Archetype 3D

The time has come for a change. Archetype 3d has moved to a new location. First off here is our new address for you to update your records

Archetype 3D

1020 Carbon Ct. Unit F

Erie Colorado 80516 - 2435

Our phones have stayed the same. You can still reach us at 303-449-0878 and my cell number is also on the website if needed.

When the time came to find a new locations we looked far and wide for the best, most suitable site for our new shop. There were a lot of available spaces but not many of them would work for us. Living in beautiful Boulder Colorado, we did not want to have a marathon commute. We also needed a space with a flexible shop area, an attractive reception area and a separate space for our technical equipment.

We found everything we need to build the best marketing models and prototypes in Erie Colorado plus a few things that we did not expect. The best surprise is the natural light available from three large windows and four skylights in the shop. During the day there is practically no reason to turn on the lights. The town is centrally located within one half hours drive from Denver, Boulder, and Denver International Airport so it is easy to visit for all of our local clients. Another nice surprise is the beautiful views of the mountains. Traveling from Erie back to Boulder each day is a joy with the entire front range spread out before us in all of its many forms. Today we are seeing the snow covered mountain and the towering form of Longs Peak creating a dramatic white profile to the vast Colorado sky and unique cloud cover. I have never seen such interesting clouds as here in this state which give us the most beautiful sunsets I have seen anywhere.

We were quickly able to customize the space for our electrical and equipment needs. There is plenty of layout space for our architectural and engineering models as well as storage space for materials. Our spray booth, laser cutters and 3D printers are all up and running. We are now working on several projects so the shop is humming along as we speak.

Craig Martin

Simple Objective--Delivery Your Model in One Piece

Delivering your 3D scale model projects as promised is as important to us as the information we receive from clients to build it. Once webegin to discuss the details about your scale model’s plans and vision for its use, we start thinking about how it’s going to be packed, shipped and delivered.

Is it going to be fixed in place on a pedestal at its destination or is it going to be moved from place to place for temporary display? First and foremost in our mind is delivering the model to you the way it left us —in one piece. Believe it or not, some of the largest models are split into multiple sections that require some complex crating and packing for shipment. So delivering a model in one piece takes on a completely new meaning.

The painted sign on the custom built plywood shipping container for the model says, “Warning: Handle with Care.” Models are fragile and must be “handled with care.”  When it comes to crating them for shipping we put a tremendous amount of time in building a suitably sized crate with foam padding all around and adequate support to enable it to survive in transit.  Nothing is guaranteed so we always make sure models are insured when being shipped by freight carrier.

Two Types of Crates

We do not advise standing on your model's crate!

There are two types models and crates to ship them. The most common are the durable and functional plywood crates built for models of all types and that can be reused if shipping to trade shows at multiple locations. The second is a rolling “roadie” style crate like the ones used for musical instruments and for models that will be moved from one viewing location to another by the client to promote their project. These are a more elegant and easier for many clients to handle. Often these are used for smaller models that have to be brought into meetings and conference rooms. 

 Enclosures are Made of Plexiglass

Plexiglas display enclosures are different from the shipping crates models are shipped in.  Custom Plexiglas enclosures protect the model for a longer life. People are curious and love to get their hands on the models in places like museums, showrooms or training centers. Enclosures keep “itchy fingers” from breaking them and altering their design. Practically speaking, enclosures keep dust off the models, or spills from staining them.  Enclosures assure a longer life for a model--especially if you anticipate making changes to it in the future.

Case Study: Doyle Drive Model--Shipped in Four Roadie Crates 

Last year, Dave Thorp, Manager of Design Visualization at Parsons Brinkerhoff, had us build a model for the proposed and planned changes along Doyle Drive from the Palace of Fine Arts to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. It was a large model about four feet wide and twelve feet long with the designated purpose of being split into parts to be reviewed by different neighborhoods and stakeholders affected by the roadway changes. 

 

Thorp explains, “initially it was going to be a one piece model but once we discussed how the model was going to be used, we decided split it into four pieces. It made it easier to move segments from one site to the next. So we had it cut into four pieces along different stakeholder’s neighborhoods and locations. With it being a long model this was perfect for moving around whether in a van or someone's car.” The “roadie” style crate was built with deep foam padding to protect each segment while on the move. The model was delivered complete with video packing instructions on how to unpack and assemble it too. So far, so good, twelve months later and no problems.

Case Study: Special Packaging Instructions for Legal Model

Recently, Bryan N. DeMatteo, Associate Attorney at Dickstein Shapiro LLP in New York requested a model to defend a client’s patent infringement case.  Actually the project required two exact replicas of hospital nurses station pill picking systems to demonstrate the differences between his clients design compared to the claimants. The project was on a short time line to begin with but needed to be shipped overnight plus two models had to ship together. The utmost care was taken to assure the models would be delivered whole and on time to DeMatteo. This time instructions were built-into the crate in order that it could be unpacked and assembled quickly.  Ultimately, DeMatteo was able to assemble the model in court and win the case on his client’s behalf.  

Remember, the sign stamped on the outside suggested, “Handle with Care.” Crating our models for shipping is as important as building them.  Delivering your project in one piece as requested is our priority from the day you sign the contract with us to build your model.

A client recently commented that maybe physical models are being replaced by virtual worlds. The truth is that 3D model making is enhanced by computer graphics (CG) and physical models provide a completely different and unique experience from computer images.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS: Film shown on a screen that can be sent over the Internet and great for showing details and specific information, if it is done well.

