Mr. Norihiro Terasawa, an industry pioneer in combining computer technology with architecture, will discuss how he uses SketchUp for large-scale projects, architectural design work, and building permit applications.
Example of SketchUp use in a large construction project competition (Design: KMG + ARCHITECT 5)
Tokyo, Japan
ARCHITECT 7/Terasawa First-Class Architects' Office, which is engaged in architectural design mainly for residences, is inspired by the five human senses, the sixth sense, and the "seventh sense" that harnesses the power of computer technology. We interviewed representative architect/first-class architect, Takahiro Terasawa, who is also involved in the SketchUp schooling business as a certified trainer and CAD BIM education as a university lecturer.
ARCHITECT 7 / Mr. Norihiro Terasawa, Representative Architect, Terasawa First Class Architect Office
interview (i.e. television, newspaper, etc.)
Utilized in a variety of work processes
How did you get into architecture and what do you value in your work?
After graduating from an art college with a degree in architecture, I joined a software development company in the architectural field, then worked for 20 years in a CAD development office and architectural design office, ARCHITECT 5, before establishing ARCHITECT 7 / Terasawa 1st Class Architect Office in 2010. Currently, he continues to work mainly with SketchUp.
What sparked my interest in the construction industry was my encounter with Isamu Noguchi's "Water Sculpture," which was one of the pavilions at the 1970 Osaka World's Fair. I was 10 years old and in the fourth grade of elementary school at the time, and was so impressed by the sculpture that I was led to a world where I could make use of my love of art and mathematics, both of which I enjoyed at the time.
What I have valued in my work ever since I entered the world of architecture is the convergence of the client's raw requests into the best possible form through trial and error. Buildings are one-off productions, and the site, surrounding environment, and required functions differ from project to project. There is no set answer from the beginning, and the final decision is made through a number of processes. SketchUp is utilized in each of these processes and is used to make a series of presentations.
Why did you introduce SketchUp and how has it changed since then?
I have been using SketchUp since my previous job, and was attracted to it because of its high scalability and easy-to-use modeling functions. I was fascinated by the fact that I could create three-dimensional objects by simply drawing a single line in a space.
What I also feel in the actual utilization of SketchUp is its robustness. Normally, modeling over and over again for each process would make the data very heavy, but SketchUp allows us to create very light data. We are accumulating know-how on each and every project by utilizing SketchUp's robustness and making the most of its ingenuity.
3D model in SketchUp of a 10-story office building (co-designed by ARCHITECT SHIP)
Actual photo of 10-story office building (co-designed by ARCHITECT SHIP)
Modeling of the area around a 10-story office building using SketchUp with PLATEAU data (joint design: ARCHITECT SHIP)
What do you find interesting about SketchUp?
There is a wide variety of plug-ins available, called SketchUp Extensions. For example, I use Vertex Tools and SUbD for modeling with a lot of curved surfaces. PlaceMaker, which imports Google Earth 3D tiles, is very useful for researching and arranging the environment and topography around the site.
SketchUp model of a competition for a large construction project (design: KMG + ARCHITECT 5)
What are some of the BIM-like applications of SketchUp?
This is something we teach at the university, but it is also useful to work with SketchUp in a BIM-like work process. Specifically, we can use SketchUp to group and componentize the shapes as they are created, and then tag them and restructure them as they are created more and more. By making it open source, anyone can use it to create drawings of 3D models and isometric elevations viewed from the front.
If you first create some classified shapes and set up scenes, you can call up those scenes in layout and convert them to elevations and plans, and visualize things such as dimension lines, text, and street cores that are needed as drawing expressions. Therefore, based on the model created in SketchUp, it is possible to work with each process to determine what is required and control those things.
With SketchUp, you have the freedom to control how much time and how much detail you want to spend on a project. Therefore, you do not necessarily have to use the same work process. For example, if an irregular situation arises that requires the addition of a new element, SketchUp can handle it. I believe that the strength of SketchUp is that it can continue to evolve with each new innovation.
3D to 2D conversion facilitates building approval.
Can you give us an example of a project that utilized SketchUp?
I use SketchUp 100% of the time on all my projects. SketchUp itself has been updated and the accompanying software, Layout, has also improved its functionality, which has helped me to use SketchUp more and more.
How do you utilize SketchUp in your confirmation and approval process?
