Architectural models are used at various stages of a project. As working models they support the design process: they are made up from time to time using simple materials, such as cardboard, without any attempt at accuracy, and continue to be adjusted and added to as the ideas and the design progress. The point here is to swiftly check a design idea, to allow it to be continued or dismissed. Presentational models are more involved; at this stage the design has been completed and the purpose of the model is to convey the ideas to the potential user in a clear and easy-to-understand way. The book Architecture and Model Building includes outstanding examples explaining the possibilities of this medium and, at the same time, provides comprehensive information on materials and techniques.

An investigation of different uses for the architectural model through history—as sign, souvenir, funerary object, didactic tool, medium for design, and architect's muse. For more than five hundred years, architects have employed three-dimensional models as tools to test, refine, and illustrate their ideas. But, as Matthew Mindrup shows, the uses of physical architectural models extend beyond mere representation. An architectural model can also simulate, instruct, inspire, and generate architectural designs. It can be, among other things, sign, souvenir, toy, funerary object, didactic tool, medium, or muse. In this book, Mindrup surveys the history of architectural models by investigating their uses, both theoretical and practical. Tracing the architectural model's development from antiquity to the present, Mindrup also offers an interpretive framework for understanding each of its applications in the context of time and place. He first examines models meant to portray extant, fantastic, or proposed structures, describing their use in ancient funerary or dedicatory practices, in which models are endowed with magical power; as a medium for architectural reverie and inspiration; and as prototypes for twentieth-century experimental designs. Mindrup then considers models that exemplify certain architectural uses, exploring the influence of Leon Battista Alberti's dictum that models be simple, lest they distract from the architect's ideas; analyzing the model as a generative tool; and investigating allegorical, analogical, and anagogical interpretations of models. Mindrup's histories show how the model can be a surrogate for the architectural structure itself, or for the experience of its formal, tactile, and sensory complexity; and beyond that, that the manipulation, play, experimentation, and dreaming enabled by models allow us to imagine architecture in new ways.

Models make it possible to visualize an idea in three dimensions. Designing with models and presenting ideas is an important step in the development of a consciousness of design. Themes: Levels of abstraction and degrees of detail Model typologies Typical working tools and techniques Materiality of models Presentation possibilities

A guide for leveraging SketchUp for any project size, type, or style. New construction or renovation. The revised and updated second edition of The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture offers guidelines for taking SketchUp to the next level in order to incorporate it into every phase of the architectural design process. The text walks through each step of the SketchUp process from the early stages of schematic design and model organization for both renovation and new construction projects to final documentation and shows how to maximize the LayOut toolset for drafting and presentations. Written by a noted expert in the field, the text is filled with tips and techniques to access the power of SketchUp and its related suite of tools. The book presents a flexible workflow method that helps to make common design tasks easier and gives users the information needed to incorporate varying degrees of SketchUp into their design process. Filled with best practices for organizing projects and drafting schematics, this resource also includes suggestions for working with LayOut, an underused but valuable component of SketchUp Pro. In addition, tutorial videos compliment the text and clearly demonstrate more advanced methods. This important text: Presents intermediate and advanced techniques for architects who want to use SketchUp in all stages of the design process Includes in-depth explanations on using the LayOut tool set that contains example plans, details, sections, presentations, and other information Updates the first edition to reflect the changes to SketchUp 2018 and the core functionalities, menus, tools, inferences, arc tools, reporting, and much more Written by a SketchUp authorized trainer who has an active online platform and extensive connections within the SketchUp community Contains accompanying tutorial videos that demonstrate some of the more advanced SketchUp tips and tricks Written for professional architects, as well as professionals in interior design and landscape architecture, The SketchUp Workflow for Architecture offers a revised and updated resource for using SketchUp in all aspects of the architectural design process.

Architects' models serve as bridge between an idea and its realization. Models are one of the three means by which an architect invents and develops his design: sketch–model–computer model. No other representational form is as effective in enabling the viewer to perceive the spaces, shapes, surfaces and textures created by the architect's design — it is therefore a prerequisite in the design process. Architectural Models provides clear and comprehensible instruction explaining how design ideas can be skillfully translated into models. Some 200 black and white illustrations and, new to this edition, more than 40 extraordinary, full color photographs, provide a comprehensive visual explication of the text. In this completely revised edition, the authors convey practical basics and offer a wealth of innovative and valuable suggestions for students of architecture or graphic arts, as well as for experienced architectural model makers.