PHYSICAL MODELS: An architectural display, showing scale and depth, offering the opportunity to have people come to see it. A great tool for the real estate developer’s sales office, to aid with client questions about what the finished project will be, by showing a vast amount of useful information to scale and at once.

Bachelor Gultch Colorado

The physical model experience is more museum-like, in its grandness, and yet personal, offering a sense of closeness, while showing features and the complete picture, in one view.

A sales office can put up TV screens and show animations, but it is hard to gather 10 people around it, talk to them, and show everyone what they want to see simultaneously. No matter how cool the animation, it is still 2D pictures showing one view at a time.

In a sales office the physical model will generate the most amount of attention and can answer 10 people’s most immediate questions. If someone is trying to see the relationship between their unit and the pool, (or the garden, or the golf course) you might be able to find it on the 3D graphic, but it is always right there on the model so that the question is often answered before it is asked.

Landmark Tower - Interactive with CG

The ideal sales center uses a dramatic 3d model as a center piece and enhances the experience with just the right amount of computer illustrations and fly-through images to give a full understanding of the project. Any complete sales office will also use printed brochures, illustrations, material samples, and a welcoming environment. It takes a lot of tools to make a client comfortable enough to buy something that will not be developed for months.

Archetype 3D enjoys presenting our architectural scale models along side CG and other marketing materials. The combination of computer graphics and 3D models enhance the experience, while offering a level of comfort, to the buyers.

I would love to hear from sales people about how they use models and graphics differently to create the sale. Feel free to post a comment below or contact me directly.

Wow, my Hawthorne tree out front has a few yellow leaves on it. It is getting close to the time to watch the Elk bugling and rutting in Rocky Mountain National Park. The local stores have isles of costumes and scary decorations. It must be fall and time to start marketing to the passionate skiing community. I am amazed at the fervor and dedication some people express about skiing.

The first year I came to Colorado I hiked up to St Mary’s Glacier in the middle of July. I was shocked to see hikers, carrying skis, coming down the trail. When I got to the glacier in 80 degree weather, I watched people herringbone up the snow for half an hour in order to experience about 30 seconds of heart jumping skiing.

Passionate skiers going to winter resorts are still going to want to see marketing models this year. I recommend that 3D model requests get sent in as early as possible. I look forward to hearing from our stalwart clients and I am excited about the possibility of attracting some new resort communities to our architectural scale models.

Any resort developers and sales people please comment and let me know how the season is shaping up. There is good news in some sectors and it would be great to hear if you are seeing some heated up activity on the horizon.

Also, if you have any fun ski related stories to share, either contact us or use the comment section at the bottom of this post! We’d love to trade stories with you.

Below are just a few samples of 3D models we have created for ski resort developers:

Sell the sizzle not the steak. Our 3d modeling work is realistic in its presentation, because we have talked to the developer’s sales staff to find out what attracts their audience. When looking for a property a family will first key in on value and location. After that the amenities kick in. Pools, hot tubs, landscaping, paver patterns, it all matters to a perspective client.

But if you are selling a lot of real estate without a building, one of the big draws is golf. I suspect the best place to live is near the water hazard. You have the pleasure of watching migratory birds, seeing fish jump and laughing at your neighbors who shank their drives when you hear that satisfying plop. Many of the master plan 3D models we build include a golf course with very precise locations of fairways, greens and traps.

Even after the sale, these 3D models are used to help tell the clubhouse stories and describe the best days on the links.

Below are some of Archetype 3D’s architectural scale models of golf courses we have created for our clients. If you’d like to see others, just let us know:

Model making is an easy job. We get a set of plans from an architect or designer and we decide on a strategy and we start building until it exists. Assuming you have the skills to build, the knowledge of materials, the ability to visualize the final product and the willingness to experiment to solve problems, anyone can do this. The only real wild card is the designer. Your deadline and his are usually about the same time. You are not going to get your model done before your deadline, why should he? You’re going to find better ways to build the model as you progress and he is going to figure out better design features while you’re building it. Stay on your toes and expect the unexpected and everything will be fine. Here are a couple of fun model examples which experienced some crazy changes along the way

Craig Martin - President - Archetype 3D

I’ve been making models of buildings for a long time but had little experience in moving into actual new construction until now. Moving into a building that doesn’t yet exist has distinct advantages, the most obvious being that we were able to design our space to be a model shop instead of modifying an existing space. Although I got a full set of plans from the architect, electrician, engineer, and lighting consultant, this place is still full of surprises. One of these surprises is a series of small mysterious buttons placed on several walls in key locations. The electrician explained that they are to turn the lights back on after the timer shuts them off. I come to find out that the city of Louisville, Colorado, in an attempt to be green, plays the role of the Dad who yells at his kids “Don’t leave the lights on. What, do you think, that I am made of non-renewable energy?” The timer is programmed to shut off the lights after all employees leave the building. The guys who thought this up obviously never worked in a model shop. Employees have been known to work at all hours and even though I do my best to keep my people on a regular schedule, things come up that require late night model making. The electrician explained that if people are working late and the lights go out you just hit one of these mysterious buttons and you will get a couple of more hours of light. “Great” I said. “Does the timer also cut the power to the table saw, band saw and joiner?” “No”. “Huh, so I am risking cutting off a finger in the middle of the night because the lights go out while we are working?”

We never set the timer. This means I have the difficult task of telling my employees “would the last person out of the building please turn out the lights?” I know it is a huge task and honestly not every employee I have ever hired is up for the responsibility. But I don’t allow power tool use unless there is more than one person in the shop. Hopefully one of them would have the sense to turn off the lights before locking up. If they don’t? Oh well, that at least is an acceptable risk.