Archetype 3D Ten Questions When Building a Scale Model

7/31/2019 Archetype 3D Ten Questions When Building a Scale Model

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10 QuestionsWhen considering a Scale Model

Archetype 3D1020 Carbon Court | Erie CO 80516 | Phone: 303.449.0878 | Fax: 303.449.7646

Copyright 2010 All rights reserved.


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elcome to Archetype 3D, My

name is Craig Martin

I have been creating and

building models for over 30

years and have seen our

industry through severalrevolutions - from the advent of

AutoCAD to the latest 3D

printing craze. The aspect of

this work which never changes

and that I enjoy the most is the

problem solving. These days

although I make suggestions

and generally make a nuisance

of myself in the model shop. I

have to leave most of the model

building to the creative and

more experienced CAD jockeys

in the shop. My focus is now

about interfacing with you, the

client, to make sure I

understand your needs so we

can build the right model to sell

your development to the right

audience. As part of that

interface, my job is to establishopen communications with you

since no model can be built

successfully without good

information from our clients.

Over the years the same

questions arise on just about

every project. This booklet will go

over each of these essential

questions and why they are so

important. I will also provide

some information about the

model building process to help

answer many of your questions

as well. If you don't read all of

this - don't worry - I will still do

my job and ask you all of these

questions anyway. Every

successful model is created as

a partnership between theclient, designer and the model

maker. I hope to partner with

you soon.

10 key questions for a scale model project



W


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Models are still the most

powerful sales tool available. They

interact with the human mind in

a way that no other medium can

replicate. Your project becomes

interesting and exciting just by

having an intriguing, smaller

version of it available. I am not

downplaying computer

renderings and animations.

These are important marketing

tools that can be sent far and

wide in an instant. The model

requires space and an audience

which must be in the same room

to get the full visceral effect. Your

model might be viewed in a

showroom or appropriately sized

to take to meetings and events.In this world of email and twitter,

the model becomes a more

personal and interactive sales

tool. It immediately demonstrates

a commitment to the project and

the professionalism of your

company. If you want to connect

personally with your clients there

is no better tool to clearlydemonstrate your project, than a

physical model.

This is the first question I ask

when I get a call about a new job.

Knowing the use of the modelhelps me visualize the final

product while we are discussing

the details. I wish that I could

build nothing but full detailed

models that show every element

of a project because we so enjoy

the look of these finished models.

The reality is that many projects

will get the needed points across

with much simpler forms, without

every detail realized, and at a

much lower cost. In order to

determine the amount of detail I

need to know who the audience is

and what they are looking for.

The Value of a Model

Question 1.

What is your

model going to be

used for?




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Mass Models

One great example of the use

of a mass model is for a

design review board meeting.

Perhaps all they are

interested in the relative

heights of the surrounding

structures. This is something

that is very hard to

convincingly convey in an

animation or rendering. A

model showing nothing but

the building masses will

instantly demonstrate theissues and allow the right

questions to be asked. Mass

models are also used for internal

design reviews and study. Going

over a project with a client

during the design process can

be challenging if your client has

trouble visualizing based on

drawings. A quick and relativelyinexpensive model can save

valuable time and instantly

resolve any elements that are in

question.

It is a completely different story

when bringing a model before

the public. When you have a

audience that is looking buy it is

good to show every element that

can help sell your concept. At

that point a DETAILED MODEL is

what you may need.

Detailed Models

The public can be very literal.

When they see a model the

brain sometimes translates it

into a very small reality. Any

questionable elements become

issues. A great example was a

model we built of a church for

fundraising. The architect

who liked seeing (and

understood) graphic

features asked us to leave

the topography as stepped

elements rather than

sanding them smooth. The

comments they got back from

the parishioners included "Why

are they going to terrace our

lawn, we are not putting in rice

patties". A detailed or "realistic"

model shows every design

element and color in an accurate

fashion. When selling to the

public, you can never know what

elements will close the deal.

