Prewriting: Listing Choose the right material

Makes it easier to build Use a few different types of materials

Model-making equipments Solid board. Add cutting mat - would not damage the texture of the table Scissors for cutting Knife with retractable blade. A light hobby knife - exacto, scalpel or similar A steel straight-edge to guide the blade Builder’s glove

Survey the building, check measurements Transfer all measurement to the cardboard The base - paint or draw. Mark out the boundaries, position of trees and

buildings. Able to get information from OS map of the area

Cardboard or cork - built up in layers to show different levels. Clay or plasticine - easy to for hilly or slopy site Colours and texture - works the same way in drawing.

No point of showing effect - “tyrolean” plaster Use some materials for important features - shiny wall Use knife to score out effect of the joints of brickwork or stonework

Process of Model Making

Model making is a must for every architectural students. Scale models are

still the most effective and instant way of communicating an idea or concept, in

spite of the advances of the computer softwares of three dimensional modeling

such as AutoCad or SketchUp. The most basic steps to model making are

choosing the right materials and equipments, transferring the measurements and

scale to your model and the colour and texture in the models.

First of all, choosing the right materials and equipments before starting the

your model-making is very important. You can just use a few materials for your

modeling, otherwise mixing too much different materials will cause the model to

look tacky and unconvincing. For example ,chipboard, plywood and MDF would

make a rigid base for your base. The bigger the base is, the harder the board

should be. That way it will not bend easily. All of these materials are available in

most DIY shops and builders’ suppliers. For model-making equipments, it

depends on what materials you are using for your model. A light hobby knife is

used for cutting paper, plasticine, balsa wood, light cardboard and et cetera.

Moving on with the steps of the model-making, you are to transfer every

scale and measurements to your model. But before that, you must survey your

building, street or other site and check that all the measurements are accurately

made for the final drawings. Later, you scale your drawings for the purpose of

your model by using ratio calculation, something like 1:100 in centimeters. After

transferring every measurement and scale to your model, you can start making

your model. For the base, if it is flat, you can just draw or paint the roads,

pathways, grass and some other more flat surface features onto your board that

your using for the base. Mark out all the boundaries and position of your building,

trees, hills and other objects you want to place in your model. From model-

making guidelines, you may be able to get a lot of this information from an

Ordnance Survey (OS) map of the area. To show the changes in level of roads or

pathways in your model, you use cardboard or cork tiles. The number of layers

depends on how thick the cardboard or cork is, the height you are trying to

represent and the scale of your model. If you have hills or slopes in your model,

you can use clay or plasticine. They are the easiest materials to use to make

these feature. Model-making guidelines says, “The contour lines on an OS map

can be used to establish heights. To mark the position of buildings and other

objects, tap some pins or nails lightly into the board and build up the clay or

plasticine around them. When the base is finished, remove the pins and put

buildings, trees etc. into position. On any model, always leave a flat area,

corresponding to the ground floor plan of the building, to place the building on.”

Following the steps from model-making guidelines would lead you to the right

track of making your model.

Last but not least, you need colours and textures for your model or else it will

look plain. It works in the same way as in drawings. When you make your model,

it is as if you are looking at it from a distance which this distance has an effect on

colours and textures. According to the model-making guidelines, colours are

more subdued than they are in real life and textures may be hardly visible at all.

There is hardly any point to show the effect of very detailed texture. If your model

is to have a shiny surface, and you think it is an important feature, you can use

another material to represent it. And to show the joints of brickwork or stonework,

you can carve it with a knife to give a more realistic effect.

As for the conclusion, model-making not just only requires passion and

stunning ideas, it also requires a lot of precision and perfection to create an

outstanding model. That is why every model-maker needs to follow the most

basic steps of model-making such as choosing the right materials and

equipments, transferring measurements and scales to the model and colours and

texture for the model.

Reference

Day, K. (2010, June 14). Basic Architectural Model Making For Students.

Retrieved September 22, 2013 from

http://arch.uofk.edu/eng/site/model_making.pdf

Model-Making Guidelines. Retrieved September 22, 2013 from http://www.riai.ie/downloads/education/pdf/ss_guidelines/model_making_guidelines.pdf