The Portland & Oregon BAT Team, Chapter 1

[bixel 1,228]

Looks amazing. The sunken plaza is great and really makes the boxy style building stand out from the rest. I think this is a sure winner!

[Gecko_2006 1]

I love it! What a beautiful midrise tower! The sunken plaza is VERY nice. I'm glad you finally got those shadowing problems worked out!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK then, I have exported a no-plaza version last nite. Right now, I am exporting the sunken plaza version! BTW, the no-plaza version will be 1 floor taller, just to make it a little more different from the full version.

While we're waiting, here's a look at some other real-life buildings, coming soon to Portland! I promised to show these to Bixel last week, and have finally tracked down a few renderings.

1st & Main

This design is MUCH better than the first couple of proposals! Construction is probably going to start soon!

Another surface parking lot bites the dust! Plus it fills in a deep empty spot in the riverfront skyline. It'll sit right at the end of the Hawthorne Bridge, which many bicyclists use everyday, so they've planned a big bike parking facility inside this building.

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership Tower (Working name?):

The lot for this building is now fenced off and construction is likely at any time! This will be the HQ for local architects ZGF (of KOIN Center fame). It was supposed to have 30 stories, but the projected hotel was cut out of the plans. It will be located at 12th and Washington, a few blocks west of the New Fleidner Block. It will have apartments, office and the city-mandated ground floor retail.

Block 38/"The 3720"

This condo tower is now under construction, barely poking out of the ground right now in the South Waterfront.

So far, it is my most favorite SOWA design.

B-Side 6:

Seldom does anything small and in SE Portland really stand out like this! This will be just east of the Burnside Bridge (you can see the US Bancorp Tower in the background). The neighborhood is becoming something of a funky, hipster hangout, and this condo building will be a nice addition.

[Voulpiotis 4]

Those are great plans and would be very nice if they appeared in the STEX!

[bixel 1,228]

YAY!!!! Whoooooot!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK I just uploaded Standard Plaza! It should be appearing on the STEX soon.

I did find some small shadow issues, but I did provide a 3x3 tower-only version for those who love to make lots. That version doesn't have any shadow probs.

Now, for the next project(s):

Finish Bank of America Center

Finish Waddle's

I don't know which one will make it through first, but I have less to do on Waddles than BofA. Both are pretty close to completion. After those are done, it is on to modelling Jackson Tower again. Plus I have another funky modernist builing plotted out in Gmax. But those can wait. Waddle's has been waiting long enuf to be finished.

For now, I'm going to take a short, well-deserved break. I'm still a little out of it thanks to the pain meds... One medical thing down, another to go...

By the way, Bixel is sorta busy with something else RLS-related, so the Commonwealth (and whatever else he's got cooking) is delayed for a little bit. I'll let him tell you what it is that he's up to right now. It's a really awesome oportunity for him!

[Sim shady 12]

enjoy your break, and congratz on your completion of Standard Plaza. looks great in my city!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Break-time now is pretty much over. I've got a ton done on the Bank of America Center today and yesterday, but there is still a little ways to go:

@Zoom 3

:

New awnings , some garage detail, and entryways:

More detail in the skylight and entryway areas:

There's quite a bit to do still before texturing can begin. But this model is now in the detailing stage.

[josefmayor 8]

I like this buildin!

[gshmails 536]

Very nice sparky! I really like the awnings. What are you planning for that lower rooftop? Thanks for sharing, and good luck!

[bixel 1,228]

WOW BOA looks awesome! You got all the right curves and brick layout perfect!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Thanks for the comments!

@Bixel: Any progress on the Commonwealth yet? No pressure, I know you're super busy. Just want to keep everyone up to date on it.

@josefmayor: I've got the Broadway pics and also I have covered Sixth Avenue too. I want to get a major north-south street photographed from PSU to Burnside every two weeks if possible and weather permitting. Just have to upload them. I'm thinking about getting a flicker account now, so it will be just a little more until I post those.

@Gshmails: Which lower rooftop? When I get around to roofjunk, you'll see what the lower roofs looks like. If you really want to know, I'll tell you- just let me know!

[josefmayor 8]

Originally posted by: sparkythepenguin Thanks for the comments!

@Bixel: Any progress on the Commonwealth yet? No pressure, I know you're super busy. Just want to keep everyone up to date on it.

@josefmayor: I've got the Broadway pics and also I have covered Sixth Avenue too. I want to get a major north-south street photographed from PSU to Burnside every two weeks if possible and weather permitting. Just have to upload them. I'm thinking about getting a flicker account now, so it will be just a little more until I post those.

@Gshmails: Which lower rooftop? When I get around to roofjunk, you'll see what the lower roofs looks like. If you really want to know, I'll tell you- just let me know! quote>

Aite cool man thanks!

[tommiej 0]

looks very nice! really like your last building!

your new one is already very detailed!

really like to see some more work!