Perhaps it is the location of the

swimming pool or the view from

the balcony or access to retail

space. Including all of the

important marketing highlights

on the model is essential to

successful sales.




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There is room in-between these

two extremes. With careful

planning we can work with you to

create what we call a Semi-

Detailed model.

Semi-Detailed Models

Often the best sales tool in

desired but the budget just isn't

there to afford that kind of work. I

often bid a project as a full

detailed model only to find out

that we need to make

compromises in order to hit the

numbers. Your model maker can

guide you to areas that can be

simplified without completely

losing the character of themodel. Perhaps instead of clear

reflective windows we make

them from a grey opaque

material saving us a layer of

information. Perhaps the

textures of the brick or siding is

not as critical as the color,

eliminating another layer and

saving us more time in

construction. All of these choices

have to be carefully selected and

written out specifically in the bid

so that everyone is on the same

page and understands what thefinished product will look like.

Don't worry about the scale of

the model at this point, just think

about the size. Points to consider

when picking a size include:

Where is the model going to

live? Will it be in the same place

for the entire sales cycle or will it

be moved? Will your audience

come to the model or do you

have to bring the model to a

trade show or board room for

the presentations?

Answering these questions willhelp to put an overall size on the

physical model and also

determine the type of case

needed for shipping and

presentations.

Some models, like this one that

we did for the Presidio in San

Francisco, needed to be large for

a showroom but sections of the

development also needed to be

taken to individual meetings. The

solution was a four part model

with each section shipped in easy

Question 2.

What size will

your model be?




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to handle, rolling cases that are

light enough to be taken to

meetings. After the meeting the

section could be reassembled

and locked together. If the

model is being displayed in a

showroom or trade show, a

heavy wooden case with pallet

skids is more appropriate for

safe travel. We have also built

models that fit in a small

suitcase sized case to be

carried onto an airplane for safe

travel around the country.

The next question I ask before I

come up with a scale is "How

much area is the model going to

represent?" Most developers

think in terms of acres of land,

but your model maker has to

think in terms of feet and

inches. Luckily there is now

an easy translator called

Google Earth that I use all

the time to calculate the

size of the model. Most

models are rectangular in

shape and there are good

reasons to build them that

way: The frames and stands are

simpler to build, dust covers are

cheaper to make, and they fit

into most rooms more

comfortably. Unfortunately mostproperties take on very unusual

shapes so figuring out

the size of the model

becomes more

difficult.

The first step is to set

the boundary of the

model including theproperty and some

portion of other sales

elements that

surround the property

such as open space,

golf course, recreation

area, etc. Your sales

people are the experts

on the property and

should be consulted so

that the model includes

any areas that they can

use for sales. It is unlikely

that the line you have just

drawn forms anything close to a

rectangle. Since your model will

most likely have square corners,

now is the time to draw a

rectangle that encompasses the

property line you just drew. This

rectangle now represents the

outside line of your model. I can

now measure the number of

feet side to side and top to

bottom of this rectangle and

since I know the size and detail

of the model that you want, I can

now come up with the perfectscale for this project.

Question 3.

What is the model

area?




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We now know the area of your

model and size that you want it

to be. The scale is now easily

calculated. Below I have given

a guide of typical scales and

the types of sales models that

are best shown in each. If you

are selling interiors, you are

going to need a larger scaled

model to show the details.

Master plan models can be

built in smaller scales to show

more property in a smaller

size.

Different scales are use to sell

different aspects of your

development. A master plan

can be in a small scale like

1"=100' to sell properties and

community. An individual

building in 1"=8' scale is used

to sell the style of the projectand individual units. below are

examples of projects built in a

number of scales to give you a

reference guide to your

project.

Question 4.

What scale is

best for yourmodel?



