Why Build by Hand?

How are architecture models useful in the design process?

The field of architecture and urban design represent a unique sector of design where 3D creations have a technical element. In today’s modern world, models of buildings and cities are still created by hand. Even when there are 3D programs like SketchUp and Rhino, there still seems to be utility in creating a scalable model. Let’s look at three motivating factors for using this design technique…

Communication

Architectural models help designers bridge that communication gap with clients, inspectors, stakeholders, etc.. If people from various industries are coming together on a project, it is safe to assume that they use different terminology and software programs to communicate with each other. A model can streamline communication between various groups of people that are working on the same project.

Angles

An underrated aspect of using hand made models is the effect that they have on representing lighting conditions. Architects tend to place models in their accurate orientation, and respond to solar positioning by experimenting with different shading techniques.

Hands On

Creating a model by hand also allows for creativity during the design process. Touching an actual model promotes a greater sense of responsibility and attention to detail. Furthermore, its tangibility can be useful in the design process, by ripping off walls/enclosures and placing new iterations to experiment and push the design forward.

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