You’ve seen the shows on TV where the architect is showing the client the new house design, and using a little model. You know, the top comes off and you can see all the rooms inside.
Anyone know of shops that perform this service, making these little dollhouses?
How difficult are they to make, using the kind of 1/4″ foam board the frame shops use as mounting stock for prints?
What is the most common scale?
Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Replies
I have lots of experience in this area. I'm an architecture student working on my master's degree and we are required to build models for nearly every design project we are assigned. I'll tell you that a nice model takes many many hours and costs lots of money. Of course, the size of the model and the level of detail is what will determine the price of the supplies as well labor.
You inquired about the scale of the model. It ranges, depending on what you are trying to depict in the model. If your model is of a house and includes a few houses around it so you can see the house in relationship to the neighborhood, I'd say 1" = 16' is the smallest you should go. The detail in this scale is very basic. If you are only modeling one building, you'd start at 1" = 8' for scale. This will allow you to put a significant amount of detail (window mullions, hand rails, sometimes material patterns) in the model with a fair amount of ease. Of course, the larger the scale the more detail is necessary to make the model look good.
I sometimes try to estimate how much each model costs. First there is the supplies...depending on what materials you use, and how detailed your model needs to be, it can be anywhere from $25 to over $200. The foam core, as you inquired about, will be on the cheaper end of the price estimate. I'd stay away from the foam core. In my opinion it is too white and too glossy for a decent model. If you must use foam core, I'd suggest painting it, carefully, with an acrylic paint after it is constructed. Also, anywhere you have cut the foam core such that the inside foam layer will show, you should spackle that foam portion, sand when dry, and paint over that part too. If you are really good, you can hardly tell where that foam portion is showing. A basswood, as opposed to balsa wood, model always looks much nicer. Of course, it will cost you more.
Then I estimate how long each model took me - they typically take several days (let's say 6 days x 8 hours per day minimum. So that is 48 hours. What would you expect the person building the model to earn? In my experience, probably 20 per hour is the minimum. So wages are probably running you atleast $960......if you go to a model shop they have O&P to worry about so you'll pay more.
One thing you might consider, if you aren't looking to build a model simply to see if you can do it, is to go to your nearest architecture school and see if you can post a bulletin advertising that you'd like a model built. We need money and we do it A LOT so we have experience.
To give you and idea of what I am talking about, here's two pics. The first one you should look at is CityScale. It is 1" = 64' and the buildings are basically boxes. This is more about topography, and the scale of the city in general. This model was 4 feet wide by about 6 feet long and took 10 people about a week of constant work to accomplish. The area circled in magenta is where the students placed their designs. This was a group project so we all worked together to build a little neighborhood within this larger city context (Bilbao, Spain).
The second image, ClassModel, shows that magenta area blown up to 1"=16' scale. You can probably see where each student's site stopped and the next student's site begins (look carefully in the middle of the streets). They fit together quite fantastically when you consider each student built their model/model base on their own. A model of this scale is still mostly about the massing of the building and only begins to make large gestures towards the materiality of the building.
The attachments are in my next post as I screwed em up the first time (hence my two edits).
Edited 6/17/2005 8:52 am ET by Jen
Edited 6/17/2005 8:52 am ET by Jen
Edited 6/17/2005 8:53 am ET by Jen
it is too white and too glossy for a decent model
Yep, and there's a cool work around--laminate the rendered elevations on the FC. Having two thicknesses of FC is just about required, too. (helps to inset the windows & doors).
Jen's school experience is like mine, almost all studio classes require a model as part of the presentation.
In the "real world," where a simple model can be $2-3000 (that's just 5 hours at $50-60/hr billable), very few projects get models built.
A 3d CAD model, fully rendered, runs about the same price, and you get cool project/rèsumè graphics, too.
But, even then, both are still pretty rare in bread-and-butter projects.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
"In the "real world," where a simple model can be $2-3000 (that's just 5 hours at $50-60/hr billable), very few projects get models built."Did they teach client billing in that thar arketechuarl skool or it that "standard" markup?
Did they teach client billing in that thar arketechuarl skool or it that "standard" markup?
