20,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Crowood
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
Model making is a beautiful and skilful craft, and architectural model making is a vital part of the building process. The architectural model is often the first time that a building is visualized in 3D. It can capture the excitement of the architect's vision but can also reveal unforeseen difficulties. Model Making for Architects explains the role of the model within the architectural and planning process. It advises on the many ways of representing a building and the many techniques of making a model. With practical instruction throughout, it is an invaluable tool both for the model maker and for the architect seeking to commission a model of their building. With contributions from leading practictioners, case studies on multi-million pound projects and step-by-step exercises, this new book provides a unique insight into the process of architectural model making, and looks at the new technology and opportunities available to the model maker. What and who is an architectural model for? What type of model should be used, and when? What scale is most appropriate? These questions are answered in this new book which provides a unique insight into the process of architectural model making. Illustrated with examples of top models of multi-million pound projects. Will be invaluable for architectural model makers, architects, surveyors and interior designers. Superbly illustrated with 227 colour photographs. Matt Driscoll is the founding director of Base Models, reknowned for creating beautiful, yet practical architectural models.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Seitenzahl: 239
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013
Ähnliche
Copyright
First published in 2013 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR
www.crowood.com
This e-book first published in 2013
© Matthew Driscoll 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84797 623 9
Frontispiece: Architect’s model in sprayed acrylic (Photo: Andrew Putler)
Dedication To Emily, for making it possible.
Acknowledgements The author wishes to acknowledge the help and support of all the people who have helped in the making of this book. With particular thanks going to the following people and businesses, without whose time and effort this book would not have been possible: Emily Palmer, who tirelessly interpreted my scrawling into legible English, worked on every facet of the book and finally cajoled me into getting the book finished; Sam Morgan in particular for being the book’s hand model, as well as providing insights into his day job as a model maker; Mark Luggie, for his support and insights into model making and the technologies that lead the industry; Phil Wykes for a wealth of information regarding to the in-house model making industry; Sion Driscoll for all of his advice and help with the production of the book cover and book imagery as well as all answering technical questions with regards to computers; and Fosters and Partners for supplying and allowing me to photographs of their models.
CONTENTS
A model that makes sense of a complex building layout, with the atrium, walkways and the building’s internal elevations modelled. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
INTRODUCTION
The skills needed to become a model maker are gained over many years and this book brings together an overview of this knowledge across all stages of commissioning and producing an architectural model. This is a guide to building an understanding of the principles, tools, techniques, terms and uses of different types of models and their purposes. It also offers a solid basis from which to decide the purpose of a model and the practical steps which bring a successful outcome, leading to a better understanding of how to approach the designing and commissioning of a model with reference to materiality, colour and finish.
Architectural model making at its most pragmatic is the representation of two-dimensional drawings or plans in three-dimensional form. It is important to understand what an architectural model can do for the design process and most importantly what is to be resolved through the production of a model. Understanding what the model is for is always going to be the key to a positive outcome.
In all aspects of the design world and throughout the history of the twentieth century, from the fathers of modern architecture to some of the most renowned architects working today, the architectural model has played a crucial and relevant role as a visible, integral part of the design process.
Two requirements have to be addressed for a truly successful model: firstly there is a functional need for a scaled representation of a planned building; secondly, there is what we can call the ‘obscure need’ – this can manifest itself as a visual, cerebral and emotional stimulant. In other words, the aim is to provide a functional model which may also highlight a specific area to draw the eye, and/or to create a talking point beyond the immediate functionality of the design. This is especially important when a model is being constructed for a competition where it is required to engage and involve its audience beyond a literal representation of an architect’s design; the model gains a value all of its own to express the design in its best light as an almost utopian ideal, which even the finished building may not be able to realize.
‘Models should not express the hand of the producer but the spirit of the inventor.’
Leon Battista Alberti, De Re Aedificatoria, c. 1450.
‘Tests on a model … showed me the way.’
Mies van de Rohe’s conclusion with regard to the practicalities of overcoming structural challenges in his design for a ‘glass skyscraper’.
‘You start by sketching, then you do a drawing, then you make a model, and then you go to reality – you go to site – and then you go back to drawing. You build up a kind of circularity between drawing and making and then back again.’
