Creative Co-Op – Shapespace Really Delivers on Architectural Floor Plans
March 1, 2010 – When we started planning the Creative Co-Op project, we knew we wanted a building that was unique in style yet structurally sound. Our plan has always been to use upcycled, recycled, and sustainable materials where possible. This made economic sense, but it also appealed to creative nature. Just go to a weekend crafts fair and you will be amazed how an artisan can take something destined for the junk yard and turn it into a work of art that is truly beautiful. So, before we got too deep into the project, I decided that we needed to have an architect involved from the conceptual stages through construction, completion and occupancy.
Not having used the services of an architect before, I was not sure what to do. I turned to my friend Professor Tom Diehl in the School of Architecture at the University of Houston to ask his advice. Tom knew about epic because in 2006, he had one of his upper level classes visit our studio, walk the property, and create concepts for the best ideas for developing the land. The results from his students were nothing short of spectacular. We used one of the concepts from a student to buy a used cargo container and convert it into a retail store.
Posted by Vic Cherubini on March 02, 2010
Lucas Wagner - 1993 epic intern - Fast Forward 17 years
February 2, 2010 – Anyone who has spent any time at epic can tell you we take internships seriously. We have worked with student interns from the inception of the company. At times we have had as many as eight interns doing everything from programming to 2D and 3D animation, and video production. I expect a lot from an intern, and most rise to the occasion and deliver. I first learned about the internet from an intern (he was using an early version at A&M University), and interns usually introduce me to cool things well before they become mainstream.
Sometimes when an internship is over, I wonder if the experience was a positive one, and if the student got anything out of it (besides course credit). So when an intern from the past sends me a note to let me know how they are doing, it really makes my day. Recently I got one such note from Lucas Wagner, who did his internship at epic in 1993! Luc was hardly a model intern. He had been transplanted from Ohio to Houston and uprooting a high school student can be tough on them (and all those around them).
Posted by Vic Cherubini on February 03, 2010
Topographic Survey for epic New Building Completed
January 29, 2010 - In order for our engineer to properly design the foundation for our new studio building, he asked that we provide him with a topographic survey. A topographical (or topo) survey is the tool engineers use to design and manage drainage. Surveying is done by gathering information through observations, measurements in the field, and research on surveys on file from nearby properties. The topo survey measures the elevation of points of the land, and presents them as contour lines on a plot. The topo survey would also help us to accurately establish boundaries and the elevations of the property.
Posted by Vic Cherubini on January 30, 2010
The Unplanned Photo Shoot - Rectorseal Product Saves the Day
January 10, 2010 - Over the past two days, Houston has been experiencing a cold snap that has plunged temperatures into the low twenties. My blood must have thinned out over the years because twenty degrees here feels far colder than the same temperature up North. I learned to take the cold seriously after a pipe burst in our kitchen wall in 1999, causing several thousand dollars in damages. So, as we watched the cold front move Southward on the TV weather map, we insulated the pipes on the outside of the house and relocated some potted plants indoors.
By Sunday afternoon I thought the worst was over. It wasn't. When I returned home at 3:00, I found water bubbling down the exterior wall of our home. I shut the water off and went inside, where I found the laundry room and my study flooded. Over the next two hours we moved everything outside to dry, and mopped up most of the water. A couple of small circulating fans did most of the drying.
Posted by Vic Cherubini on January 12, 2010
A Photographer’s Photographer – Ted Washington
December 22, 2009 – Earlier this month we got a call from an international oil field services company asking us to bid on a virtual photographic tour of their new offshore workboat. This is no ordinary ship. It is the world’s largest coiled tubing vessel, and is truly spectacular in both the size and the technology it employs to service deepwater oil wells. The virtual tour sample they sent us showed a traditional 360 degree panoramic photography, best known as a “QuickTime VR Tour”.
These panoramic tours have been typically used by real estate agents to provide prospective homeowners with a better understanding of a property. I have never been a big fan of this type of photography, because the quality of the images are usually poor, and it seems more of a gimmick than a truly immersive experience. Some tours may require a plug-in be downloaded, which can reduce the size of the viewing audience as many people just won't (or can't due to company policies) do it. I decided to use this bid opportunity to see if anything new was happening with panoramic photography. I was blown away by what I found.
