My MA Renders

Tobobo

Ok everyone,

I am doing a MA in Design and Visualisation at Birmingham City University.

The module that I am working on is Office Futures. It means that I get to redesign my office space as if it was 2050.

There is a few restrictions such as I can only use technology that is currently in development, this means I cant just make up stuff that solves any problems I encounter.

The office I work in is a mixture between designers, engineers and environmental scientists, so the range of work is anything from EIAs, contaminated land reports to drawings, designs and of course 3D work.

With this in mind I have decided to develop two types of workstation; a non-technical desk and a technical desk. The former being for report writers, admin assistants and those that don't need to use CAD programs , etc. The technical desk with be for users that need to use CAD, Photoshop and of course SU.

So firstly here is a plain render of the existing environment, I wont be rendering the views in more detail as the outcome is not to render an existing office.

Existing View 1

Also this is the idea for a non-technician's desk, with a flexible retractable monitor and an interactive desktop.

Monitor Up Non-technical Desk

Rich O Brien

Great project

Whatever you do don't order that desk off Apple

Tobobo

@unknownuser said:

Great project

Whatever you do don't order that desk off Apple

Thanks Rich, and that is very true, it'll never arrive if they send it UPS.

jenujacob

hi toby,
forgive me if i am a bit blunt here... but dont u think that desk is a bit too.. ummm.. old fashioned for an office of 2050???? why dont u try looking for inspirations online... like here?

Tobobo

@jenujacob said:

hi toby,
forgive me if i am a bit blunt here... but dont u think that desk is a bit too.. ummm.. old fashioned for an office of 2050???? why dont u try looking for inspirations online... like here?

Ah yes, I don't think you are being blunt. The concept is that there is no more oil and recycled oil based products will be at a premium. Thus the use of plastics or chemicals derived from oil is going to be limited.

So I took the view that managed woodland would produce the most abundant materials; timber would therefore be the most cost effective material. Also taking the Steam punk movement as a cue, I decided to take an antique desk and put a contemporary spin on it.

I did look at that site as part of my initial concept research.

Tobobo

Here is some new images of the 'technical desk' and first renders of the proposals.

Technical Desk, the chair was derived from an Emmes Chair

Early Proposed Render

Trogluddite

@tobobo said:

So I took the view that managed woodland would produce the most abundant materials; timber would therefore be the most cost effective material. Also taking the Steam punk movement as a cue, I decided to take an antique desk and put a contemporary spin on it

Quite right, to my mind that shows real 'forward thinking'. What better time to plan for future scarcity of resources than right now? And history contains many examples of returns to 'archaic' forms of aesthetics - even the siting of the 'future' office in the existing building is no different from the many 'hi-tech' companies housed in former Industrial Revolution mills and warehouses.
When the future arrives it is very rarely as 'different' as the 'seers' would have us think.
("Where's the jet-pack I was promised as a kid?"; I always want to ask them).

Tobobo

@trogluddite said:

("Where's the jet-pack I was promised as a kid?"; I always want to ask them).

I'm still waiting for my hover board, and rehydrated large pizzas.

Daniel

Toby, I'd make the computer screen taller (can they ever be large enough?) and raise it to eye level.

Tobobo

Thats a good thought, they are pretty large at the moment. I will look into it. Here is the latest render.

Proposed Render Scene 2.png

rspierenburg

Nice render, I really like the ceiling with the lights

pbacot

You might have to consider issues of reflections with all that glass (not knowing what the critique will include). I see you faced stations towards the windows which will reduce back glare but will create a forward glare issue in contrast to the screen, unless these are high-tech adjustable windows. Also you may have access to some new technology that controls glare on computer screens?

Working on a pre-design for an office now. To fully utilize natural light versus computer use is difficult imho.

We would like some of those stations for our GIS lab! I want one, myself!

and really, that's great rendering.

Tobobo

@rspierenburg said:

Nice render, I really like the ceiling with the lights

Thanks, the celling was simple to make but has had the biggest impact.

Here is the image file i used.

Celling Tile.jpg

@pbacot said:

You might have to consider issues of reflections with all that glass (not knowing what the critique will include). I see you faced stations towards the windows which will reduce back glare but will create a forward glare issue in contrast to the screen, unless these are high-tech adjustable windows. Also you may have access to some new technology that controls glare on computer screens?

Working on a pre-design for an office now. To fully utilize natural light versus computer use is difficult imho.

We would like some of those stations for our GIS lab! I want one, myself!

and really, that's great rendering.

Thanks a lot, the rendering is still quite new to me.

The current windows come with blinds so that will translate onto the final write up. Its just blinds make for a boring render.

I'm just rendering another image with more light and a few additions.

Daniel

Toby, some constructive criticism:

The composition of the rendering empahasizes the aisleway leading to the doors in the background. One really doesn't get a good look at the workstations.
It appears to be just one work station lined up after another. Why not break that up with something in the middle, such as a seating area, meeting space, etc.

The glas partitions look nice