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TO: |
Mayor and Members of Council |
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FROM: |
Jim Baird, Commissioner of Development Services Valerie Shuttleworth, Director of Planning & Urban Design |
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PREPARED BY: |
David
Clark, Town Architect |
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DATE OF MEETING: |
2005-Apr-19 |
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SUBJECT: |
Markham Centre: 3-D
Modelling (Community Viz Software Programme) |
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RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the staff report entitled “Markham Centre:
3-D Modelling” dated
AND THAT $14,000 of the $34,000.00
budget allocation assigned to a volumetric
model for Markham Centre (Account #80–5399–6309–005) be used to enhance the
three dimensional presentation capabilities of the Community Viz software programme, and the balance of funds in the
volumetric model for Markham Centre be returned to the original funding
sources.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to recommended
that the Community Viz software programme be endorsed
as the preferred tool for modelling the three dimensional character of the Markham
Centre vision and plan, as it evolves over time.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the 2004 Capital budget process, a Councillor
identified initiative was approved, for the building of a volumetric massing
model of the Markham Centre plan area.
The model was proposed as a visual tool to help communicate the Markham
Centre vision to interested parties, and in particular the general public. The model, while conceptual, would be
constructed at a scale that would convey the three dimensional character of the
site and proposed buildings. The model was
expected to be on view in a public location within the civic centre, but also
be of a size and dimension that would permit the model to be relocated from
time to time, to various locations within the Civic Centre, and possibly beyond,
as part of the ongoing programme of public information regarding the
development of Markham Centre.
Capital funding in the amount of $34,000.00 was
approved by Council in 2004 for the volumetric model. Staff did not immediately proceed to
construction of a volumetric model in 2004, since the major elements of Markham
Centre development applications were still under consideration and had not as
yet reached a level of definition to construct a meaningful first model. As well, staff was
in the process of acquiring the Community Viz computer
programme which held great promise to deliver a highly effective three
dimensional presentation tool offering realistic fly-over and walk-through
experiences of the Markham Centre plan area.
Following software acquisition and training,
GIS staff produced a first generation 3-D model of the Markham Centre area for
presentation to Markham Centre
At the Markham Centre
DISCUSSION:
Consideration
of a volumetric massing model for Markham Centre
Volumetric models can be exceptional visual
tools to inform and engage the public.
At appropriate scales, models can show realistic architectural details
that represents, in miniature, actual buildings and landscapes. At smaller scale (typically for individual
projects or compact districts) models can help to explain physical concepts and
the relationships between built form and natural environments. However, the Markham Centre plan encompasses
a very large area of approximately 1000 acres of land. The area stretches east-west from
The natural features and elevation changes
across the whole area are approximately 10-15 metres. A one
metre change in grade at this 1:1,000 scale, would be about the thickness of
the cardboard backing on a standard writing pad, and would be almost
imperceptible. The average building height of 8 storeys at the scale of the
model would be represented by a block approximately 24 millimetres in height (approximately
one inch in height). Maximum building heights in the order of 16 or 18 storeys
which occur at a few specific locations on the model would be represented by blocks
in the order of 54 millimetres high (just
over 2 inches in height). At this scale, it would be difficult for the public
to relate to the building environment and understand the various relationships
between buildings, streets and parks.
Static physical models are characteristically
out of date once they have been constructed.
They require continual updating to remain current. Overcoming the inherent inflexibility will
require rebuilding portions of the model at every new stage of approval over
the life of the project. This will mean
shipping the model from time to time to the model builder to make the necessary
changes. With every move, and with every public display of the model, there is
some risk of damage. Covering the model in glass or plastic further removes the
public from visual contact and undermines the model’s effectiveness as a
communications tool. The wear and tear
on the physical model will become evident within a short period and may require
wholesale replacement to maintain its quality and appearance.
Staff recommends that a physical volumetric model of Markham Centre not be
pursued at this time, and the assigned financial resources be re-allocated to
further enhance the quality of realism in the presentation of
computer-generated 3-D imaging.
Consideration
of computer-generated modelling
Staff believes that 3-D modelling based on the Community Viz
programme is a responsive and flexible tool that can keep pace with the
changing built environment and present a realistic experience of the Markham
Centre plan at the pedestrian level through realistic walk-through simulations.
GIS staff have been
expanding their familiarity with the Community Viz programme’s
capabilities and have produced a second generation 3-D modelling of the
plan. Through the use of the programme’s
‘model builder’ programme element, realistic buildings can be generated using
accurate plans and elevations either derived from drawings or digital
photographs. The programme allows the
environments to be populated with realistic vegetation, tree species and specific park and streetscape designs.
Through the model builder programme, the basic
volumetric shapes can be developed further into authentic built form and
natural landscapes. At presentations,
the public would be able to view “real time” experiences of moving through the
Markham Centre plan. As proposals are
made and approved, the 3-D model can be readily updated and amended to show
proposed buildings in a continuously updated realistic built environment with
no delay or additional costs (other than staff time). Alternative design and
elevations treatment can be quickly developed and presented for comparison
purposes.
To exploit the full potential of the
programme’s analytical and presentation potential, additional capabilities
should be added to the Community Viz platform. Staff recommends that $14,000.00 of the 2004
Capital budget for the Markham Centre Volumetric Model account #80-5399-6309-005 be re-allocated
to further support and enhance the delivery of the Community Viz 3-D programme.
Support
for
The Community Viz 3-D
walk and fly-through images are currently presented through access to the
equipment in Council Chambers and the various committee rooms (including the
Canada Room) where the majority of
public presentations take place. The quality of the images is constrained by
the capacity of the current operating system. This deficit can be overcome by
running the programme through the programme desk-top unit in the GIS
department. While possible, to do so involves moving the GIS desk top unit into
Chambers or the Canada Room which is cumbersome and does not solve the issue of
portability whereby the 3-D presentation could be run in a public forum off
site. In the long term 3-D imaging could be made available through the Town web
site or through a 3-D video display within the Great Hall.
To facilitate high quality 3-D presentations
within the Civic Centre environment and off
site, the programme should be run through a lap top with the equivalent
capability of the GIS desk top
unit. The cost of a lap top with the capability of running the Community Viz programme with high quality 3-D imaging has been
estimated at $4,000.00 Cdn. (plus taxes)
Composing 3-D images within the Community Viz ‘model builder’ programme requires access to software
that is currently only available at a single licensed location within the IT
department. To facilitate greater
efficiency and effectiveness in developing the 3-D imaging, an additional
license and the latest version of the Adobe Photoshop software should be made
available to support the Community Viz 3-D programme
in the
Community Viz programmes
are loaded with a library of typical buildings, vegetation, and street
furniture images that can be used to add realistic detail to the 3-D
model. The built-in library is stocked
with universal images that don’t reflect the particulars of the Canadian and
Staff recommend that a
The total investment in high quality 3-D
imaging, developing the image library and enabling the programme to be run in
any number of on-site and off-site venues is estimated at approximately $
13,800.00 Cdn in 2005 (plus tax).
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Staff recommend that $14,000.00 of the
$34,000.00 in the 2004 Capital budget for the Markham Centre Volumetric Model
account #80-5399-6309-005 be re-allocated
to further support and enhance the delivery of the Markham centre plan and
vision through the Community Viz 3-D programme and
extend the ability to present the Markham Centre vision at a variety of
off-site venues; and that the balance of the funds in the volumetric model
account #80-5399-6309-005 be returned to the original funding source.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no environmental implications to this
report.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no accessibility
considerations to this report.
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Director of |
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services |
Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham
Centre\David Clark\Report mc model.doc
