When developer Tishman Speyer wanted to tell the story of urban development in SoMa, Autodesk and Steelblue responded by collaborating to create the largest-ever 3D printed model of San Francisco. The model covers a 115-block area of the city that includes AT&T Park, the Ferry Building and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It was based on data from Steelblue's digital version of the city and printed at Autodesk's 3D printing wonderland at Pier 9. The model offers a sneak peek of San Francisco circa 2017 because it includes several buildings that are currently under construction like the Transbay Tower. The project took about two months to complete and can be kept up to date by swapping in new buildings or even entire city blocks as neighborhoods develop. There's a video about the making of the model, which will be kept at Tishman Speyer while a duplicate print will go on display and be open to the public at the Autodesk Gallery. It was such a success that 3D prints of other cities are now in the works. The models are used to help with urban planning and building construction decisions.
Largest-Ever 3D-Printed Scale Model of San Francisco Unveiled
By Tracy Elsen