3D Model: Beach House with Infinity Pool

The sweltering summer heat inspired me to create a new 3D Sketchup Model. This time, a modern Beach House complete with beachfront, garden and infinity pool. Like my other 3D models, I made this beach house without any clear vision in mind. Every detail came from scratch and just flowed naturally as I played around with Sketchup's myriad features. So please, be gentle to the newbie. :-s

The house is a two-story structure with an interesting interplay of geometric figures. I used stone and wood materials that give the house a solid but homey look. Since it's a beach house, I put in wide windows to let in the expansive views of the sea. I also used a lot of glass to take in as much natural light as possible. There's a wide multi-faceted bay window at the back to take advantage of the excellent beachfront location.

A flagstone deck connects the main house to the infinity pool with a whirlpool tub or jacuzzi. A balcony at the second floor is a perfect location for lounging around while watching the sun set or breathing in the sea breeze. I also inclued a lush tropical garden with fruit trees and gazebo to the left of the house.

Here are some more screenshots of my 3D Beach House model (click to enlarge):

Overhead view from the back, above the waterfront

View of the house from the beach

Deck and infinity pool

Back view

Right-side view

Left-side view

Next time I'll try to experiment with elevations and probably start doing interiors. This 3D Sketchup Model is available for download here. You can also view my other 3D models here.

3D Model: House with Tiered Gabled Roof

Isometric View

As some of you may well know by now, I've always wanted to be an architect. As a kid, I used to sketch a lot of houses, from simple "bahay kubos" to grandiose mansions. I loved making my own floor plans where I can create habitable spaces for people. I even made an entire city plan complete with wide avenues and parks. Back then, I would consume several sheets of pad paper drawing my 'masterpieces'. Haha!

That interest has never really waned. That's why Google Sketchup is one of my favorite programs. SketchUp has allowed the kid in me to move on from doodles of houses to 3D models complete with architectural details and textures. Here's one of my recent 3D model creations on SketchUp: a two-storey house with a tiered gabled roof.

Detail of balcony, courtyard and fountain

It's best to call the style of this house as "eclectic", haha. Some highlights include decorative tiles and stucco walls reminiscent of Tuscan villas and a courtyard with fountain that evokes a Spanish-Mediterranean flavor. But the three-tiered slate roof has a slight modernistic touch.

I didn't really have a specific style in mind when I created this model. I worked on the portico first, experimented with the different textures and colors available, then it all took off from there. I think the result isn't that bad, hehe.

Here are some more screen grabs of this SketchUp 3D model.

View of garage and portico

Another view of the courtyard with fountain (and yeah, that's a cocker spaniel near the french doors, hehe)

Tiered gabled slate roof

View of the balcony and garage.

You can download a copy of this 3D Model from here. To view some of my earlier models such as the Legazpi Railway Station and St. Agnes' Academy, click here.

3D Model of Legazpi Railway Station

Finally, I have a new 3D Model created through Google Sketchup. It's been over a year since I made my last model (which has already been featured in Google Earth's Best of 3D Warehouse Layer) and at last, I now have a new one to add to my collection. Making this model was actually a spur of the moment. With all the bad news that came crashing down on me earlier today, I felt I needed a diversion. Hehe.

Well, I found myself ‘exploring’ my hometown, Legazpi, through Google Earth (which has updated its database of satellite imagery, recently, by the way) and I figured maybe it's time to make another 3D model of a Legazpi landmark.

I chose to create a model for the Legazpi Railway Station mainly because I thought the building is structurally simple and thus, easier to model. The building is also an important landmark because it is the southernmost terminus of the Philippine National Railways.

So there, I started making the model at, say, quarter past 8PM and finished it by 1AM, Haha. I’m a consummate geek when it comes to Sketchup; it must be the frustrated architect in me kicking in. I wanted a more detailed 3D model so I consulted some photos, courtesy of Yves, one of the city's best photographers.

The real thing

Of course, the model is only a rough approximation and it’s not really an accurate representation of the real building. That's because I relied mainly on common sense and my memory of this edifice, instead of actual measurements. There are slight mistakes that almost made me want to start from scratch. But overall, I think I made a fairly convincing 3D model. More importantly, I had fun making this model and was totally engrossed with it for a few hours.

If you have G. Earth please do visit our city and check out my new model. Legazpi now has seven 3D buildings on Google's 3D Warehouse; just activate the 3D Buildings mode so you can view them. Meanwhile, here are some more pictures of my 3D Legazpi Railway Station:

Close-up of facade
Front view
Rear view
On Google Earth

On Google Earth (with Mayon Volcano)

Dex Recommends: Google SketchUp

When I first came across Google SketchUp, I was instantly hooked and eventually spent a few hours playing with it. As a self-confessed frustrated architect, I found in SketchUp an excellent outlet to vent my ‘frustrations’. Hehe. For those not familiar with SketchUp, it is a 3D modeling program distributed by Google, that is designed for professional architects, civil engineers, filmmakers, game developers, and other related professions.

Its relatively easy to use, flexible and intuitive interface also makes it widely used by kids, mainly as entertainment software. In Google SketchUp you can create 3D models of almost any object, most commonly houses and buildings. It uses a wide range of drawing tools and interactive functions that lets users create 3D models from scratch, ranging from the simple to the complex, complete with colors, textures, scenes and animations.

The best part about SketchUp is that it integrates seamlessly with Google Earth – which means you can create 3D models of existing buildings and display it on Google Earth or upload it to the Google 3D Warehouse, the library of 3D models created in SketchUp by users all over the world.

For my first SketchUp project, I attempted to create a 3D model of my school (elementary and high), St. Agnes’ Academy, since I have a fairly accurate memory of every nook and cranny of it, having spent more than 10 years there. It’s basically just a simple 3D model of the buildings' layout within the campus. However, it is not accurate since I did not rely on exact measurements of the campus’ dimensions but on the satellite imagery provided by Google Earth. It's not even finished yet - it lacks doors, windows, and other architectural details which I may not have the time and expertise to accomplish. Still, I think my 3D model fairly captures the distinct shapes and dimensions of the buildings.

St. Agnes' Academy

Simple 3D Model of St. Agnes' Academy

I uploaded my SAA model to the Google 3D Warehouse. When I have more time to waste I'll try to refine this model and maybe even create more 3D models. Currently, there are only five 3D models of buildings and landmarks in Legazpi City. The other models are by Neil, my co-forumer in SkyscraperCity. You can also check out other Philippine 3D models created using SketchUp. If you have the interest to create 3D models, and more importantly, if you’ve got a LOT of time in your hands and a ton of patience, try Google SketchUp. It’s fun!