1" = 4' scale or larger

(This model is about 4' x 2' in size)1" = 8' scale

( this model is about 4' x 5' in size)

1" = 16' scale

(This model is about 5' x 5' in size) 1" = 20'

(This model is about 4' x 4')

1" = 30'


1" = 50'



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Used to show individual units,

interior detail or detailed

sections of a building. We build

whole buildings in 1" = 4' scale

but the size is large and they

are usually built for a

showroom setting.

This is the most popular scale

for exterior detailed

architectural models. It is easy

to see most textures and

other subtle details in this

scale. Colorful people and cars

are available from the hobby

industry and most of the

models are a good size for

showroom display.

If you still want good detailed

exteriors but you have a largersite with multiple buildings. 1"

= 16' scale might work well for

your project. Another reason

this is a commonly used scale

is again the hobby industry has

ready made cars and people

that can populate the model.

If your focus is on the

immediate site surrounding

your larger development.

1"=20' may be the best scale.

We can still show textures on

the buildings but they are

getting smaller and less easy

to notice. This scale is still

good for colorful (though

small) people and cars.

Typically, the focus is more on

the site and a little less on the

buildings in this scale. 1" =

30' is too small to show

people so cars are the only

items used to give a sense of

activity. Landscaping and

water features are often asmuch of a focus as buildings in

this scale.

Building are often shown as

mass models when they get

this small but as you can see in

the image windows, doors and

colors still show up well. 3D

Landscaping is more limited,

mostly trees, grasses and

forests although we use a lot

of colors to represent different

ecological zones.

These scales are good for

showing a larger master plan

designs. Building again are

usually (but not always) shown

as mass models. This has

been a good scale to show

entire golf course layouts,complex highway interchanges,

and phases of master plan

developments.



1" = 100'


1' = 500' and smaller


In this world of email and

twitter, the model becomes

a more personal and

interactive sales tool. It

immediately demonstrates acommitment to the project

and the professionalism of

your company.


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These scales are mostly used

to show detailed topography

over a large area of land.

Building can still be seen but

they are little more than

extruded footprints. We have

used much smaller scale on

models done for the National

Park Service of Yellowstone

and the Grand Tetons these

are done with some vertical

exaggeration.

I hope these samples give youa better understanding of the

many scales and their uses.

You see how important the

correct scale is to the success

of your marketing efforts.

The answer to a very common

question is NO, you do not have

to have completed drawings in

order for us to bid your

project. In fact it is always best

to get your model maker

involved as early as possible,

even in the initial drawing

phase of the design. With early

involvement you can get cost

estimates to put into you

budget and be able to schedule

the entire project with

completion dates for the plans

and the model. A model shop

can only take on a limited

number of projects at a time. It

is always helpful to secure a

timeframe for your work so

that there are no delays in

delivery. A shop with a lot of

experience has most likely

already built similar projects to

the one you are proposing.

Cost estimates are often

based on extensive past

experiences.

When plans are complete, it is

best to treat your model

maker as a machine. We take

plans very literally and try notto deviate at all from what we

see. The designer is the artist

and our job as craftsmen is to

fully realize the designers

vision. If we can see it in the

drawings we can build it.

Conversely, if the building has

an area that the drawings do

not show clearly and we guess,we are usually wrong. There

are always a few clarifications

needed between the designer



Question 5.

What plans are

available for thismodel?


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and Elmer's glue

because these materials

are easy to use at a desk

or work table. It is not

surprising then that

some clients think these

materials would be

easier to use in a

professional model shop.

In fact just the opposite

is true. Because we are

using laser cutters and

3D printers as part of

our tool box it is mucheaser, cleaner and

stronger for us to use

plastics to build our

models. Clients have

requested wood models which

is fine if that is the style that is

needed. Unfortunately, it will

probably be more expensive to

build a model from wood thanfrom plastic. There are many

different types of plastic that

we use and each has it's own

qualities and characteristics.

We chose the right

material depending

on the textures and

finish that your model

requires.

