Architectural Model and 3D Render Tutorial - Sustainable Community Center

Inspired by Autodesk's "Make it Heal" challenge, my manufacturing class group and I created a nature-focused and multi-functional healing community center designed to support emotional, social, and physical recovery. We have documented our full design process and this can be used by others as a guide to brainstorm and propose community-centered solutions in their own areas.

To show our ideas clearly, we combined sketching, 3D modeling, and spatial layout planning to create a physical architectural model, all of which are tools used to express designs in architecture and engineering. We developed a 3D model using Blender, a layout with Autodesk, and we constructed a physical model to better understand form, scale, and how people might interact with the space. Together these methods allowed us to explore how thoughtful design can help with healing and community rebuilding.

The steps in the Instructable can be separated into Sketching and Brainstorming, Spatial Layout Planning, 3D Blender Development, and Physical Model Construction.

Sketching/Brainstorming:

1. Graph paper
2. Pencils
3. Eraser
4. Rulers

Physical model:

1. Cardboard
2. Wooden board
3. Balsa wood sticks
4. Scissors
5. Right-angle ruler
6. Utility knife
7. Hot glue/craft glue
8. Paint, flocking, clear acetate, resin, optionally mesh tape and resin

3d Print Elements of Physical Model:

1. Access to Autodesk or 3d printer adaptable program
2. 3d printer

Layout and Render:

1. Access to Blender and/or Autodesk

To begin, we brainstormed and created sketches for a sustainable architectural design by incorporating elements of nature or healing in the designs. This included natural light, green spaces, water, and/or solar panels - but you have lots of creative liberty in your design!

We decided on a community center with a library and cafe design, with the library being on the top floor with a clear domed roof, and the cafe being in a separate building, with solar panels and decorative pool and outdoor area for people to sit and socialize.

Once a few sketches are made, we discussed the best elements and modified the best design to incorporate the optimal features of the design, and started thinking about the layout

Once the final design was decided on, we sketched a ¾ view of the design on graph paper to establish general scale, a more detailed design showing specific elements of the doors and windows, and a 2D top view of the building layout.

We decided what areas and functions the community center should have and where they should be located - restrooms, staircases, doors/windows, tables, entry desks, etc. This is important as depending on where some of the features are in the building, certain doors or windows should be modified to be compatible with the features.

Start by re-sketching the building as a simple top-down, 2D layout without a ceiling. Think about what rooms are needed, their general sizes, and how they relate to each other, then sketch and label each space(exact dimensions are not necessary). After the first draft, refine the layout by reconsidering which rooms are essential, rearranging spaces, or adding and removing rooms. This is a good stage to regroup with teammates and gather feedback before moving into 3D.

Once the layout is finalized, recreate the design in a 3D modeling program such as Autodesk. Begin by sketching the overall building shape from a top-down view, then add perimeter walls and interior room divisions, leaving space for wall thickness. Extrude the floors and walls so the walls are clearly taller than the floors, like a real building. Finally, take a screenshot of the completed model and label each room or area, including planned locations for doors and windows.

In Blender, we began by creating a basic cube shape and using this to create the basic room structure, directly referencing the 2D sketch and layout for exact proportions and placement. Use scaling, duplicating, and combining basic shapes such as cubes and cylinders to create the walls, floors, and other rooms, and then add windows and doorways by cutting out shapes for these. Create the roof structure, which will include a center opening for stairs and the glass dome roof, and add support beams to define the general shape and purpose of the building.

With the basic structure created, we added details and materials to the model, which will include stairs, shaded seating areas, solar panel support, tables, safety railings, and the pool area, using basic shapes to ensure the model remains clean and easily visible yet effectively shows purpose and function. Finally, we added textures and materials to the model, utilizing Blender's node system to effectively differentiate between materials such as glass, wood, concrete, and water, which will help the model feel more realistic and functional.

Using a piece of wooden board, I used a pencil and ruler to sketch the layout design and general dimensions by referencing the sketch views of the community center design. We incorporated where features such as doors and windows would be, and we paid attention to the general scale of the sketch design for accuracy, and we made sure that all the features would be able to fit on the board.

By referencing the sketch and finding the scale height for the walls, we traced cardboard pieces to act as the walls for the design and cut them using a utility knife and ruler. Using a ruler for right angles and the utility knife are great for accuracy - but be careful!

Once the pieces were cut out, gaps were cut out for the windows and doors in the design

To make the doors and windows for the designs, we referenced inspiration images and decided on having brown wooden doors, so all the balsa wood sticks were stained brown with acrylic paint beforehand

We cut clear acetate(from acetate sheets) into the shapes of the windows and doors, and we cut the balsa wood to size of the frames of the windows, using quick-drying glue to attach all the pieces to the acetate. Other wooden pieces in the design can be cut to size and glued together beforehand to make it easier to attach to the design.

Using the cut-out cardboard pieces and following the guide sketch on the wooden board, we used hot glue to assemble the pieces of the design. Before putting on the ceiling, we added basic large features such as the stair sections or large built-in desk for accuracy. After gluing on the ceiling pieces, I added the main shapes of the book cases, just to show the function of the area.

To make it easier, we painted some of the walls with off-white paint at this step as it could be difficult to reach and paint certain features after other things are added. A tip is to use masking tape for the edges if you want it to look extra professional!

In our design, we incorporated a glass domed cylinder design on the second floor, so using acetate, we cut out a few square pieces and bent it to create a half cylinder shape. We glued the half cylinder domed shape onto the second floor, using balsa wood on the side to support the structure.

Then, using metal wire(or in our case soldering iron!) we bent the wire into a curved shape and glued the curved metal onto the acetate to act as the supports in our design. We used craft glue for this step as opposed to hot glue so the acetate would not burn.

Using the pre-made doors and windows from before, we glued them onto the sides of the gaps where the cardboard was pre-cut to fit them. We also cut out cardboard pieces and glued them to the roof to act as the base for the roof garden shaded area

We also wanted to incorporate solar panels to collect energy as well as act as shade in the design, so we cut out a piece of curved cardboard as the base. Using black paper, we stuck on mesh tape to look like solar panels, and we cut out panels from the sheet and attached them to the cardboard base. We also added balsa wood as the supports for the solar panels when they will be stood up in the design.

To make the pool area, you can use painted cardboard or cardstock to assemble it, but since we had access to a 3D printer, we designed and 3D printed the seating and pool area.

I used Autodesk to create circles and a concentric circular arc for the seats, and then extruded them to the correct depth of the tables and seats. For the pool, I created the 2D sketch and extruded it as well and added a rectangular seat next to it with the same length as the pool. Then, I exported the final designs to Makerbot and 3D printed the pieces, and I was careful to not scratch the pieces when removing the supports.

Finally, to bring everything together, we added all the parts and features not added yet.

For the plants on the roof garden and the grass texture in the outdoor area, we tore up flocking and other fake plants to act as the plants, and for the grass texture, we applied glue to the base, added green flocking, and shook off the excess.

Lastly, we glued on the solar panels and took the 3D printed parts for the seating and pool and glued them onto the designated spots, also adding UV resin for the water in the pool.

This physical model can inspire discussion on the topic of sustainable design, especially in the way it can contribute to the healing process and the connection with the community. The use of natural light through the glass roof can create a healing space, and the solar panels can illustrate the use of renewable energy. The outdoor spaces can provide a great place for people to gather, showing the importance of sustainability in the community.

By following this tutorial, you can also create a 3d physical model of an architectural design, as well as have your design process shown through renderings and layout designs. By modifying the tutorial and process, other types of architectural models can also be made, and you can show your design and vision through this project!