If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

...then how much is a 3-D model worth? Often, after the sketch and design step of architecture, both clients and firm like to see a more tangible model before moving on to construction plans. Now, in a world swimming in groundbreaking technology, 3-D printers and laser cutters whip out models in a matter of minutes. However, there are still some cases in which we use the traditional method of manually building miniature models out of cardboard and Tacky Glue (to create cheap, quickly-accessible models, to experiment with furniture layouts, to entertain interns, etc.). I got to try my hand at this today, building miniature versions of storage modules for a current project... Here are some pictures of my novice craftsmanship:

Blown up versions of floor plans (scaled from 1/8" to 1/4" to 1/2")

Though storage module building was relatively minor in the scheme of the entire project, I got firsthand experience of the cumbersome force inflicted by financial and physical limitations. Throughout designing and building, I had to keep in mind that the firm would be building these storage modules under tight budgets and due to those tight budgets, would most likely be building them independently, without the aid of third party contractors. In order to respect these conditions, when I went to build, I was careful to use only the standard 4x8 plywood boards (scaled to miniature cardboard size). This made it extremely difficult to go beyond the average 4x8x8 box (I couldn't bend the wood or extensively vary the sizes of the standard board) which was not very innovative or exciting. This further emphasized that architects are constantly challenged by practicality on top of a myriad of other factors. In order to circumvent these challenges, they must be expertly resourceful and inventive. This experience served as another reminder that I must address whether it is even feasible to add another discipline to architecture when it is already so complex. With the model, I am continuing to research loopholes around this in order to build more useful and creative boxes, but until then, I will become an expert at building some standard 4x8x8 boxes!