Architectural model school

[shiben]

For our next show, the director would like to have 2 scale architectural models of schools from around 1968 for props in a scene. Obviously, a true architectural model is usually the result of highly skilled model builders and lots of time. We have neither. With christmas break soon approaching, and an intense build right after, we would like to make this as simple as possible, and as cheap as possible. One direction we were thinking of going was to look into O scale models on the higher level, in true 1:48 (i think thats the O standard). Anyone have any other ideas? The director is kind of pulling this a bit late in the game for a true bristol board model, which would take anyone at our theater a few weeks to build (it has to be large). Any ideas other than model railroad supplies?

 

[museav]

That may depend on the effect they are trying to achieve. Many, if not most, achitectural models I have seen have been all white with openings for windows, that would have the effect of being three dimensional and realistic but may not look like much from the audience. On the other end of the scale, youl could take photos of the buildings and slap them on the sides of rectangular box. Not like a real model but the audience may be better able to identify what the model represents.

 

[NevilleLighting]

I like the O scale idea. Will that be enough? what is the size of your theatre space? Do you need to look at G scale? Now you're talking about serious money. You may consider making color prints of the various facades and putting those onto white board foam core 3D constructions. Photoshop as many facades as you can onto one page to save printing costs.

 

[shiben]

I like the O scale idea. Will that be enough? what is the size of your theatre space? Do you need to look at G scale? Now you're talking about serious money. You may consider making color prints of the various facades and putting those onto white board foam core 3D constructions. Photoshop as many facades as you can onto one page to save printing costs.

We have our own large format printers, so printing wont be too huge an issue, its more how to make a model. The thing we are really concerned about right now is that the director has yet to say how she wants to use them, other than to make a single funny point in the show. Would it be funny? Sure! But we threw the box with pictures on the side and she decided that this was not good, and again questioned our willingness to make the show work.

Space is a 350 seat Open Vista house, 20ish foot to LX, 25' to grid. An O scale model should be big enough. I just cant find one that is a 1960s school in there.

 

[museav]

But we threw the box with pictures on the side and she decided that this was not good, and again questioned our willingness to make the show work.

Or was it your failure to read her mind that was really being questioned?

I have to say that in 25+ years working with Architects, I don't think I've ever seen an architectural model that resembled a model train building. Typically architectural models are often used for looking at massing, scale, shadowing, interior space adjacencies and flow, etc. with architectural renderings and sample boards are used to show colors, finishes, etc. Those are the working tools of the Architect. Architectural models that show details such as finishes are typically more presentation or show pieces used for fund raising, gaining variances and permits and so on than they are working models as they can be be difficult to modify in order to incorporate any changes. And before computers were common you sometimes found scale models of interiors built for acoustical testing using a spark gap source.

So it seems critical to know what the Director's vision is and if she can't identify her vision to you then it will be awfully difficult to express it to the audience.

 

[shiben]

Something like that. We offered up the idea of model train buildings, that was shot down as being too realistic. A white-model type thing would probably be ok, but she wants more defenition so as the audience can see what it is. I asked her to make some sketches of exaclty what she was thinking of, or send some images online of models that were what she wanted to see on stage. Will report more when we find out more.

 

[mstaylor]

Sounds like she needs to explain more about how big she wants it and it's intended use. Kind of hard to build something that you don't know the specifics for.

 

[museav]

Is this your Director, YouTube - "Everything you are doing is bad. I want you to know this."?

 

[shiben]

Not so much that as Everything your doing is not what I have in mind and im 1000 miles away so walking down the hall is not going to solve the problem like it normally would.

 

[Jackalope]

Anywhere you can borrow the models? You may be able to use a student's architecture project--if there is a college near by you may be able to tap that as a resource for finding one already built.

 

[KGustafson]

For our next show, the director would like to have 2 scale architectural models of schools from around 1968 for props in a scene. Obviously, a true architectural model is usually the result of highly skilled model builders and lots of time. We have neither. With christmas break soon approaching, and an intense build right after, we would like to make this as simple as possible, and as cheap as possible. One direction we were thinking of going was to look into O scale models on the higher level, in true 1:48 (i think thats the O standard). Anyone have any other ideas? The director is kind of pulling this a bit late in the game for a true bristol board model, which would take anyone at our theater a few weeks to build (it has to be large). Any ideas other than model railroad supplies?

If you have access to someplace with a 3-D printer and CAD software you could create a realistic model in color. It is a little bit expensive but fairly quick. I teach Architectural and Engineering CAD at my school and we have one of these items. Good solution if you have access.