Renzo Piano, quoted in Edward Robbins, Why Architects Draw, 1994.
‘I love models … they’re perfect worlds, they’re perfect imaginings and they are a world where everybody is always happy and there is no weather!’
Kevin McCloud in Channel 4’s Grand Designs, 2011.
Anshen + Allen architects’ Karolinska competition model (scale 1:200). (Photo: Chris Edgecombe)
When considering the scope for creating a model there are many choices to make, ranging from a simplistic model that explores shape and form, to a detailed model that explains exactly how a building is to be constructed. From the starting point it can be possible, with the use of scale, to understand how the building is likely to look and whether it works in situ. This can be through the production of tens of drawings or just one model. Most commonly, architects themselves are unlikely to produce an architectural model because it would fall under the specialism of an architectural model maker.
This is where the division from study model into the specialism of a professional model maker may be rationalized: basic models of card or foam may be undertaken as study or sketch models by an architect, but for more complicated, developed models the skills and experience needed to produce a model to impress a client, placate a planner or engage the public will involve a team of professional model makers or company to undertake the work. The job title of ‘model maker’ may be defined as creatively working to a set of plans within a fixed timescale while working to a brief given at the start of a project. Obviously the nuances that are involved in the development of a design during the model build, due to the nature of a model’s construction, are far more complicated. It is this level of expertise that has given birth to an industry all of its own, which can be as richly creative as an architect’s studio – arguably a creative environment for an architect to ‘play’ within. The model, then, offers the architect an opportunity to experiment and engage in a discussion with a physical ‘object’, so he or she can visualize, then create, the final structure in the real world.
Denys Lasdun (standing) and Philip Wood (centre) with their team in the studio. The architects sit proudly in front of evidence of the design development process.
It is often during a visit to the model makers that an architect will see their design in three-dimensional terms for the first time and this is the first step towards getting their scheme constructed. The physical act of getting a model constructed can breathe confidence and life into a design, without which the model might never get past the drawing stage. It is at this model stage that the architect can be parent to their design, physically standing over the model, deciding what’s best for its future, discussing potential and considering the beauty of their creation. Flowery language indeed – but in the safe environment of the model there can be a free exchange of ideas and interpretations that aid development of the overall design. The model is often the first time that the design can really be challenged pragmatically. The model then plays its role within the design development, which a building should go through to be built.
A history of the model
The modern understanding of the word ‘model’ derives from the French modèle and Italian modello – initially from the Latin word modulus, meaning ‘a small measure’. The relationship between building design and model making has roots going back almost as far as people building structures. The first model makers were architects themselves, when the ability to see in three-dimensional terms at the design stage helped them to understand materials and their uses to a far greater degree. The more complicated and ambitious the designs became, the greater the need to understand how the materials – timber, stone and eventually metal and glass – could evolve into the envisioned design.
The first architects were masons and carpenters as well as designers. The word ‘architecture’ comes from the Greek (arkhitekton: meaning ‘chief’, and ‘builder, carpenter, mason’). So it was these chief builders who created the first models, testing the limits of the material properties to eventually create the columns, porticos, vestibules and great domes of what are today seen as some of the true architectural marvels of the world.
There are examples of models going back to ancient societies such as the Chinese Dynasties. The ways in which an architect approached the design developed and gave birth to the model maker’s specialism; this arguably began early in the Renaissance period, when the length of time needed to build some of the breathtaking structures achievable through new building processes began to surpass even the architects’ own lifetimes. This is where we see the first recorded writings on the concept of a model, recorded by polymath Leon Battista Alberti in c. 1450–60. Through his wide-ranging knowledge and expertise, Alberti was the first to rationalize the symbiosis of science with art and architecture. In the famous book De Pictura, written in 1435, and in a second book, De Re Aedificatoria, written c. 1450, he views the architectural model as a field with objective laws.
You may easily and freely add, retrench, alter, renew, and in short, change everything from one end to the other, till all and every one of the parts are just as you would have them, and without fault.
