Photoshop Architectural Rendering : 10 Essential Photoshop Tutorials and Tips for Architects

Photoshop Architectural Rendering is a necessary rite of passage for all architects. It’s the best tool for creating and editing images, hands down. But to an architect just starting out, it can be hard to navigate. What makes the task even more daunting are the hours upon hours of photoshop tutorials on the internet. Some of them might contain pertinent information, while others might not. Since everyone is using Adobe Photoshop, from graphic designers and photo retouchers to architects, it’s hard to find focused photoshop tutorials. Luckily, we’ve compiled all the essential tips and tutorials that every young architect needs to know to make the most of this multipurpose photo-editing application.

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Photoshop Architectural Rendering :Photoshop Tutorials and Tips:

1- Use Layer Masks

Layer masks are the A-B-C’s of Photoshop. It’s necessary for all photoshop users to perform edits without actually doing anything destructive to the main layer itself. This allows the workflow to be seamless and easy. Layer masks allow you to change the color of an object in a layer or make parts of a layer visible or invisible. There are plenty of photoshop tutorials that cover the subject, so be sure to check them first thing.

Here are recommendations for Photoshop Architectural Rendering: 10 Websites you should visit weekly that’ll turn you from a novice to a seasoned pro.

2- Be Sure to Save a Temp File

This should be a no-brainer but having a temporary file of your work is essential. In an age where everything is digital, nothing is truly safe unless you have a back-up. Having a temp file will save you loads of trouble as files can become corrupt. Plus, having an old file as a reference can be useful to look at for further designs.

3- Batch Process

Sometimes, you’ll find that you have to perform tasks in bulk, and this can be tedious, especially, if you have to reformat or resize images. Luckily  Photoshop’s Image Processor can be used to speed up the process: (access via File > Scripts > Image Processor). All you need to do is specify the source, select the task you want to implement and then specify a destination file for the output.

4- Make Actions

Now Actions (access via Window> Actions) go further than batch processing. This is because what actions can do is allow you to perform your own specific adjustments on several files. You start by recording all the adjustments you’re doing to one image. Then, you stop the recording and allow Photoshop to make the same adjustments to the files in bulk. This particular hack is a lifesaver when you have a bunch of files to edit all at once.

5- Shortcuts upon Shortcuts

It goes without saying that learning Photoshop’s shortcuts should be on the top of your list. Accessing everything from the toolbar can get cumbersome, but knowing your way around the application’s shortcuts will save you a lot of time. Besides, with practice, using shortcuts will be second nature to you. Photoshop tutorials usually make a point to mention them for reference. Furthermore, if you just can’t get the hang of them, there are keyboard covers that are specially made to denote the shortcut commands until you learn them fully. When you get those down, you’ll be able to create architecture presentations with ease. Just to get you started, check out: 10 Tips for Creating Stunning Architecture Project Presentation

6- Name Your Layers but Isolate them too

When you’re working on a file for hours, eventually, you’ll find that your workflow is a series of layers. The only way around this is to organize your layers and name them. This way you won’t have to endlessly fish for them every time you have to perform an adjustment.  Another thing worth doing is to isolate your layers. To bring your focus to one layer and hide the others, click on the eye (or layer visibility) icon, within in the layer box, while holding the Alt key. Hiding all the layers except for the one you’re working on will definitely make your workflow less hectic.

7- Use Adjustment Layers

Adjustment layers allow you to perform edits to a layer without affecting the original image. Adjustment layers can alter colors, hue, saturation, and several other aspects of an image. To make sure that an adjustment layer is affecting only one layer and not all of them, simply hold down the alt key and click on the layer below. That way only this one layer below will undergo the adjustment. There are loads of Photoshop tutorials on what you can do with Adjustment layers so be sure to cover the ins and outs of this function at length.

8- Rotate the Canvas

Sometimes while working on an image, you may need to view it from different angles and perspectives. By holding on the R key and rotating with the mouse, you can quickly rotate the canvas. Holding on the R key again and clicking on reset view allows you to return back to the original state.

