Perhaps the most established material used for makingarchitectural models is wood, as it has prevailed forover 500 years. Unlike paper and cardboard, workingwith wood is typically more labour-intensive but theinvestment of additional time, effort and cost is oftenrewarded with the impressive results. Since different typesof wood each have their own natural
This sequence by UNStudio, made for the Mercedes-BenzMuseum, Stuttgart, typifies the explorative approach, andclearly illustrates the design process and development. The design demonstrates a synthesis of programmaticand structural organizations, with the building’s geometryof three overlapping circles becoming a sophisticatedspatial experience. The development of the
The making of architectural models is often seenas a highly skilled craft preoccupied with accuracy, andwhilst this may be relevant to presentation models it doesnot automatically result in a good model. It is eminentlypossible to make creative and provocative models withoutlaborious and time-consuming techniques, and a widerange
The selection of the materials to be used to make amodel depends on its purpose, the stage of the designprocess and how quickly it needs to be constructed. Inorder to determine which materials are appropriate, it isimportant, as described above, to think about the levelof abstraction and the scale required. If a model is to
All models, by the very nature of their existence, displaya degree of abstraction, as there would be very little point to a model if it represented reality in every aspect. Most importantly, this level of abstraction should be consistentas it would not make sense to model a building’s contextaccurately and
These basic and affordable tools will serve themodelmaker time and time again although more specificmachinery and tools may be required to enable a widervariety for materials to be handled effectively. Indeed,the majority of professional architectural modelmakershave the same workshop tools as carpenters including:handsaws, files, planes, chisels
architectural model making now Why use physical models to describe and explore the qualities of architecture? This question seems even more pertinent given the significant rise of computers engaged in the architectural design process. The most obvious answer lies, of course, in the actual tangibility of such models that, unlike their cropped and flat counterparts,
From this point on, the scale model was re-established as a vital design tool for architecture. The design-development model was to have an important role in the conception and refinement of countless built and unbuilt projects of the Modernist era. For example, there was Gerrit Rietveld’s attempt to give architectural form to the ideas about
During this period, the proliferation and status of the architectural scale model grew significantly. It not only complemented drawings, but also frequently became the primary method for the communication of design ideas in architecture. In particular, specialized models were made as part of the design process for major building commissions. Two such important examples were
Why we make models? The representation of creative ideas is of primary importance within any design-based discipline, and is particularly relevant in architecture where we often do not get to see the finished results, i.e. the building, until the very end of the design process. Initial concepts are developed through a process that enables the