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There are a number of key words relating to the practice ofarchitectural modelmaking that are typically understood byeveryone but may be interpreted differently, giving rise toambiguity if not misunderstanding. In the interest of clarity, itis valuable to provide a definition of the more significant wordsand phrases used in this book. Perhaps most importantly, it isworth starting with

           We  described a vast spectrum of models,investigating what they may be made from, explainingwhy they may be produced and discussing how theyprovide different modes of inquiry in architecture. Theuse of models as a medium and mechanism throughwhich the development of architectural knowledge anddesign innovation can be produced remains paramountto the

             The main purpose of the explorative model is to discoverother realities by speculation. This speculative processinvolves systematically varying the parameters usedin the descriptive model in order to identify thosealternatives that are logically possible. In the contextof architecture, models produced as part of the design-development process can be considered explorativemodels.

           The purpose of the evaluative model is to explore ordescribe something such as properties or experiencesthat are not manifest in the model itself but are relatedto it. The evaluative model differs from predictive andexplorative types since with these last-mentioned it isthe model itself that attempts to assist the understandingof reality

  Descriptive models If we are to define the descriptive model in generalterms, then its purpose is to assist the understandingof reality by establishing the emergence of a particularphenomenon and describing relationships betweenrelevant factors. Put more succinctly, its primaryintention is explanatory. As has been mentioned earlier,any description of reality brings with it many issuesregarding accuracy. The

we have examinedthe nature of models and why they are such importantdesign and communication tools. We have also lookedat the various media from which models can currentlybe made and how these can be combined, whereappropriate, to provide different types of model. Clearly,models may be an integral part of a designer’s workingpractice – and yet they

Evaluation of material surfaces and other building elementsis not an activity exclusive to architects. The innovativemodelmaker may wish to explore properties of variouscomponents for consideration to be included as a feature in adesign, which may strengthen or relate to the original concept.In this example, an investigation into the suitability of a textured component for use as a cladding

          Detailed models are not only used in the field of interiordesign, but also as structural or technical models knownas ‘details’. In principle, these models can be made toa scale of up to 1:1, in which case it would probably bemore accurate to call them ‘protoypes’. In the modernistperiod, models were

Many firms outsource their presentation models to commercialmodelmaking firms, where versatility, experience and, inrecent times, modelmakers’ interpretation come to bear.Modelmaking for architects and designers has become anindustry in its own right, with the best firms offering high levelsof precision, craftsmanship and, especially, speed in order tomeet international deadlines. Modelmaker Richard Armigerobserves that ambitious presentation models

            Perhaps the most familiar type of architectural model,due to its frequency in the public eye, is the presentationor exhibition model that typically describes a wholebuilding or project design and signifies a point inthe design process at which the designer is ready tocommunicate the proposal to external audiences such asclients