9- Use Groups/folders

This is another important organizational choice for the layers panel. For the stack to be easier to navigate, grouping layers together can be quite handy. It is an easy way to make sure that your layers are sorted and organized; you know, exactly, what goes where.

10-Open and Extend Your History

By accessing the history panel in your toolbar, you can see the list of changes you made to the file. Photoshop also allows you to return to a particular, previous state by clicking on any item in the list. Also, if you’re prone to undoing a lot, you can extend your history up to 1000 actions. Go to Edit>Preferences>Performance, but beware of the effect of this process on memory usage and performance.

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National Museum of Qatar opens to the public

It’s been delayed by more than two years, but the new National Museum of Qatar finally opened March 28 and is another stunning new architectural highlight along Doha’s already spectacular waterfront. The museum opens to the public after it took 18 years to build. The building is on a 1.5-kilometer (nearly 1 mile) circuit of galleries that ends at the restored historic palace, an early 20th century structure that was one of the country’s original seats of government.

Photographer: Iwan Baan

The speed of the country’s development wasn’t lost on any of the project’s designers. The contrast between the new building and the historic palace is deliberate.  The multifaceted structure resembling a giant desert rose sits across from the bustling Doha Corniche, the main waterfront promenade in the Qatari capital. The museum is designed as a free-form space, in a way that does not include doors, and is meant to offer visitors a fluid experience as they move through time, space and themes.

Photographer: Iwan Baan

The 52,000 square-metre building is created by a series of interlocking discs that create cavities to protect visitors from the desert heat. Located on a 1.5 million ft² site at the south end of Doha’s Corniche, the NMoQ building will rise from the sea and will be connected to shore by two pedestrian bridges and a vehicular bridge. The museum had previously been slated to open more than two years ago, but the inauguration was delayed while the museum’s management team reviewed the accessibility of the building. The new National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) features an innovative design by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel that is inspired by the desert rose and grows organically around the original 20th century palace of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim Al Thani.

Photograph: Danica O Kus

 

The building itself is an incredible architectural achievement, with its roof made up of 76,000 panels fitted perfectly together in a sort of jigsaw of discs. The desert rose which inspired it is a natural phenomenon where crystal clusters form under the right arid, sandy conditions. Like a human fingerprint, each rose is unique. “The National Museum of Qatar is proof patent of how intense this energy is. Of course it will be home to the traditional geological and archaeological artifacts; of course tents, saddles and the dishes will bear witness to nomadic life; of course there will be fishermen’s utensils, boats and nets.” Nouvel said at a press briefing in Doha.

Photographer: Iwan Baan

“To construct a building 350 meters long, with its great big inward-curving disks, and its intersections and cantilevered elements—all the things that conjure up a desert rose—we had to meet enormous technical challenges,” said the building’s architect, Jean Nouvel, in a statement. “This building is at the cutting-edge of technology, like Qatar itself.” The museum narrative flows through the spaces just like the architecture of the building itself. Presented in 11 galleries, it’s a 1.5-kilometer journey through three “chapters” of Qatari history: Beginnings, Life in Qatar, and Building the Nation.

Photograph: Danica O Kus

The museum is an impressive marriage of past and present. Inside this futuristic shell the museum’s centerpiece is the newly restored palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani — son of the founder of modern Qatar. “Qatar Museums and the National Museum team felt strongly that we wanted to create a living experience for our people …. We believed we had the potential to go beyond even the most exciting existing museum displays and develop something truly immersive. And we believed the substance of those experiences ought to come from the Qatari people themselves.” said Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, director of the National Museum of Qatar, in a statement.

The desert rose which inspired it is a natural phenomenon where crystal clusters form under the right arid, sandy conditions. Like a human fingerprint, each rose is unique. Qatar might be known for its oil and natural gas but much like the desert rose, it too is finding its individual place in the world.