Oops, dropped a decimal place, then just cratered all of the math--just too close to lunch on too long a week (which stretches into tomorrow, w/o pay <grrr grrr>).
Actually, they teach nothing about operating an arch practice as a business at all. It's not an NCARB requirement, so it's not taught. Anything a entry-level archy learns about business is strictly by osmosis.
Probably not the best plan for a trade that is about 85% small businesses.
In the time I've been bashing about this biz (1976), in offices large (200) & small (5), I've seen exactly 7 models actually built. Five of those were sent to a specialty shop; four of those were billed to the customer as an additional charge. In the last ten years, I've contracted out about 120 3d CAD models that were rendered. But, then again, I was selling contract rendering, too.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Good point to mention that models aren't often produced in the course of designing a "real" project. In the 3 years I worked in a small archy firm, before going back to grad school, we made "quick study" models (of the quality I posted to Marv) for 3 different projects. The three study models were all for residential projects.
You also alluded to the fact that your 120 3D model renderings can be partially attributed to you selling that product to the client. I've quickly come to the conclusion that people aren't always skilled at comprehending drawings (plan or perspective sketches). Sometimes they need something a little more "real" before they can feel comfortable with whatever reaction they are having to the design. Both have their advantages and disadvantages if you ask me. Whichever method is best suited for the client is the one you should be selling.
Which leads me to my next point. The really nice models are almost always reserved for marketing purposes. A frequent example are models of new church additions or school additions that are constructed and intended to sit in the entryway of the existing building to help in fund raising efforts.
Jen,
Nice post. Very informative. Thanks.
How many stitches does the average arch student get from using those razor knives on foam core <G>?
David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Nice thread.
My father was a modelbuilder for NASA, making models of rockets, spaceships,propellers and wings for testing in wind tunnels here at Ames Research Center.
He even made models of simulated lunar surfaces during the Apollo era.
I was enrolled in for an AA modelbuilding program at a local college, but dropped out after a year. The big money of piecework drywall drew me away from school :^)
The experience has helped me though, to envision plans and ideas in a 3 dimentional manner. Not everyone can do that, and it helps when dealing with archies' and such.
I like to explain it to others as being similar to medical school. Except when we are making poor decisions as a result of lack of _____ (insert your choice: food, sleep, exercise, fresh air) we are only making bad aesthetic choices on theoretical projects. We aren't killing the guy by giving him a medication that he has an allergy to.
You can always tell when it is nearing the end of a project. Students begin to look really haggard. The last few nights (or weeks in some cases) we are lucky to get 3 hours of sleep a night. That's when the casualties really start appearing. Everyone is working quietly when all of a sudden someone yells out "OH SHIIIIIITTTT!" and immediately grabs a digit and holds their arm up in the air. Everyone around that person begins clearing projects out of the way, the next nearest runs for paper towels, and a couple people start guiding the injured to the door.
Lucky for us, those architecture students at UW-Milwaukee, we have an emergency room literally right across the street from our building. The worst part is when students come BACK from the ER with stitches/body parts gauzed up and try to keep working on their projects because the deadline is drawing near and the pressure is on.
Haha....So far I've managed to stay stitch free. Knock on wood! That isn't to say I haven't managed to cut myself pretty good. Everyone repeat the sacred mantra "I will not use a dull blade, I will not use a dull blade, I will not use a dull blade."
Kinda made me smile and remember something.... They say that the most dangerous tool on the job site (in terms of most injuries) is the utility knife...
Matt
Having a doctor wife and a sister-in-law in medical residency I can relate."immediately grabs a digit and holds their arm up in the air. Everyone around that person begins clearing projects out of the way,"No doubt to keep the blood from getting on their projects!"The worst part is when students come BACK from the ER with stitches/body parts gauzed up and try to keep working on their projects"Or is the worst part that you get stitched up my medical students who also only had 3 hours of sleep?Stabbed myself with a thermometer in Chem lab and nicked a little artery. Held a beaker under it so it wouldn't make a huge mess. Wrapped it up, direct pressure, elevation, walked over to the student hospital. Of course they wanted to practice their needlework. Prof came through later and saw a beaker of blood on the lab bench on almost lost his cookies.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
You hit it right on that projects get cleared to avoid blood becoming an integral part of that particular drawing or model.