Leon Battista Alberti, De Re Aedificatoria
We can see, therefore, that although early architectural models might well have been in timber or stone, as opposed to today’s card and paper, their purpose since the Renaissance has remained the same: to explain and develop the design of architects. Alberti also recommends the duplication of models, so that the original model is preserved; the architect can then alter and develop while still reflecting on their starting point, original inspiration or design insight. Keeping the original model can allow the original illuminating influence to be articulated even after countless models have been produced. Alberti advises the architect, ‘Be sure to have a complete “model of the whole”, by which examine every minute part of your future structure eight, nine, ten times over, and again, after different intermissions of times.’
The use of the model beyond design interpretation had some influence in the past in finalizing and getting the construction correct. Alberti confirms this in describing his own undertakings:
I have often conceived of projects in the mind that seemed quite commendable at the time; but when I translated them into drawings, I found several errors in the very parts that delighted me most, and quite serious ones; again, when I return to drawings, and measure the dimensions, I recognize and lament my carelessness; finally, when I pass from the drawings to the model, I sometimes notice further mistakes in the individual parts, even over the numbers.
This shows how an architect needs to keep working on a design to cut away the imperfections in both the design and construction. Alberti demonstrates that with the use of models, success in creating great architecture lies in continuous endeavour.
It was a requirement to have a representation of the design that manifested all of the details into the scale model, allowing for clarity of vision for the eventual completed building. In cases where perhaps the building was a great cathedral or public building, and therefore took decades to build, having a tool that realized the eventual goal became essential. The construction period for these buildings was so great that technological advancements – and sometimes, more importantly, changing fashions – might allow changes to the design, and this could be reflected in the model. It became vital to have a model as reference, which could reassure those funding the project, allow the public to see the greatness of the architect’s vision, and then to update and alter the model as a guide to how the plans were developing.
One of the first extensively documented examples of this relates to the construction of the duomo of Florence’s cathedral. There are still in existence today wooden models from the 1350s for the campanile (built by Giotto), and later for the choir chapels and a part of the nave. In a process not unlike today’s system, the building authority ordered designs for the completion of the cathedral. In response to this drawing work, a brickwork model was submitted. The model had a dual purpose: firstly it had to represent the drawing; secondly, and perhaps more insightfully, it had to represent how the church was to be built. For technical reasons the project was held up for fifty years. In 1417 Filippo Brunelleschi became the advisor to the project, and soon had many carpenters creating models for the construction of the dome. These were now called for the first time ‘modelli’. In the year 1420 one was selected. With the help of further models – also for elevators and cranes – the construction of the dome was propelled forward.
The early models were therefore usually constructed as the building was built. It has only been in relatively modern times that the structure of a planned, ‘accepted build’, together with the onset of technologies such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) which can measure and provide structural and material answers, has meant that the model has become a tool solely for design, as opposed to a tool for building. The Modernist movement, early in the twentieth century, was a new and progressive way of thinking that challenged the arts and design establishment. The design process advocated by proponents of the Bauhaus movement and its contemporaries was the forerunner of today’s rationalized construction planning strategy.
The computer age
Since 1960 the growth of CAD has become interwoven with the design and engineering of buildings, ships and automobiles. Without CAD the widespread use of the electrical circuit or injection moulds that we see as synonymous with modern mass-produced life would not have come to pass. Developed from US military research and predominantly used in the space race, CAD was later made accessible to the public in day-to-day life. In the mid-1960s IBM developed the first CAD programs.
Since the 1980s, architects’ use of CAD has radically changed the design process: firstly it has intrinsically changed the perception of models by architects; secondly, it has completely changed the way in which model makers go about constructing models. In the world of computer technology, the coordinates of the drawing on a screen form the essence of a design, but a three-dimensional model is still essential.
The computer has revolutionised the way architects work, yet the language of drawing and model making still plays a central role in the studio.
Richard Cork, curator of ‘Foster + Partners: the Art of Architecture’ exhibition.
The computer might be the interface that allows architects to view the world from impossibly exciting new perspectives, but it can still (even for some of the most sophisticated architectural practices) have grounding in the concept of a hand-drawn sketch or paper maquette model, just as although we all write on keyboards and send emails, the ability to do so is based on the ability to write with a pencil.