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German Professor Transformed Observatory Into R2-D2

Professor Hubert Zitt, who is widely known for his fascinating lectures on Star Wars, Star Trek and other science fiction, completed the project in August 2018, along with his father-in-law and several helpful students, and it has caught the eyes of Star Wars fans everywhere. Dr. Zitt teaches electrotechnology and has a doctorate from Saarland University in systems theory of electrotechnology (which sounds pretty impressive if I say so myself) and is now a tenured professor at the University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern, Zweibrücken.

Zitt gained so much recognition in his field that he wrote the preface of the book ‘Star Trek in Germany’ along with the son of the Star Trek inventor Gene Roddenberry. In the fall semester of the same year, Dr. Zitt became a regular lecturer at the The University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas teaching ‘The Physics of Star Trek.’

R2-D2 stands proud, guarding the university, but knowing how hardcore this professor is, maybe C-3PO will join him sometime in the future? which building would that be? We will be eagerly waiting to see what this hardcore fan has in store for us next!

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

 

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of cpt.maggi

Image credits: l_to_the_aser

Image credits: _raeubermami_mal_zwei

Image credits: thomas_beutler

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

Images courtesy of Hochschule Kaiserslautern

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AA Istanbul visiting school 2018 : Robotic Mediations

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Final Prototype.

AA Istanbul Visiting School, in collaboration with Istanbul Bilgi University, is a unique learning and making experience. The programme continues to build on its expertise on generative design methodologies and large-scale prototyping techniques from previous years, while bringing together a range of experts from internationally acclaimed academic institutions and practices, Architectural Association, Zaha Hadid Architects, among others.

 

The programme is organised to expose the participants to a systematic and carefully designed structure that includes software sessions, design seminars, studio tutorials, and lectures from internationally known professionals. In 2018, Andrew Kudless joined our programme as a Keynote Lecturer and Jury Member. Andrew is an Associate Professor at the California College of the Arts and the founder of Matsys. The work of Matsys has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the FRAC Centre in Orleans, France.

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Lecture by Andrew Kudless (CCA)

 

During the first part of the programme, participants are organised into design teams, working on the shared design brief through design experiments and scaled physical models. The outcome of this stage is directed at identifying the final design proposal according to a set of predefined design criteria. During the second phase of the programme, students and tutors form one large design & build team working towards the fabrication and assembly of the final prototype with a combination of digital and hands-on techniques.

 

In 2018, our research agenda focused on devising an innovative strategy for the materially efficient production of stay-in-place Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) form-work for in-situ concrete construction and a novel application of a patented Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) technology. Research objectives centred on the development of complex form-work generation and concrete application via advanced computational and robotic methods.

 

The employment of complex form-work for concrete structures has the potential to yield architecturally diverse and materially efficient assemblies. While it is viable to produce form-work with complex geometries via advanced digital and robotic fabrication tools, a key consideration area is the reduction of form-work waste material. The potential to incorporate this constraint in the preliminary design process as a design driver has advantages in waste optimization as well as production costs. While current methods facilitate form-work waste reduction by leveraging computational techniques such as geometry optimization or fabrication-based techniques such as the employment of adaptive molds, the research conducted during AA Istanbul Visiting School correlates waste optimization with geometrical freedom through the selected fabrication technology.

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Student presentations

The research agenda explores methods of associating architectural, spatial, and structural criteria with a material-informed holistic approach. The digital and physical investigations are founded on Robotic Hot-Wire Cutting (RHWC) technique. The geometrical and physical principles of RHWC are transformed into design inputs, whereby digital and physical tests inform each other simultaneously. Correlations are set between form-work waste optimization with the geometrical freedom and constraints of hot-wire cutting via computational methods.

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Robotic Hot-Wire Cutting (RHWC) process

The generative design process is initiated by principles driven by the reduction of waste yet bearing the capacity for generating an architectural element with a sufficient degree of formal freedom. The modularity of the EPS blocks drives the design options to be examining modular approaches and simultaneously exploring ways of utilizing all pieces into the final formal configuration. This ambition necessitates the dismissal of the conventional binary approach that treats pieces of form-work as ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ products, but rather explores each fabrication step as producing ‘positive’ modules which actively contribute to the final formal configuration of the architectural assembly. A custom-devised algorithm built in Grasshopper initially generates variations of doubly-curved ruled surfaces that are appropriate for hot-wire cutting for individual modules. A set of two unique volumes are generated from each module by separating them along the ruled surface. The algorithm then distributes all the pieces according to a global configuration system where all pieces share overlapped geometries. The assembly information and sequence are also embedded in the algorithm. Finally, all the unique pieces are produced with a KUKA KR-30 robot and assembled on site.