[KinFreon 0]

That's a nice building, though I barely remember the BofA tower in my travels to Portland.

As for the rest of the BATs, I dig how Portland is faithfully recreated in SimCity form. When I lived in Tacoma, Portland was my favorite city to travel to. And with that in mind, I hope to see both the Palms Motel and the Alibi done up for SC4, because both of those places made up most of my travels (I love karaoke night at the Alibi).

[sparkythepenguin 90]

@ Tommiej: Well, you're in luck, got a tiny bit done on BofA so far today. 

@Kinfreon: The Alibi is one that I really want to do, but I am so backed up with half- or quarter-finished models that it may be a little while before I get to it. But then, when the heck have I ever stuck to finishing stuff in order? I am such a fan of the Alibi, but I haven't been by there in a while. Sounds like a quick trip is in order. I am in love with their spicy chicken sandwich.

You probably haven't heard of these, but Der Rhinelander and it's associated mini chain of Gustav's Bierstubes are some of the best German food in town. Competing directly with them is the Widmir Gasthaus and the Berlin Inn. Sometime I ought to do a "Restruants of Portland" (or maybe the NW) series. Included ought to be Giovani's (Beaverton), Swagat Indian Cuisine, Burgerville USA (of Vancouver, WA), Tacho's, Sylvia's, Mike's drive-in (of Milwaukie, OR), The Ringside Steakhouse, Newport Bay, Izzy's Pizza, Shari's, Sawyer's Old Country Kitchen, Nona Emilia, Elmers Pancake and Steakhouse,  and Taco Time (of  Eugene, OR). I feel a bit hungry now, how about you? Question is what the heck to eat!

And I have a head start in that since I have the Al-Amir, Waddle's, and Kell's done/nearly done..

And don't get me started on ideas for retailers!!!!

OK enuf blabbing, time  for the scant, but interesting progress on BofA:

I put the little BofA sign at the entry and extended the glass awnings over to the edge. that big crease on the corner will disappear in the final modeling stage.

BofA wears a green neon "hat". I thought it appropriate that since it was pretty much all dressed up, it needed to put it on. This sorta gives you an idea of what the nitelighting is going to be. To get around using too many spotlights, I am going to make custom LODs for the hat and the building, and export them seperately. Then in LE, I can add the hat in as a prop. There's going to be a lot of stuff going on with the lighting around the base, so I want to save as many lighting slots as I can for that.

OK comment away and keep commenting! Thanks again!

[bixel 1,228]

groovetacular!

[LivingInThePast 364]

I've just jumped in, but is there a BAT for the (relatively recently) renovated Mall 205?

[josefmayor 8]

Thats so cool!!!!!! I love that building man

[sparkythepenguin 90]

@LivingInThePast: Unfortuneately, we really haven't moved outside of the Downtown/Lloyd District core yet, so no Mall 205 BATs are out there that we've made.

I remember going to that mall when I was a kid. It was so weird because they kept it so dark inside. Haven't seen the redo yet. It's going to be weird seeing the inside lit up if they fixed that!

Bank of America soldiers on....

HVAC and landscaping are coming soon. Detail modeling is a multi-layered process. *sigh* For now, enjoy the beginings of the roof junk. Also, I took the time to get the glass I intend to be transparent. I think the Skylight and entryway awnings are finalized now.

This is going to look real sweet with textures. Whenever I get to them...

Fooling around with nitelites, no spot lighting yet...

That's not by any means the final scheme, but I think Goldiva's Almost-white nite window texture looks kinda close to reality.

Please lemme know what you think!

[gshmails 536]

Very good progress! I like the nitelites alot. Keep up the good work!

[josefmayor 8]

Looking increadible I really like it!!!!!!!!!

[spa 970]

This is coming along nicely. The "hat" on top is a nice touch. As for the nightmaps, I seem to always find myself reaching for Goldiva's almost white too

[Krio 626]

Without textures your new building looks like Monopoly-hotel! Hah hah! Can't wait to see this reaaaady.

[patriots_1228 51]

your bats are always good, so is the lighting. you take the most simple part of nightlites, the windows, and make it into this extrodanary lighting thing. i loved the standard insurance plaza lighting and im sure ill love this building too!

[LivingInThePast 364]

Pix and decription: Labelscar's Summary

[bixel 1,228]

YEAYA! keep going.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Can't yack much, but I have a lot of progress to show off.

Overal shot, 3-22-2007:

BofA Center's got its complete set of roof junk now:

The rooftop gardens (pretty much a smoker's hangout):

This'll look really good once fully textured.

I also went through the model today and corrected a ton of stone panels that went off the real building's pattern somehow. That took forever!

There's still about 15 or so final modelling touches that I must get to, then it's texture time!

[Jasoncw 11,949]

The modeling is looking good.  Looking forward to seeing the texturing.

[Krio 626]

I agree with Jason. I also like how the AC-units are hidden inside, never seen that kind of "solution" before.