MetamorphoSims - 1Fam - 01

Hey gamers, architecture fans, and Sim players!

I’m bringing you the first post from my MetamorphoSims series, where I’ll be combining some gaming with architecture . I’ll be giving a small sample of what someone working in a smaller architecture firm might be working on (when they’re not going crazy with their clients..). In terms of residential, I deal with a lot of renovations, alterations, and the occasional new construction project. I’ll be recreating residential buildings I’ve worked on, am working on, and more. These posts will shape what I do for work right into The #Sims 4. Who says all work and no play?

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Background

All too often I see situations where let’s say the client and their spouse watched some HGTV Home Renovation show, saw a quick animation (think it’s as easy as “the press of a button”..) and expect us to pop out some visual to get a better understanding of what their renovation would look like. Well, 9/10 times they don’t want to pay for a rendering and the extra time spent, so... Unfortunately they’ll need to wait till they see it in person.

Which I think sucks and is a problem. It’s not the press of the button or as easy as they’d hope it would be and it should be. After using programs like #AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, Sketch-Up, Chief Architect and others, I’ve noticed the time spent to produce a “quick” visual aid is no comparison to something like the Sims 4. Even apps from the google playstore / microsoft store where you can sketch up homes and get perspectives of decorated rooms are still that, apps, and they are still better than other programs, but they can’t create drawings we would need.

I’ve seen promo videos of programs promising quick visuals and exported drawings, but most seem very expensive, clunky, take a long time to learn, and seem limited. What I would hope for is a program that’s as intuitive or as easy as playing a game, all while exporting the drawings we would need. Maybe one day soon, or maybe something simpler already exists and someone knows of a program and can help point me in the right direction?

MetamorphoSims - 1Fam - 01 - Intro

I’m starting off this series of posts with a 2 ½ story 1 Family house, where we’re adding balconies, dormers, new second floor spaces, bigger back of the house, and much more.

Below is the existing building’s first floor layout before any work done. This is what you would see in AutoCAD - Architecture with some on-screen notes. For anyone whos interested, this is the halfway point between basic AutoCAD and Revit, offering similar window/wall/door/element parameters and some other features.

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The house is gaining some square footage and that is going to mean a much bigger kitchen / dining room. We’re also going to be removing a lot of walls and making an more open right side of the house.

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A large kitchen with an island was very important to them as well as doors to the yard.

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Also until Sims 4 gives more option in terms of doors and other components I’ll have to make things up like the kitchen’s “sliding door” being two doors next to each other.

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For the second floor, there’s a few additions to the house. We’re building over the first floor sunroom and giving the bedrooms each their own bathroom. Each bedroom also should get some sort of balcony access as well.. Balconies.. balconies everywhere..

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I will try to populate the buildings with furniture down the road. Maybe for the conclusion post or afterward I can revisit and move in my Sims. I always enjoyed designing houses for my Sims and spent probably more time building them than actually playing in them.

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The building is going to change, but for now the balconies and the dormers they want to add to the third floor spaces make the house completely different.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this post, it’s definitely one of the more interesting 1 Family houses I’ve dealt with so far and one of the more.. ambitious. The project is still changing and I don’t count on it turning out like this, so let’s see what it turns into!

Depending on the length of time projects take and the back and forth with clients, I might make just one to a couple posts per house. For this house, being there still is layout changes floating around, I will be revisiting it with a second conclusion post after that process is finalized. I’ve always enjoyed playing the Sims and I’m excited to share this series of posts with the Steemit community over time. Hope you guys enjoyed this glimpse at what I do and I’ll share more as I get time to.

Disclaimer

The houses being shown, represent slightly modified versions of the buildings I work on, snapshots of design processes, and stages of figuring out layout. I am not disclosing locations, they will all be somewhere in New Jersey, varying from denser cities to more open suburban areas. No personal information about the work, firm, buildings, or client will be disclosed. Layouts vary from how it was designed and have discrepancies, but wont change drastically from what it actually is. Any work shown is of my own, and done on my own time or are my own sketches/suggestions/designs. I am not representing my firm nor am I posting any drawings from my firm or affiliates. Now that that's said and done.. Enjoy!