 

This in situ construction process is developed by the application of a patented GRC (Glass Reinforced Concrete) technology. A special mixture of GRC is applied on the on-site assembled EPS form-work, which is kept inside the concrete layer. Three layers of GRC are applied consecutively, whereby the concentration of fibre is decreased towards the outermost layer. Initial Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has informed the contents of the GRC mixture and the variation of its thickness throughout the global configuration.

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – GRC shotcrete process on stay-in-place form-work.

One of the questions raised during the design process has been the application of a form-work material that could aid in the fabrication of a complex geometrical configuration while maintaining self-supporting capacity. The use of EPS form-work that is embedded inside the structure has facilitated these objectives. Furthermore, the incorporation of RHWC parameters as a driver starting from the initial stages of design development has contributed to a strong correlation between design and fabrication phases, moving away from a direct design-to-production approach. The ongoing research intends to incorporate simple mechanical tools and cost-effective fabrication methods with the complexity embedded in generative form-finding processes and robotic tool-path generation that incorporates fabrication opportunities and limitations. The key objective is to illustrate the architectural possibilities of using concrete in a non-conventional way by creating strong associations between computational design methodologies, robotic fabrication processes, and material tendencies.

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School is kindly supported by Fibrobeton. Fibrobeton has provided expertise on the innovative concrete spraying technologies they have devised, as well as the necessary form-work material and special GRC mix. We organised an exciting trip to Fibrobeton Factory, located in Duzce, where Fibrobeton engineers introduced us to their know-how and novel GRC technology on-site. Fibrobeton has been heavily involved in the preparations of the course, providing initial prototypes to guide the workflow of the programme.

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Fibrobeton Factory visit

 

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2019, directed by Elif Erdine and Milad Showkatbakhsh, will take place during 17 –28 June. For more information and applications:

Credits

AA Visiting School Director: Christopher Pierce

AA Istanbul Visiting School Programme Head: Elif Erdine

Bilgi University Coordinator: Sebnem Yalınay Çinici

Tutors: Aslı Aydın, Cemal Koray Bingöl, Elif Erdine, Gamze Gündüz, Alvaro Lopez Rodriguez, Milad Showkatbakhsh, Yıldırım Erbaz, İlayda Keskinaslan.

Students: Hasan Talha Aksu, Selin Altun, Selen Atapek, Elçin Can, Semra Defteralı, Elif Denker, Elif İkbal Er, Zehua He, Hanting Hong, Ahmet Berk Hot, Ghammaz Husnain, Yazid Hussein, Çağla Kaplan, Elif Cansu Kayıkcı, Jiayun Ke, Waleejah Khan, Fulya Kılıç, Serkan Kocabay, Jiangling Liao, Şaziye Lofcalı, Zeynep Meleksoy, Ayça Özgün, Ebru Şevli, Zhe Sheng, Murat Sökün, Batuhan Uğurtan, Alana Yosun Walsh, Weiran Wu, Mehmet Yıldırım.

AA Istanbul Visiting School 2018 – Final Prototype.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Bamboo Garden | Atelier REP

Designed by Atelier REP, The “Bamboo garden” is located in a typical countryside nearby the city. It is a “rejuvenation” project which implants new functions of family activity area in a dairy farm of a local dairy company. Families can experience the production process of healthy milk and get close to nature.
The purposes and strategies of this design are architecture — land — people, natural material, hand-making construction, and simple values.

