Future Skyline

Downburst

Downburst

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As some of you might've seen, I've started dabbling in building massing models in Sketchup and placing them in Google Earth. The skyline is very important to me and I like being able to visualize what it might look like in a couple of years (or five years... or ten...)

Anyways, I've done the Christian Science Tower/Midrise, Copley Place, and 40 Trinity so far. If you have any building/angle requests, I'll do my best to honor them.

Back Bay:











Not quite sure what I'll do next, but I hope you enjoy!
 
This illustrates the awesomeness of the "high spine" concept. Unlike your average downtown cluster, where everything battles each other and it all jumbles together, the linear spine really allows each tower to hold its own.

I've always liked the back bay's skyline better than downtown for this reason.
 
This is great. I've wanted to do this for some time, but I'm honestly just too lazy. So thank you. You've should add Berklee's two buildings, the recently-approved Parcels 12-15 proposal, and Avalon Exeter Street. I think that covers Back Bay, right?
 
Is that massing correct? These new towers both look so slim!
 
I have the CSC Tower's massing down pretty well. For each tower I've been looking through the PDF files on the BRA site so they should be relatively accurate- they don't have exact dimensions apart from height but their diagrams are still pretty informative.

Copley Place is definitely not perfect but curves are a pain in SketchUp.

Thanks for the suggestions, resi. There's also 888 Boylston... I'll try and get on them tomorrow.
 
davem said:
This illustrates the awesomeness of the "high spine" concept. Unlike your average downtown cluster, where everything battles each other and it all jumbles together, the linear spine really allows each tower to hold its own.

I've always liked the back bay's skyline better than downtown for this reason.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Downburst for this great exercise (I would love to be able to rotate the second shot by 10 degrees to align it with the view from my roofdeck :)).
I would disagree with davem, however, about the impact of the high spine concept--if you have a series of amazing towers that are capable of "holding their own" then that makes sense. I think if we get a lot of fairly blah boxes (Copley Place may be the most interesting of the lot, but even it is not going to be "wow"), then it is the aggregate impact of them that creates the most bang for your buck. I know that forumers tend to sneer at Dubai-style towers, but if you want buildings in isolation to keep the eye engaged, I think that's the way to go. I've not seen any renderings of current projects that really look iconic. The Hancock will remain the most distinctive building on the skyline.
 
Well there are only a few directions where the'll stand on their own, from the North and South. From the West and East everything's all jumbled.
 
Great work!!! One other addition would be The Clarenden. (32 floors, 336', 102.4m)
 
id be interested to see how it changes the symmetry the skyline seems to have from 93 going into the tunnel.
 
Excellent! How long does it take to put one of those images together? Are you toiling away in the NU architecture lab under Ruggles Station?
 
Now including both new Berklee buildings, the most recent Parcel 15 proposal, 888 Boylston, and the Exeter Residences.

Next to model will be the Clarendon and Liberty Mutual, then I might get started on downtown.

From the South End:


And Renaissance Garage at NU:


Boston Common:


From Cambridge (!!!)


From ground level in Copley:


Hadn't modeled Exeter at this point, but it wouldn't be too prominent anyways...


Approx. from Mass Ave Pike Bridge:



From 93, as requested:
North, near Zakim/Northpoint:


Heading south:




@Czerik: depending on the building, modelling takes me between 15 and 30 minutes. Placing the buildings is easy and takes maybe 2 minutes. Altogether the process is a lot easier than I would've thought.

As for the Ruggles Studio, no, my time has come and gone for that. Architecture is far better for me as a hobby-this is just an exercise and something to keep me tied to Boston while I'm (mostly) away for the summer.
 
Go! Downburst! Go! Downburst!.....I can't wait for Downtown!
 
Downburst, if you get really bored this summer, you can learn photo mapping in SketchUp (useful if you create The Clarendon because there actually is no model for it right now). It's pretty amazing and is how all of the 3D Warehouse buildings you see in Google Earth are created.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5aoRLf7pZs

You can also design your model based straight off a photo with Photo Match too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSuDoX8SPtU

Feel free to contact me as you have been with any questions or concerns. =)
 
Great to see that DD vertical Ice Tea billboard at Pine St. Inn. I was the art director on that back in '07 I think it was.
 
I like this angle a lot. However, seeing the Snell Library in the foreground is distracting and giving me awful flashbacks.
:p

Downburst said:
Now including both new Berklee buildings, the most recent Parcel 15 proposal, 888 Boylston, and the Exeter Residences.

Next to model will be the Clarendon and Liberty Mutual, then I might get started on downtown.


And Renaissance Garage at NU:


@Czerik: depending on the building, modelling takes me between 15 and 30 minutes. Placing the buildings is easy and takes maybe 2 minutes. Altogether the process is a lot easier than I would've thought.

As for the Ruggles Studio, no, my time has come and gone for that. Architecture is far better for me as a hobby-this is just an exercise and something to keep me tied to Boston while I'm (mostly) away for the summer.
Click to expand...
 
Now let's see downtown, with Millennium, the TD Towers and the Congress Street Garage?
 
I have Millennium Tower done:
(Note: Nothing from the harbor, etc. because it is barely visible from there)

From the Taj/Public Garden:


From the State House: (Love this one)


From MIT Area:


From Longfellow Bridge (approx.)


I'm a bit wary about the TD towers as we're not sure quite how they'll end up, but I think I'm going to do simple rectangular footprints for now. The shorter tower will be as as proposed at 430' and two different models of the taller one at both 600' and 440' to go along with what's been passed around heightwise.

I'll have more shots for you guys later tomorrow or the day after- busy couple of days.
 
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