Technological advancements mean that the craft of making a model has moved on, to an almost science-fiction level. Some CAD programs can calculate three-dimensional models from two-dimensional drawings. They can calculate the material requirements and the cost of those materials. While our present is one of laser-cutting components for kits to create models from CAD drawings, the rapidly increasing development of industries that use three-dimensional computer models and print in three dimensions is perhaps the newest technology that has woven itself into the arsenal of the model maker’s tool bag.
What does a model bring to the design process?
To understand the purpose of the model is to understand the justification of the design it must convey and a thorough knowledge of what you are trying to achieve. If this is an understanding of massed shape or light on the building, then the model must have a sympathy through materiality, scale or colour that can define this. The model doesn’t always need to convey all the detail of the project brief; it can be a general principle of the design that is put across to your audience. This study model is normally an early stage of the design brief but will ultimately guide you through to the important observations of the brief. More detailed commissions can later tell the complete story but a controlled understanding of the core principles will always lead you to the creation of a successful designed model. When trying to perceive a design from the point of view of the layman’s eye, architectural models have the advantage over two-dimensional drawings because they make it easier for the observer to form a subjective opinion about the designer’s intentions. They serve as the basis of important discussions about design ideas and for negotiating solutions.
An overview of model types
Studies/sketch models
The scale and level of detail of this type of model may vary, but generally these focus on design development. They are usually produced early on in the design process and are tools to express early ideas or sketches in the design process.
Presentation models
This can cover a whole range of models scales and purposes that can be produced to evaluate a range of needs, generally though we can divide them into categories:
PLANNING MODELS
These are typically built at a much smaller scale (starting from 1:500 and less, 1:750, 1:1000, 1:1250), representing large areas, even a whole town or village, large resort, campus, industrial facility, and so on. Planning models are a vital tool for town and city planning and development.
MARKETING MODELS
These usually have a sales-orientated goal and are designed to maximize the aesthetically pleasing aspects of the design – this can range from a large housing development to a block of flats. The ultimate aim is to help create an image of allure that makes people want to live somewhere; developers hope that the selling of a perfect world in which to live helps to sell the properties before they are built.
Early sketch model of the Pembury hospital development for Anshen + Allen architects.
Planning submission model of the same complex later in the project’s development. Once the initial design development had been decided upon, a ‘polished’ presentation model was needed to pass the project through the planning stages. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
Marketing model produced at 1:150 scale in conjunction with Millennium Models. The large scale allows for increased gravitas in the marketing suite. The base board size was 1.8m2, which allowed the impressive nature of the spaces and functionality of the towers and the shopping complex they sit on to be demonstrated. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
MUSEUM MODELS
Often these have an interactive aspect: members of the public are expected to have something explained to them through the medium of the model. This is often assisted by interactive elements, for example lighting to specific areas on a model to simulate something or moving parts to express things like traffic flows and changing environments.
TEACHING MODELS
These can be used as a tool to explain engineering processes or construction principles and often show isolated structural elements and components and their interaction. There is also a technical application (in the study of ‘right of light’ issues, for example.)
LANDSCAPING DESIGN MODELS
These models of landscape design and development represent features such as walkways, small bridges, pergolas, vegetation patterns and aesthetic qualities. Landscaping design models usually represent public spaces and may, in some cases, include buildings as well.
Landscape can be expressed using beautiful hand-coloured plans layered into a model. Different inserts are available to represent different options – a clear, cost-effective way of representing large landscaping areas.
Scale
Architectural models are produced at scale. Scale can be defined thus: a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Models representing 1 or 2 buildings and a modest piece of surrounding landscape may be built at a scale such as 1:100 or 1:75. Here is a useful scale guide to obtain more information about standard architectural scales and to help with scale selection.
The scales and their architectural use are broadly as follows:
The fully finished model or sections of buildings show the colours, building details, building construction methods, suspended ceilings, window finishes and frame colour, and detailed textured landscaping. The main structure of these models can be similar to the scales listed, with smooth contoured bases to show level changes; within the buildings the detail is embellished with a variety of different materials and finishes. Balconies are often etched out of metal, as are fences, bridge handrails, some complex window surrounds, benches and many other minor details. Plants, trees, bushes and grass effects are created from many different materials. The detail can be as realistic as the client budget can extend to.