Topography

Again the studio materials for

creating topography are

typically cork or ragboard

sheets cut to size and layeredup to create the terrain. In the

professional world, we mill the

topography out of a solid block

of urethane foam. The end

result is a much cleaner,

easier to use and more

versatile topography. Urethane

is an easily sculpted material

that holds it shape very well.

Stepped topos are crisp and

accurate but they can also be

sanded smooth for a more

naturalistic finish. The material

is easily painted and roads and

parking can be set into the

urethane surface. In the lighter

weight foams, landscaping

trees can be set into the foamand glued without drilling.

3D Printing

3D printing is the answer to

some of our prayers (but not

all). There is no doubt that this

technology is great and speeds

up many aspects of model

building. Like all tools it has its

uses and its drawbacks. I am

not going to use this space to

go over the many types of

printers now on the market

and the pro's and cons of

each. In general terms, this is

what you should know. A

printer can only print from a

3D file that is created as asolid with all of its planes

connected and closed. The file

will ultimately be converted to




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a .STL for printing. A lot of time

can be spent correcting and

cleaning up files. Occasionally it

is quicker and cheaper to build

the part using other methods

than spending the time to

correct the file. There are size

limitation to each 3D printer

and the costs go up with the

amount of volume used. This is

why 3D printing of entire

buildings is often reserved for

smaller scale models. Painting

is a challenge with complex 3D

prints. There are some

machines that actually print in

color but that technology is still

being developed. Right now I

am not a fan of the results

from color 3D printers.

Painting complex buildings by

hand is not the cleanest way to

get a good finish on your

model. Again, other methods

like cutting layers on the laser

for paint and then assembly

will produce a better final

product. Don't get me wrong,

we use our 3D printer all the

time. Any complex part or

unusual shape that would be

difficult to build by other

methods goes right to the 3D

printer. Each project should

be evaluated by your model

maker as to the best

approach. Do not assume

that 3D printing is alwaysthe best way to go.

Colors and Finishes

There is only one way to get

accurate colors onto your

model. We work from your

color chips and we

professionally mix each color

for your approval before

painting the whole model. How

your model is painted and

finished is critical to look that

you will be presenting to your

audience. We cannot accept

any electronic versions of

sample colors becausecomputer screens and

printers can change the look of

a color almost randomly. We

insist on physical color chips,

material samples, or color

numbers that we can get

physical samples for. In return

we will create a physical

sample board to mail to youroffice for final approvals. You

will see your models character

before it is built.




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We add lighting to many of our

models but that is only one way

to enhance your clients

experience. We have alsocreated motorized

components and sound effects

along with interactive touch

screens. These special effects

add a completely new

dimension to your presentation

that your development may

well benefit from. When we

built the interior of a

McDonalds play area the

colors and shapes were

wonderful but the effect was

not complete until we made

the gears and fans spin, the

bubbler game actually work

and we created a working

pachinko machine which

dropped hundreds of balls to

clatter to the bottom. Another

great example of an interactive

model was done for the

visitors bureau at

Lake Tahoe. Two

touch screen

computers

activated dozens ofLED lights on the

model. The screens

gave specific

information on

hotels,

casinos,

golf

courses,

museums

and other

points of

interest.

The model showed the exact

locations and distances for

each. One of our coolest

lighting displays that we built,

was for a residential tower in

which the sales person could

shine a laser into a unit which

would then light up. At the

same time the big screen

behind the model showed the

floor plan, price point and the

precise view from out of the

windows. Programming

interactive features has gotteneasier recently and are now

only limited by the imagination.

The cost / benefit from

interactive features is also

easy to calculate. Do you need

a sales person to talk to every

visitor in your office? The

model can act as a self guidedtour freeing up your staff to

talk to the buyers with the

most potential for closing. Get

your important information

across in an entertaining way

and your model will pay for

itself more quickly.



Question 7.

