In The Nature of Making: An Architectural Model

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Making an architectural model is difficult. It’s also not cheap and requires a significant amount of time. Our current professor is the king of models. Before we had him, you could tell which and where his studio was in the building based on the large cardboard models his students were doing. I did not envy them, working with those monolithic objects with hardly any room. We are now in the same position. Old models and cardboard scraps stashed in any space possible harass David, the cleaning guy, as he attempts to clean the floor.

Why models?

Models help you visualize space in the third dimension, compared to sketches or drawings where everything exists in two dimensions. Models require a combination of materials to produce a volume or structure. If something doesn’t work in a model, it most likely would not work in the physical world. Conversely, if you can do something in a model, you could do it in real life. It may not be practical, or it may be really expensive to do it, but it should be possible. At least, that’s what one of my professor’s said while paraphrasing a quote from a famous architect.

Since the beginning of the semester, we’ve been making models. We made the first few models out of cardboard and considered them sketch models.. Sketch modes are quick idea generators that aren’t meant to be neat. Measuring and cutting are imprecise and is preferred over glue. The purpose is to act, rather than think and to let the model, or the actions of creating the model, generate ideas. He strongly advised against using a sketchbook, or sketching ideas out and then transferring them to the model. It was a different approach than what we were used to, and some struggled with it. However, I personally embraced it as a new process.. I found it extremely refreshing and freeing because last semester; I did almost all of my work on the computer.

Making a good model is difficult. To make things fit together later, you must think ahead, plan, and make appropriate cuts and placement. Despite repeated measurements and alignments, it never fits perfectly when you install it.. At least for me, it is. Maybe I’m just not good at measuring and making models. One thing for sure is I wouldn’t be able to make the model without my friends and classmates around me. I often ask for their opinions, borrow equipment, and learn from their techniques.. Lastly, making a model is expensive. The wood we need is not cheap, nor are the other materials. Below are my current costs for this model:

$45 Hobby Lobby: 

2 – 3/32 x 8 x 24 basswood

Modeling tweezers

Sand paper cube 

3D print clippers

Glue

$35 DickBlick: 

10 sheets chipboard

$82 DickBlick:

 10- 3/32 x 8 x 24 basswood sheets

$7.92 Ace Hardware:

 8 balsa sticks various sizes 

$35 DickBlick: 

1/16 & 1/32 balsa sticks 

Glue 

$25 School print lab:

3D printed parts of building 

$10.5 New River Art and Fiber 

2- 5/16 basswood sheets

$8.83 Hobby Lobby 

Floral bundle for fake trees 

Total: $241.33

It’s currently not finished. I’m in the process of putting it together. Next week on May 2nd at the end of class it is due. Hopefully, I will be finished with it by then.

update 5/15: I finished and presented it on May 3rd.