Animation conveys eco-home concept

May 29 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A TOUCH of the movies is being used to sell the idea of eco-houses.

Northumbria University student Mark Cronin uses animation, with techniques borrowed from the film industry, to illustrate how his eco-homes can be built.

And his work has impressed top international software company Autodesk, which is now showcasing his 3D animation of an eco-friendly house to students throughout Europe and the United States.

Mark, 34, from Carlisle, was introduced to architectural animation to enable him to communicate complex building concepts in a clear way as part of a four-year BSc architectural technology course.

He used a range of software packages to illustrate the construction process of an eco-friendly urban dwelling.

Mark said: “Architectural animations are a fantastic way of conveying information.

“They transform the architectural drawing and portray the designer’s concept in a way that is much clearer and more understandable for the client.

“Some of the techniques used in cutting edge architectural animations are borrowed from the film industry and the same software packages are now standard in both industries which means clients are continuously expecting more exciting and realistic animations.

“It shows the building being assembled in a more interesting and entertaining way, with components flying in and dust rising as a beam hits the ground.”