Photography: zs-studio

The “Bamboo garden” is not for planting bamboo, but is considered to be an area to experiment with different types of bamboo structure. Since ancient times, bamboo has been using for artifacts, also it has been endowing with human feelings. The advantages of bamboo are growing fast, hardness and easy to process. That’s why we choose “bamboo” as the most important natural material. We try to find some new methods to explore contemporary hand-making construction based on traditional methods of bamboo techniques. Also, we hope to develop bamboo structure as an important architectural type in country life, agriculture, and landscape architecture to meet people’s requirements of back into nature.

Photography: Baoxin Yang

The parent-child activity area is outside and near to the farmers’ living area. The site stretches from south to north in a long strip shape with a length of 133 meters and a width of 18-32 meters. The existing buildings are some bungalows with brick–concrete structure. For space design, we adopted two strategies “retain, renovate ” and ”add, implant” to maintain normal working and living here while we rejuvenated this area by implanting parent-child activities.
In the way of “retain, renovate”: We retained the staff dormitory and guardhouse but turned four rooms of staff dormitory into sales room, dining room and restroom for visitors; Also we renovated the external space of guardhouse considering with these trees around.

Photography: zs-studio

In the way of “add, implant”: From south to north, the “bamboo garden” is planned to be four areas: entrance area, science education area, interactive experiences area, and entertainment area. Meanwhile, we added several architectures and implanted relevant cultural elements into the four areas. Corresponding with the architectures in each area are a fan-shaped entrance; an umbrella-shaped bamboo structure, a music square, and the wave-shaped bamboo wall; the verandas and bamboo walls; a grass storage.
In this design, all architectures are made of bamboo system structure and main materials are all from nature. Through experimenting joints in different materials in different ways, finally, each architecture has taken on its richness and differences.

Diagram

Project Info:
Architects: Atelier REP
Location: Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Team Member: Baoxin Yang
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: zs-studio, Baoxin Yang
Project Name: The Bamboo Garden

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Into the Wild | Ark-shelter

Into the Wild designed by Ark-shelter, Nowadays we live in a world where we are extremely busy and from time to time we need to escape from it. Escape from the stress, duties, and civilizations back to our roots where it all started.
The past 3 years we have been working on re-designing, building and testing different types of Ark-Shelters. We want to create a place that gives you comfort in the heart of nature and gives you the perfect setting for a detox of your mind. From this perspective, we created a new Shelter type: “into the wild cabin”. With his 5 openings all around we wanted to create a visual focus of nature all around. Each opening brings in another atmosphere of nature.

Photography: BoysPlayNice

There is a big openable wall side and the big front glazing makes you feel like you’re sitting outside. The milk glass window in the bathroom gives you the all-natural incoming light you need. We’ve made an extra module which is set on the roof and has a big window so you can sleep under a sky full of stars. The Shelter¨, with its low-tech outlook facade, is created so that it attempts to blend with nature while refining its complex and sophisticated system that automatically works with space and light.

Photography: BoysPlayNice

Thanks to an automatical system the heating, cooling, and shadings can be pre-programmed. The double-bed goes up automatically in the ceiling and beneath the bed, there is a hidden jacuzzi, this creates a new relaxing area. The Shelter can work completely off-grid through solar panels, batteries and rainwater collector.

Axo

The 40m2 has a central black box in the middle that creates 5 different areas, every single side is part of a particular area in the Shelter. The sliding doors in the corners create more space and the different areas can be completely divided.
Thanks to the extra module on top we have more incoming light from above. The left part of the box works as a kitchen and a relaxing zone, the back of the box has a shower and a sink next to the window. Next, to the bathroom, we have the big bed and the jacuzzi. The extra module on top is another bedroom that you can also easily turn into a relaxing meditation zone.
This new Shelter has been a totally new challenge for us it’s all about the details, we wanted to create a place that has it all in the least possible space but with all the possible luxury.

Photography: BoysPlayNice

Project Info:
Architects: Ark-shelter
Location: Slovakia
Lead Architects: Michiel De Backer, Martin Mikovčák
Project Year: 2018
Photographs: BoysPlayNice
Manufacturers: Geberit, Saint Gobain, prostoria, Ariston
Project Name: Into the Wild

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