I got my architecture degree from HGTV...

One of my coworkers (an architect) has the following quote on a post-it note on his desk: "Engineers... get their Architecture degree from HGTV."   Engineers and architects have a history of conflict.  From the Millau Viaduct (Bridge) to a elementary school addition, the idea of style vs. function has been fought over since the dawn of man. 

As an engineer, I typically don't get too many opportunities to exercise my artistic side, so when the wife and I bought a home the first thing I did was...

download Google Sketchup (http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/)!

Most programs that are used in the construction industry have way too many features and are too complicated for general use.  This is where Google Sketchup becomes a great tool for the public.  Google Sketchup is a very simple modeling program.  If you play video games, you can model with Google Sketchup.  You can create a new model, download and import objects, and export pictures of your model, or the model itself. 

So how do you create a model of your home?   Well the first step is to take measurements (lots and lots of measurements) of your property.  Wall and window and door and fence and plants and heights and distances from each other.  My suggestion is to just focus on the outside of your home.  You can always measure and add the interior walls later.  Once you have made a simple drawing of all the measurements it is time to model.  The basic idea in Sketchup is to draw a shape and then extrude it.  For example, if you know the measurement of the perimeter of your house, you can make a simple rectangle, and then make it "pop up" to the height of your house.  The windows and doors are done using the same extrusion method.  Once complete you can add colors and make windows (Which will actually let you look through a wall). 

Here you can see the first version of our house model.  Please note I did add some colors for fun:

So once you get the model created, then you can REALLY start to have fun.  You can go to Google Sketchup's 3D Warehouse (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/), a site which has tons of already created models for you to download, and then import them to your model.  I ended up downloading quite a few cacti, bushes and outdoor furniture to import into our model.  Some of our ideas can be seen below.  Let us know what you think!

- C.