For some strange reason, the unspoken theory is the more we suffer the better our education. I'd like to argue that cutting the same model piece for the 20th time and it is still wrong at am isn't much of an education process. I know what the real world is like out there....I've yet to met an Archy who pounds out projects like the schools make us do. Oddly enough, our profs seem to enjoy hearing someone got hurt. Sadistic freaks.
I'm sure every profession has certain common methods of injury. Thankfully exacto blades aren't of the nature where we could unintentionally slice our entire hand right off. I enjoy reading the "What did you hurt today" threads - sorry, I have to admit it captures my attention like the car wrecks on the side of the road. So far, those are much more serious than anything I've witnessed or heard about in archy school.
With the exception that, occasionally, we hear about a student who got into a car accident on their way home. Most of the time the Big Guy was looking down in their favor. There have been some, luckily few, who never did get to complete that project they were working on. It is always a sobering experience yet nothing changes in the expectations of the school or the professors. I wonder if someone keeps track of the numbers across all the archy schools.....
Here's the images I was talking about in my first post:
Nice work Jen. Do you have any pictures of house models?You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of what I'd say are nice house models. We typically aren't assigned house projects in archy school - they think houses aren't programmatically difficult enough for us or something like that.
But....here is a quick study model that I made when I was working. It uses the technique suggested by CapnMac - laminating elevations onto another board. I hope you can see the difference in the methods. This is definitely a quick model and simply doesn't look as polished as the others.
they think houses aren't programmatically difficult enough for us or something like that.
The exact reverse of "reality" (which may or may not be a good working defintion of academia . . . )
Turn-key strip centers, Commercial lease space shells, these are not what one would called programmatically difficult--but, they pay the bills.
A residence has all sorts of complicated programming and interaction--al intimately tied up in project cost and scope. Far more complicated, and much less profitable. The real problem in teaching that, would be a lack of "clients" to make it a true learning experience. That, and 15 weeks of lab classes just isn't enough time.
The ironic thing in my book is that future interns are taught almost nothing of what they will need to work in either a big or a small office. In a big office, you need to know how to detail stairwells and parking structures. In small office you just need to know everything you didn't have a class on in school--masonry details, flashing details, integration of various construction types (combining steel and structural metal studs, for example). Hmm, millwork and cabinetry detailing, ceiling detailing, door and window scheduling--all sorts of things needful in an office.
C'est la vie.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I agree with you completely in that we aren't being taught some of the essential tools that firms require. I also agree that residential programme is often an overlooked programme type in architecture schools. Every project type brings its own peculiar difficulties to the table. I often find myself questioning the curriculum as well as the teaching ability of the professors/adjunct faculty. Sometimes there just has to be a better way to teach principles...
Leaves a lot of graduates out on a limb when they try looking for a job with no prior firm experience. Unless you are one of the lucky few that have an employer who is willing to take the chance of having to serve as more of a mentor than an employer, or someone who isn't looking to have a 100% billable and 100% productive employee. Those employers are hard to come by - understandably.
Ummm...why did you make a model of my house?
Unless you haven't updated your profile lately, I'm pretty darn sure it aint your house I made a model of.
So the real question is, how much ya been drinkin to think it was your house? :-p
Realistic models can be done on computer from architectural drawings or cad files. A virtual tour of the home can then be taken where interior decor can be changed with the click of a mouse. AMAZING realism and probably lower costs. This is the future of sales in my opinion.
No more change orders, no dissatisfied clients. They can see exactly what they will get before hand.... (dreaming).
I've been using Punch! Software's Architectural Series 18 which, among other things, prints out scale elevations for you to mock up a model. It cost me Cdn $120, so it'll be abt $80 for you I guess. Within that Co's range are cheaper versions that may give you that app. Bit of a stiff learning curve on it, tho. But if you want to see where the furniture goes it could be worthwhile.
cheers
***I'm a contractor - but I'm trying to go straight!***
Just reading all the posts..
With many big customers.. You will NOT get the job without a model they can see...