I often use SketchUp to generate 2D drawings from 3D models, but this is very time consuming when using large BIM software. SketchUp allows you to save your models as components, name them, and reload saved files at any time.
One of the most common uses of this type of usage is when applying for building permits. In the current Japanese confirmation application process, the application must be submitted in 2D data. We have a lot of assets that have been converted to 2D drawings, so we import all legends and other information that must be written in the application form into Layout's scrapbooks for layout.
Componentize models in SketchUp
2D drawing with Layout function of SketchUp
Scrapbook Example
Even in cases where there are no 2D assets remaining, the ability to easily convert from 3D to 2D allows for very fast work.
Eventually, the verification and inspection agencies will be able to see the 3D models as they are, and SketchUp's functions will naturally come into play in that case as well.
What are some examples of how SketchUp is used in communication?
SketchUp is also an excellent communication tool. For example, when we receive feedback from the client during a meeting, we can reflect changes in real time. In the past, we had to take the model back to the client, re-model it, and present it at the next meeting, so this is very revolutionary.
Utilizing SketchUp, the proposal was modified and visualized on the spot (joint design; Arai Architectural Design & Planning + arai1992)
An example of an actual project was a Zoom meeting with a person in a distant location, where the floor plan and structure were rapidly changed on the spot.
Also, when handing over the finished model to the client, we used to be hesitant to do so due to security reasons, but with SketchUp data, we can use Trimble Connect to upload the data to the cloud and hand over the share link. The client can also view the data from their PC through a browser, which is very useful as a communication tool.
Share, review, and visualize data in real time with Trimble Connect
What are your thoughts on compatibility with other tools?
There are various rendering software packages around SketchUp, many of which can read SKP data from SketchUp.
At this time, we check for differences in versions, and in creating the data to be passed on, we check whether the texture information is conveyed and whether the pasted material is attached to the front or the back.
Conversely, when receiving data, SketchUp supports various types of data. Therefore, it is possible to use SketchUp to first load 2D data, including 2D data, and then create various shapes based on that data.
For example, in cases where we could only receive the data in PDF format, we were able to read the converted CAD data into SKP to create the shape.
I think SketchUp's compatibility with other tools is also a major attraction.
Prospects for Using SketchUp as Inspiration for the Seventh Sense
What are your company's future prospects for utilizing SketchUp?
This job would not be possible without clients, and we do not know what kind of orders we might receive. However, if I can utilize the know-how I have steadily accumulated using SketchUp, I am willing to take on challenges in any field and for any property.
So far, I have worked mainly on private residences, offices, and apartment complexes, but in the future, if possible, I would like to use SketchUp to create public spaces such as halls, studios, and parks.
What do you see as the impact of AI on the world of architecture and the role SketchUp will play?
While I feel that we don't know what the advent of AI will bring out in us designers, I also feel that it may be a source of inspiration. I think it will be more and more involved in generating ideas, but it is only human beings who will make choices among them. So prompt engineering will be important in the future.
I have been using SketchUp's Diffusion since its release, and I have high expectations for its future. Diffusion, for example, produces a lot of different images that I would have never thought of before, and I think about what kind of inspiration the human side can take from that.
Generate images with SketchUp's Diffusion feature
Naturally, variations in planning can be increased at a dash, and innovations that could not have been created by human power can occur. Of course, it is human beings who make the choices, so the importance of prompt engineering remains unchanged.
I also believe that AI can help automate human mechanical and repetitive tasks, and I intend to keep up with the AI trend.
What advice would you give to the younger generation learning SketchUp?
I have been teaching SketchUp at a university for a long time, but the focus has always been on explaining how to use it and its commands. I use pre-provisioned materials as teaching materials, so if you follow the instructions, it will take shape.
What I can say to students in the future, however, is that I want them to think about what they will create beyond the creation of the form. It is easy to create something with commands in the virtual world, but if we replace it with the real world, we need the wisdom of our ancestors, traditional techniques, types of materials, and knowledge of each structure on site. We could borrow the power of AI to absorb these things.
Many students may feel that they don't know what to create because they can create anything, just as they don't know what to draw on a white canvas when suddenly handed a huge tool called SketchUp.
So it is important to understand the basic use of the tool as a tool and to always replace what you create with realism. That is also what we would like to convey to our students.
Model creation and video display in SketchUp
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