A potential fin for a building scale 1:1. The material is bamboo – the same material as the eventual building fin. This was a study in materiality and spacing, investigating the required spacing to adequately shade a glazed building.
From these scales come detailed models in laser-cut components to create elevation and floor slabs showing windows, elevation details and sometimes the interior spaces, depending on the type and scale of the development. The construction of these models can also show the landscape of the site, the roads, any walls or general site details. The construction used can be of many materials, but modern methods tend to be a combination of wooden veneer and acrylic sheet and a variety of material finishes with the use of metal etchings, spray paint and laser-cut surface detail, patterning and texture. Most clients require some compromise to fit with budgets.
Detail of architectural art screening for a building’s internal design by Justin Eagles.
Created to explore possible designs for the courtyard of an existing building, this model primarily investigates mass and form but the scale allows the interior layouts to be developed, together with an understanding of its context.
From these scales we would normally see mainly block work models representing mass and proportions of buildings that are represented in a variety of finishes, perhaps different timbers or spray-finished chemical wood finishes (often referred to as ‘chemiwood’). Only the main architectural features could be shown on the smaller scale, so generally speaking no façade detail or specific ground works such as steps, walls and kerb edges are shown; roads, pavements and grasses are often shown on one layer (without kerb edges) and represented by colour or laser scribe. If the site has relatively few contours the model is often produced flat due to the small scale and to fit in with budgetary requirements.
This book will enter into more detail as we progress and will offer you a good knowledge of the reasons for building or commissioning a model; it will also aim to demonstrate how to make all aspects of the models described above. It is a guide for model makers and architects alike, offering tips and advice on the best model to build (or commission) for every situation, ensuring the desired outcome: a beautifully designed and created model.
Proposed layout for a reception area, modelled in a realistic palette to investigate the spaces and people flow.
An investigation of a building’s façade – colour and panelling in particular – allowing relevant detail to be represented.
Conceptualized timber model. Using a sympathetic palette, the model is freed to present the building’s interesting design without the intricacies of the detailing.
Timber model that uses frosted acrylic to investigate the key gestures of the new additions to an existing building, while also investigating the design within the building’s context.
Timber master plan: while all the buildings are new the overall mass and integration of green spaces is key to the model’s success.
A large area is covered to show the proposed scheme’s situation in the context of London’s City and the Thames. This type of model can instil a ‘wow’ factor because of its size, and act as a clever design tool when investigating possible heights and views from feature buildings across London. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
Master plan for a new hospital and retail park. The scale allows the sheer size of the site to be modelled within its context.
Model for the design of a bridge. The scale allows the bridge to be put within its context, while also addressing the landscaping of the park below, transport links and key buildings. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
Traditional heritage model of development in Bristol. The model palette is sympathetic to the composition; a soft-coloured timber of pear wood is used. (Photo: Andrew Putler)
CHAPTER 1
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
A model maker’s specialism is to create and produce three-dimensional scaled models from two-dimensional drawings. Beyond the required skills of project management, albeit on a small scale, organizational ability and of course being able to see things in 3D, the work requires imaginative flair, good CAD skills, and practical hand skills. They must also be able to communicate effectively. Most model makers working in the architectural industry are self-employed, and work on a project-by-project basis.
What is a model maker’s role?
Model makers are responsible for replicating structures in miniature: for example, they may be required to construct a 100mm-high version of the Empire State building or to make miniature representations in timber of large areas of cities. Models are made in a range of materials including wood, plastic, or metal, using a variety of different techniques. For models with moving parts, model makers may employ basic engineering techniques and, in some cases, for lighting the model buildings, electronics. Using a range of hand, power or machine tools, including computer-assisted equipment, model makers create models that accurately portray the requirements and ideas of architects.
In consultation with an architect, a model maker initially uses freehand drawing skills or computer-aided design (CAD) and sample materials to help visualize the finished product. Once this model is approved, a detailed model will be built and materials and resources will be sought, such as specialist paint, timbers or machinery, three-dimensional printing resources, or large-scale vacuum-formers.
Model makers will also consult with other specific departments or architectural practices such as landscape architects, visualization companies and photographers. Model makers must adhere to strict health and safety guidelines and carry out tasks in a safe work environment, because many of the materials used can be dusty and may produce dangerous fumes.
