I'm stuck!....Can someone please help me model a surface in Rhino?

[pcww]

Hey Everybody! hopefully this is posted in the right place....anyway I am looking for some guidance on how to model the roof of the "California Academy of Sciences" building in San Francisco, CA for an architectural representation class in my graduate architecture program. I have hit a wall in terms of finding the right tool to do the job and my professor's advice hasn't panned out very well.

 

My issue is with the curvature on the roof. I have tried multiple routes to achieve the desired results and I have been unsuccessful. I have tried surface drape, blend surface, point editing the surface and lofting with network of curves(included in my attached rhino file). I just can't seem to preserve the spherical shapes of the domes. Also a problem is how to set the skylights on the dome so they are normal to the surface. I have tried to project an array of shapes to the surface but the geometry has been warped due to the surface angle.

 

In any event, I am really looking for some guidance on the proper tools to use as this is a learning assignment. Any help or information will be greatly appreciated. -thanks ak

 

p.s. please let me know if I need to include any other details to assist.

 

rhino file

http://www.filefactory.com/file/b3g0b70/n/CAS_Model_Final.3dm

Edited October 18, 2010 by pcww

[Fran]

Is this a Rhino 5 file? If so, can you save a copy in Rhino 4 format? Also, the Rhino Newsgroup is a very good place to get advice - the gurus are all over there.

[pcww]

Sorry about that, it was saved in a 5.0 file. Thanks for taking the time to help!

 

link corrected