The predictive model, by its very nature, is used toforecast the future. Predictive models are based on theassumption that the situation is an established ratherthan an emergent one. In the case of an establishedsituation, the relevant environmental conditionsare given and predictable, whereas in an emergentsituation some of these conditions
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
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
Interior architecture or design is widely recognized as adiscipline in its own right, and there are many publishedprecedents and much information available on thesubject. Depending on the scale of the design proposal, itcan frequently be useful for architects to make modelsof interior space for both design development andcommunication purposes. Such
An important difference between a descriptivepresentation model and an explorative model is thatthe former seeks to provide a holistic view of thefinished project, whilst the latter may be produced toinvestigate particular components of the design. As theform of a new design emerges, a whole series of morespecialized building models may be constructed thatrespond to questions
The experimental nature of developing a design idea canlead to new avenues of exploration, which will often provideunforeseen and exciting results. Models can be a very usefulmedium through which to both generate and then furtherexplore ideas that may be subsequently applied across arange of scales. Considered as modes of inquiry, models acilitate the pursuit of novel ideas that
Design development or ‘process’ models are effectivelythree-dimensional sketches through which novel ideasare explored and tested but not necessarily concluded.The relationship between design development modelsand final presentation models is not always clear. Notall presentation models are the result of a sequence ofdesign development models; in some cases a presentationmodel is a design
This type of model is similar to the site and city modelsdescribed above, in so much as it provides a simplifiedcommunication of a design’s various components ratherthan detailed information. Depending on the extentof the design, the various components may representthe different spaces of a single building or a numberof
This type of model represents urban or naturalenvironments. Following on from the concept model,it is the first step in the actual representation processsince it shows the design’s relationship with the existingenvironment. In terms of urban space, it is important toshow how the context changes with the addition of anew structure.