Pilou, Thanks for pointing out TopMod. It looks amazing, as do the models created with it. The thing I like about SketchUp is that it puts the fewest barriers between me and the computer model. What SketchUp lacks in tools and capabilities it more than makes up -at least for me- in simplicity, intuitiveness and fluidity. Fred

Awesome work there fbartels, you wouldn't expect you could use Sketchup to create works of art, it just shows you the countless applications SU has. Have you ever printed or published any of your work related to these?

John, Thanks for the feedback. You're absolutely right about SketchUp helping tease out those semi-conscious design ideas. It's like a transport mechanism from the vaguely imagined to the clearly articulated. Fred

I live in Ahwatukee between South Mtn. and the Tohono O'Odham people. Did you go to Cosanti in Scottsdale or Arcosanti up around Cottonwood? Solerie was one of Wrights students. One of those deals where you get to pay for the privelidge of pushing a wheelbarrow. I don't know what Soleri learned, but he did pick up on that little trick and his students pay to do his work as well. Nothing wrong with that, but I am not sure they reap any large benefits. Taliesin West is great, and I have visted Fallingwater, and there was was a FLW house in Virginia that I saw when I was stationed at the Pentagon. Some Army Lt. either lived there for free or a nominal fee. He did the up keep and visitors could come through during the day so he had to keep the place pristine. Sort of a caretaker vs rent deal.

Warren, Thanks so much for the kind feedback. Helpful and much appreciated. I was checking out DesignShare's 2007 new school design awards and found this school using curved green roofs which supports your comment about topography and viewing...and in this case, use. In my blissful naivete I'm not so concerned about the drainage as the structural viability of the roof concept. I've played around some with analog models of triangulated irregular networks (TINs) and believe that a very light roof may be possible using a TIN framework overlaid/integrated with a layer of reinforced plastic foam. I have a project on the Open Architecture Network site that presents this concept in more detail. I think if the roof structural concept proved viable the drainage issues could be managed. Following is an image of the layers I think would be necessary in a roof of this type. From the top down (vegetation, soil, rubber membrane, reinforced foam, interior membrane). [image: House%202.0%20-%20Draft%205.jpg] Thanks again, Fred

@unknownuser said: Well if nobody wants to share an RGB I'm going to close this poll. Try "off-white" R,G,B = 233,233,233 or any permuation of these +/- 13

Happy birthday Fred, you are not old and out of breath... James used trick candles on the cake.

Fred, that is beautiful, thanks.

Following are five images of the completed AEH 3. I went a little bigger with this version. I need a break from these so this will be the last one for a while. The model itself if located at the bottom of this page. Hope you enjoy. Fred [image: AEH%203%20i1.jpg] [image: AEH%203%20i2.jpg] [image: AEH%203%20i3.jpg] [image: AEH%203%20i4.jpg] [image: AEH%203%20i5.jpg]

Brad, I placed three files in a zip file at the bottom of this page. The zip file is called follow_me_problem_files. These were the files I used to create the three long horizontal curved shapes in the image below. Each one gave me problems. The first worked from one end but not the other. The 2nd and 3rd had to be done in stages. I'd love to know how to avoid this. Alan, I'm usually working at fairly large scales but I'll give your method a try. Should have done it yesterday but I forgot. Definitely will next time. Thanks for the suggestion! Fred [image: AEH%203%20i1.jpg]

The render is very cool! The feeling is kinda spooky though. Not sure I'd want to go up to that house on Halloween. I love the way you have a light source catch the faces near the tops of the taller set of curved vertical posts. Most enjoyable. Thanks for sharing. Fred

Perhaps some heavy actions could have backup action joined and then you can end the process without loss of work? Usually I just save my work before something heavy and if the software freezes or crashes I just end the process on task manager and and then continue again ( I use this on many software ).

Mike, Thanks so much for the feedback. Much appreciated. I'll play around with styles a bit on the next one, good suggestion. Regarding materials. I propose nothing. I have no idea. If pressed I'd say extruded aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, wood, concrete and stone, but since I never expect one of these things to be built I'm not particularly worried about it. I'm just having fun playing with the shapes. Fred

Ahhh, thick walls, something like this I suppose. It just takes more time, and when I'm experimenting with new design ideas (aka sketching) it's a detail I feel can be left for future iterations.

John, Thanks for your comments. The shaggy roof you created in Photoshop is great! What a delightful surprise to find on the morning forum check. It's clear a house like this would need one of these with its own little curved-roof charging garage. I've put an early version of the model that corresponds to the image below here. The roof could fairly easily be altered to minimize the soffit by moving a few elements, reintersecting, then copying the new roof and using "paste in place" on the newer walls. [image: Zaha%204%20Roof%20Creator.jpg]