The Autodesk Gallery at One Market in San Francisco celebrates design — the process of taking a great idea and turning it into a reality. With about 60 different exhibits regularly on display that showcase the innovative work of Autodesk customers, the gallery illustrates the role technology plays in great design and engineering. Autodesk Gallery Ambassadors conduct gallery tours as a sideline to their day jobs. The tours provide employees with opportunities to practice public speaking in front of small groups.
The Angling for a better view exhibit is just one of many that you see on the 2nd floor of our One Market office in San Francisco.
People
- Nihon Sekkei // more
Software
- Autodesk AutoCAD // more
- Autodesk Inventor // more
- Autodesk CFD // more
- Autodesk Revit // more
- Grasshopper
- Rhinoceros
Beneath the Sea of Japan lies hidden beauty and rich aquatic life that includes more than 800 species of aquatic plants and 3,500 animal species, yet most people only get to experience the Sea from the surface. Architectural design firm, Nihon Sekkei, one of the largest in Japan, wants to delve deeper. Using 3D simulation tools, the firm is reimagining the aquarium experience in Joetsu to be a more sensory one. At the heart of their proposed aquarium is a giant tank with interior walls that replicate a section of the Sea of Japan's underwater topography.
The walls of the aquarium were modeled after the natural landscape (coastline, sea bottom) of the Sea of Japan. Here is a section of the topography at a horizontal scale of 1:10,000 and a vertical scale of 1:250, revealing deep valleys and complex formations:
The exhibit features a 3D print of a section:
Nihon Sekkei used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to simulate the flow of water around these complex curved surfaces. This enabled them to visualize and assess water movement, temperature, and other factors to ensure a healthy environment for the flora and fauna (e.g., avoid dead spots where algae could grow). One unexpected and unconventional advantage of being able to carefully design the flow of water is that could predict how fish would react to the currents depicted by the CFD. This allowed them to select an optimal location for an underwater walkway that maximized the viewing angle for the public. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the environment via a transparent tunnel that runs through the tank, creating a feeling of walking underwater.
CFD is the use of numerical analysis and computational software to visualize how gas or liquid flows. CFD is based on Navier-Stokes equations that describe how the velocity, pressure, temperature, and density of a moving fluid relate to each other. It is often used in manufacturing, but in this case, it was used for architecture.
The colors of the 3D printed flow lines above represent the velocity of the water (i.e., red/orange=faster, blue/green=slower).
Located at the foot of Mount Hotaka and facing the Sea of Japan, the Joetsu Aquarium encourages learning through hands-on exhibitions and the surrounding environment. While the main goal of the Joetsu Aquarium is to educate the public about ocean ecology, it will also serve as a beautiful gathering place where city meets sea.
Nihon Sekkei and Autodesk have partnered to advance building information modeling (BIM) in Japan. Creating a unified platform based on Autodesk Revit, the companies are jointly developing a system for construction and building management to maximize the benefits of BIM for facility owners and throughout building lifecycles.
Thanks to the Autodesk Gallery team for the descriptive text for this blog post.
The Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco is open to the public on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. There is a guided tour on Wednesdays at 12:30 pm and a self-guided audio tour available anytime. Admission is free. Visit us.
Sea life is alive in the lab.