cinema 4D. Vectorworks was used to create a BIM model, this model as well as containing enough detail for the thing to be built was also then exported in to Cinema 4D to be rendered up, more visuals to be created and a fly-through animation shot. Exciting stuff!! I cant say that i got on with Vectorworks too well and certainly wouldnt be my software of choice in the future, i believe that Autodesks Revit is a better programme and BIM ready. However Cinema 4D was awesome and i am considering using this for the production of my 3D visuals during my final major study project... anyway here are some renders i have produced...