What special

effects will

enhance your

model?


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This is often the first question

I am asked even before I see

any plans. My psychic ability

being what it is, invariably

when I answer this question, I

am wrong. I am also asked if I

bid models by the square foot

-- NO.

Models are bid according to

the time it takes to build them.

A large but structurally simple

office building is a lot easerand cheaper to build than a

small but complex single

family home. Many of the

answers to the questions

above will also affect the cost.

I give out estimates over the

phone all the time but they

are not very accurate. Once

we see your sketches through

we can narrow down the

costs much more accurately

based on our many years of

experience building similar

models. Hopefully after

reading though this you will be

prepared to know what size,

scale and detail your model

will require. With this

information along with your

drawings I can get an

estimate to you right awayand a firm fixed price within a

short time. In the meantime,

here are some general prices

based on our years of

experience. Mass models of a

building or multiple buildings

with topography, roads and

landscaping can run about

three thousand to eight

thousand dollars. A single

building in 1/8" scale with full

detail, landscaping and site

work can run from fifteen

thousand to twenty five

thousand dollars. Understand

that our pricing is based on

the time it takes to build and

assemble all the layers of

detail that your project

requires. If you have a budgetestablished, I will tell you

exactly what we can and

cannot do for the money

available.



Question 8.

What will your

model cost?

Archetype 3D is capable of

building a 3D architecturalscale model of any type and

size for architectural or

engineering projects.


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How is your spectacular

model going to be displayed?

The stand is an integral part

of the model presentation. It

can tie together the style ofthe model with the show room

design. There are several

consideration that go into

constructing a stand.

If you are building a showroom

and working with a designer

and carpenter to get it looking

great, feel free to have them

build the stand for the model.

They can match the wood and

finish exactly but I may need

special considerations from

this team. If I am not building

the stand I must work closely

with those that are. The

model has to fit comfortably

but not so tight that you can't

get it out. If we are doing any

lighting or electronics, easy

access is needed for

maintenance. Your stand

maker is now part of the

team and good

communication is

paramount.

I recommend dust covers

on ninety percent of the

models we build. Unless

planned for, most models

do not hold up well with

people constantly touching

them. Vandalism is also a

problem since cars and

trees look so cute on amodel some people can't

resist taking a small

souvenir. Under a cover, we

have models that have been

on continuous display for

over twenty years. Other

models are built to be

touched and they can hold

up well but have to be builtmore durably.

The crate your model goes

into can also be an important

element to your presentation.

If the model is for a showroom

or a trade show, the crate is

simple, strong and heavy.

Many models though have to

taken to their audience and

the crate needs to look more

elegant to reflect what is

inside. We have built custom

wood crates with a nice stain

finish, handles for easy

carrying, and casters if they

are a little heavy. I have also

made "roady" style cases and

"suitcase" models to be taken

on a airplane. Answering

question one "What is yourmodel going to be used for"

will go a long way to

determine the best crate for

project.



Question 9.

What other

display elementsare needed. Stand,

cover, case.


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Dear Clients,

I respect you all and I

understand how much you

mean to the success of my

business. If I had one tiny

request, a small favor just

between you and me, I would

ask that you stop deceiving

me about your due dates. I

understand your motivation as

I am sure that you have been

burned by other vendors who

have made promises and not

delivered. Please remember

that unlike many other

vendors, I am your partner in

this particular venture and

accurate information is

valuable to me and to the

success of our project

together. One thing that I can

promise in return is to giveyou good information on the

progress of your display. I will

post images when

appropriate for all your team

members to review. You will

always be welcome at the

shop for visits and

inspections. If there is a

problem that arises, I promise

that you will be the first to

know so that we can work

together toward a solution. I

promise all of these things in

return for an honest

assessment of when you need

your model.

Thank you.


Question 10.

When is yourmodel neded?

Archetype 3D Ten Questions When Building a Scale Model

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