Source
r/architecture•
justnfree

So I'd like to create a 3D architectural model of my house so that I can plan home repair projects logically.

What are some resources for a good place to start?

The house is a 1928 home so its far from "plumb," "level," or precisely "rectangular." Do architects measure angles in addition to dimensions? or are architectural drawings more general suggestions intended to have a little slop from what is actually built? Do you start from one corner and build the drawing out? Generally I don't quite know where to start.

Posted Dec 14, 2014, 12:41 AM UTC

825
boola19•

SketchUp is probably the place to start - fairly easy to learn the basic moves and there's a lot of online resources. And the non-pro version is free.

in terms of how rigorous to document existing conditions, it depends on what kind of renovations you're looking to do. No need to precisely document the whole building if you're just knocking down a wall and opening up the kitchen.

You should probably draw the floorplan first based on your measurements, then build the model from that base drawing. Consider buying a laser measure and then assume wall thickness to be approx 8" (or do you best to measure the door jam minus trim) Re: angles, if a room is more of a rhombus than a square, youre going to have a hard time discerning the slight angle. No advice there.

13
chewp911•

Sketchup is awesome.

3
bad-re•

Sketchup is very far from awesome, but it is free.

4
mynuname•

I disagree. Sketchup is the best technical thing to ever happen to Architecture.

1
blaketh•

How so? Not disagreeing, just curious.

1
argumentinvalid•

I'm a residential architect. We measure to a 1/4" at my firm and draw to a 1/2". Some things can require more precision, but it's unlikely. Don't worry about things being level or plumb in your drawings/model, it'll make it way more work. If you have specific questions let me know, I'm actually drawing up my own new house in AutoCAD this weekend.

In short, your drawings should be close, but they can't realistically be 100% correct.

2
AbsolutelyNotMatt•

So what's the point of measuring to a quarter if you draw to a half anyway?

2
argumentinvalid•

I use it to fudge when things aren't quite lining up and it gives me essentially the option to take the half or whole inch depending on what makes something line up proper.

7
State_•

In short, your drawings should be close, but they can't realistically be 100% correct.

This is true on everything I think. Hell, half the stuff you draw is going to get done a different way than specified in the building process most of the time anyway.

1
ZippyDan•

In short, your drawings should be close, but they can't realistically be 100% correct.

This is true on everything I think.

I agree. Especially when it comes to AutoCAD drawings for jet engine parts.

6
Walktillyoucrawl•

You must build a really shitty house.

-21
argumentinvalid•

What does how I measure and input existing conditions have to do with building a house?

5
buildthyme•

What sort of home repair projects are you planning on doing?

Generally speaking, the real world is never computer-accurate so when designing certain points are allowed to flux a bit. For example, when installing cabinets some part of it will have to give a bit. Or, where a tile will have to be cut.

2
justnfreeOP•

Here's some of the things I've been thinking about doing.

We have a second floor that has a large portion unfinished, and a bad stairway up to there. Old attic that is now finished space. We also have a large and entirely unfinished basement. Both spaces to me could be great additions to our home, but in their current state don't communicate with the rest of the house at all spacially.

Eventually, I'd like to add or move the stairway to the basement, and add a stairway to the second floor. I'd like to expand the attic room into a usable room by adding a dormer or full roof line dormer (or even two on the second floor). I'd like to get rid of a chimney that runs the full length of the building for the purpose of either passing utilities to the second floor and possibly add a bathroom up there, or reclaim the 32 square foot used by the chimney passage as usable space again as it runs through the kitchen on floor 2 and the center of the nice half of the basement. The kitchen will need at some point to be re-modeled it has been layered up on layered to the point of hilarity. Gut/start over, but if we do that, we may be moving elements around.

I would also like to integrate our front room into the rest of the house in a more natural way. Currently its a door and a sliding door into what used to be a front porch -now closed off and very close to an active a roadway. We need to re-layout our existing bathroom possible extension of the space in there and refurbish the remains of an old basement bathroom. And finally I need to clarify how utilities relate to the general home layout so they work together because right now, pipe-city in the basement, and electrical everywhere town is driving me insane. I like clean electric runs and organized pluming opposed to the captain handymess we've got now.

I know I've just said a ton of work but if we're here for 30 years I want to eventually live in a home that loves us like we love it. I think I can achieve that slowly and much of it we can do ourselves with someone looking over our shoulders one project and or room at a time but only if the planning side is done well.

3
buildthyme•

Sounds complicated--so complicated that an accurate 3d model seems to be really important for proper planning.

Do you live in an area near an architecture school or know someone who might be in school? Since it's winter break, I would pay a student to measure up the relevant areas and make a 3d model for you in sketchup. I don't know how many hours it would take, but it wouldn't be quick. It would save you tons of frustration, though. Then, once this accurate model is created you can work with it to modify your home virtually.

If this isn't an option and it's more of a labor of love, you can download a free version of sketchup here: http://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-make

Biggest tip for working in sketchup: make sure you work in groups. For example, if you make a box make sure it's its own group by selecting the box and then creating a group. If you don't do this all of the pieces of your drawing will "stick" together and it'll be frustrating to work in. For elements that are the same but duplicated, make the object a "component". For example, a roof joist should be a component so that if you modify one, you modify them all.

3
justnfreeOP•

It certainly is complicated, I will consider the student work approach though I've spent some time in 3d land

From the model I was going to 3d print to prototype several different spacial mockups to see how the rooms and adjustments work in a hands on way.

1
buildthyme•

If you want to modify it or work at a manageable scale, I'd just make a physical model instead of 3d printing. Buy some bass wood at a hobby shop if you want it to look really nice. You could also pay the student to make this for you as well. Just to warn you: it will probably suck up a lot of hours, but if it's a labor of love go nuts.

2
ImAnIdeaManArchitecture Student•

Ambitious, but you're going to save a lot of headache and poor workmanship (no offense) if you just go ahead and hire professionals.

0
justnfreeOP•

I work in audio visual planning and installation and thus have spent a lot of time around building professionals working on several month build outs. I'm very familiar with the sophistication and complexity and time commitment required to build things well and the value of money to make problems go away. That being said, I personally get a great deal of joy out of this kind of work and I am getting to a level of understanding where I can accomplish this work well on my own.

7
ZippyDan•

I'm actually interested in doing something similar except for the purposes of mapping out network, telephone, and electrical lines in a company property (small office locations). I don't need it to be very accurate at all. In fact, I'm willing to hire someone to do this, but I have no idea realistically how long it would take.

1
justnfreeOP•

usually company building managers have scematics of the property already

2
ZippyDan•

Third-world locations. In this case, they do not. The property was built, remodeled, and expanded several times over the past 80 years. Additionally, it started off as a residential structure so long ago before eventually becoming commercial.

1
justnfreeOP•

Globalization is awesome

1