Top Reasons for Opting Architectural Scale Models

Architectural scale models are in vogue these days. Without them, it is not advisable anymore to proceed with any form of constructional or engineering projects anymore. The top five reasons for that are:

The most common reason that these types of software are in vogue is because they help all stakeholders visualize in a three-dimensional view about the complete structure. This helps in understanding the scope of the building project in its totality. It also makes one understand the spatial relationships between the various entities in the diagram. It also helps the builders understand the two-dimensional drawings and blue prints well.  They provide a clear perspective that was unavailable to them earlier. 

The next big reason for developing an architecturalmodel is to use it for marketing and sales needs. Nowadays, a lot of sales aids are provided and delivered through the internet over various types of digital gadgets.  These models are very easily distributed online, and the prospective buyer and sellers can understand the project much better and that can only be beneficial to the buyer and the seller community on the whole. 

These are now used to sell parts of the projects, as well. This means selling a condominium or a flat from a new construction project. These projects are also helpful in making the buyer understand where their units are located in the projects. They are also used to sell tickets to various seats in a stadium or sell seats for the performance or movie in a theatre.

The investor and promoters of various projects are also benefited with these scale models. They really get to understand the full scope and nature of the projects, and thus can make better-informed decisions that will go a long way for them to make profitable returns on their investments.  A prospective construction company can also use these models to get finance from various lending agencies. This makes them look more professional and serious in the eyes of their prospective investors and help them convince exactly the worth of the project and how much money can be made from it in concrete terms. 

A lot of times these models are made for direction purposes. They are kept in various large complexes like an airport, large shopping complexes, conventional centres, housing complexes, amusement and recreation parks so that people in them get a sense of where they are and also which direction to take for them to reach their desired destination. 

Another new but very useful way is using these models to convince the requisite authorities to provide the required permits for the construction project. With every passing day, a construction project needs more and more permits and licenses from various government and non-governmental agencies. With the rules becoming stricter, it is becoming even more difficult for the promoters concerned to convince the authorities about the viability of their projects. The architectural scale models are becoming more and more useful in these cases to convince the authorities to provide the requisite permission.

The more you dig deep, the more useful ways these models can be used for.    

Types and Reasons to use Architecture Model Makers

For those, who are still un-initiated, an architectural model is a replica of a building or architectural design build to represent a full-scale structure that would be later build. This type of a structure is beneficial to all the parties involved. 

There are four types of models that are fairly common in use.

Firstly, there are the exterior models. These models are used to design landscaping. They are also used to design civic spaces around buildings. These are also used to design complete building complexes and large government or private construction projects.

Secondly, there are the interior models. These models are used to show the interiors of any building. The space planning, the colour schemes, and the types of furniture those are to be installed and other sundry cases of beautification. They are also used to inspect air-conditioning, heating and electrical wiring models in to be constructed buildings.

The largest scope of their implementation is in urban modelling. Planned cities and townships of various sizes are being planned all over the world. This is primarily being done on Architecture Model Makes. This is not only helping the construction workers to plan their construction better but also helping the marketing and sales teams to use the models for their work, as well.

The final use is in the engineering and construction models. Various models will show only the type of engineering aspects in display. For example, there will be a model specifically for the mechanical engineering part, one on the structural engineering part and another one exclusively on the electrical engineering part of a single construction or various constructions.  

The very first reason that such a model is made is because of purely visual or aesthetic reason. How will a full-scale structure look and feel like, would it be aesthetically appealing or would it need some more tweaking. The architectural model makers are, basically, open ended projects. They are made to be exploring the ideas and concepts that the architect in question is planning to implement. The more iterations of the model are made, the lesser is the design flows that it ought to have.

Nowadays, with the advent of three-dimensional printers, such models can have scaled printout, which are, especially, used to display in exhibitions or other places for marketing and selling purposes. Previously, the people used to make models using wood, or plaster to depict exactly the same things and for very similar purposes.

Architecturalmodel makers are used to visually represent the various complex designs in a fairly simple way. This way all the various types of people who would be involved in the building the structures have a fairly clear idea as to the holistic representation of what they would be doing in the near future. This way they would be aware of the boundaries that the each one will be operating within and understand the limits of their work. Also, there would be a lot less of a chance of their work getting in the way of one another, which is a fairly common occurrence in the construction of buildings.

Are you a traditional home builder?

Builders, generally, use a scale model to have a frame of reference before they go on to build the actual object. So, in layman terms, a scale model is one that would physically represent the true object in all respects. It should maintain the aspect ratio, the build configuration, the physical constitution and should use the same scientific work principles as meant for the original object. Moreover, the way the scale model would behave with the real world should be as close as possible to the real objects expected behaviour in the real world. In simple words, a scale model is a prototype or a miniature version of an object that would physically and functionally represent the object.

Builders, Engineers, Architects, Military Agencies, Salesmen and many other professionals use scale models to check out, test or demonstrate their ideas in a miniature scale before assessing its feasibility on the real world scale. Whatever be the purpose of the scale model, it is imperative that the scale model should functionally and physically represent the original object in mind. If it does not, then it defeats the purpose of building a scale model.

For Engineers and Builders, a scale model is indispensable. People in these trades face a lot of practical hindrances if not working with an already tested scale model. There are various reasons for this, which we will analyze and understand here.

• Some plans of high-rise buildings, bridges, railway stations, dams and the like involve complex real world interactions. It has been seen that, in most of these cases, computer simulations, theoretical calculations and drawings do not suffice. They do not give a reliable picture of the real world scenario because computer generated simulations are completely dependent on the data you feed them, and they cannot go beyond the inferences obtained from that data. This is where the need to have a scale model comes in.
• Though computer-based simulations can scale the original object, they cannot give an accurate picture of the effects of other conditions like temperature, pressure, wind speed and other such prevailing parameters.
• Computer simulations do not allow builders to test the object before building it. On the other hand, a scale model needs to be built itself and reflects the challenges that would be required to build the real object.

In order to achieve the similitude between the scale model and the real object, the following similarities are required to be maintained:

• The scaled model should be of the same shape as the object, only that the size should be proportional. This is called Geometric Similarity.
• The fluid flow of the scale model and the real object should be subjected to the same velocity and for the same period of time. This is called Kinematic Similarity.
• It should be ensured that the forces acting on the scale model and the real object should be proportional. This is called Dynamic Similarity.

A scale model when properly analyzed and well built becomes an indispensable tool in the hands of any builder or engineer by helping them understand the dynamics of an object or application that any computer-aided simulation fails to decipher.