Ground-Truth, As-Built 3D CAD Model of Stata Center

Abstract

The goal of this project is to construct a 3D model of the Stata Center using existing floorplans and field measurements. We began with a set of 2D floorplans of the interior in DWG format, and we constructed various elements of the building- walls, floors, ceiling, stairs, etc- on top of the lines in the floorplans by adding 3D faces within the program AutoCAD.

A detailed description of the project can be found here.
Our files can be found here.

Summer 2007

work continued by: Yang Yang, Jessi Ambrose

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Kaustuv DeBiswas of the Architecture Department for helping us get started with AutoLISP inside AutoCAD; to CSAIL's TiG group; to MIT's Department of Facilities for the 2D floorplans with which we started; and to Frank O. Gehry and Associates for the CATIA data.

Pictures

This is an example of vertical non-planar geometry. Note how the wall consists of narrow strips of planar walls and how the ceiling largely consists of triangles emanating from vertices. A column can be seen on the right side of the picture through a section of wall. Note how it is modeled using the same technique as the wall.

The blue wall is an example of a non-vertical wall. The numbers 1-4 refer to the points inputted into the convex combination function, which were clicked in that order. The function then proceeded to draw the wall.

This is a model of an office facade.

On the left is a single step that we have modeled. The chunk of stairs on the right was made by putting together several of the step modules on the left.

This is a section of curved stairs that we modeled. Only the top surface of this particular stairway is complete.

This is a section of railings with details.

This is a section of railings with only the top metal strip drawn.

The pink wall represents a glass wall. This is the old way we modeled glass walls.

This is the new way that we are modeling glass walls. Again in pink, the wall's visually prominent metal beams can now be seen. This image shows the same wall as the previous image with a bit more of the wall modeled.

This is the way we initially modeled these windows. Note the brown panel at the bottom. These windows were modeled by hand because the wall in which they are embedded is curved.