Archetype 3D

SALE    SALE      SALE     SALE
for
ICSC 2011 Vegas Tradeshow Scale Model Special

Archetype 3D is offering a special for updating, repairing and cleaning existing models for this years ICSC show. This sale will also apply to new construction as well. I am currently offering 20% off* or our normal shop rate for models to be displayed in the 2011 ICSC trade show in Las Vegas. Let us know if we can help you wow your customers at this years booth.

*Special Requirement: All projects will have to be bid and approved before the end of April to qualify.

Economic Indicators are Pointing Up for 
Shopping Center Business & Model Makers

Retail is on the rise. I am grabbing any good economic information I can find these days. If you believe the news reports or articles from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), people are retuning to the stores for some retail therapy. As one reporter described it, there is a "burn out of frugality". 

What does this mean for us in the model making world. Surprisingly enough, shopping centers were at one point a good percentage of our business. Not much has been done with them in the last few years, and as of today I have yet to see a huge upswing in new shopping construction--but I do believe it is coming back even if it is slowly. 

With the giant ICSC show is opening in Las Vegas at the end of May, we are expecting to have new models represented on the shows floor as we have in the past. The Las Vegas ICSC show is the place were most major retail deals are made.  Attendees know, it is a great showcase for new construction. 

I would love to hear from the design and construction industry if you are seeing a change this year because personally, I am ready and looking forward to an economic boom any day now.

If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. 
Regional Airport Under the Public’s Eye for Review

The Pierre Regional Airport scale model was built to ask for the public’s opinion. Our client’s at Coover Clark Architects were very particular about details and how their design were represented. Archetype 3D's expert team of model makers led by our art director worked with their airport architect & project manager to match the materials and colors on the model essential to their design specifications and requirements. 

Edward Balkin, Coover Clark’s architect & project manager describes the effect the model had after it was delivered. "The Model was presented to the City of Pierre with great excitement.  I think it was the first instance when the public actually understood the reality of a new Terminal, as well as its design.  Overall it enlightened the community as to the architecture of the Terminal, as well as its importance to the overall growth of the capital city and the State of South Dakota.  All were pleased with the use of regional granite materials, (Dakota Mahogany) and the references made to the area in the interior were used throughout the project."

The airport may be small but it was a meaningful project and a long time coming for the City of Pierre even though this in not an international terminal with thousands of jetliners coming in and out during the year. The Pierre, South Dakota airport is a regional hub for commuter flights and hunting trips featuring some unique amenities. The model features a dog enclosure to keep pets and hunting dogs busy while waiting for flights. Plus it features a special security sections where hunters are required to allow security to screen their hunting rifles. These unique features are an integral part of the airport--specifically designed for the location and the public that it services.

Successful Scale Models for Large Civic Projects and Public Review

 Successful Scale Models for Large Civic Projects as a title alone, this is a mouthful but civic models are what we making these days. More often than not, the economy determines the kind of work and scale models we build. Many of the developers and engineers we normally count on to keep us busy are themselves scrambling for work. When a project does go forward though, scale models are still the most effective way to explain to the public what is needed. Going through a cone zone on the highway is not something I enjoy nor do most of the drivers I know. It is hard to imagine when you are stuck in traffic how wonderful things will be when the construction is done. Our models are being used to spark the imagination to how exquisite the highway will be once the construction is done.

 Case Study: Presidio – Doyle Street Drive Project

 Recently we completed a scale model of the Presidio--Doyle Drive project in San Francisco, California. The drive off the Golden Gate Bridge and through the Presidio is used by tourists, residents and commuters alike. The highway was built a long time ago without the benefit of a model illustrating traffic flow solutions. When looking toward the bay, the existing busy highway is a bit of an eyesore bisecting vital parks, and open space, plus cutting off thoroughfares to neighborhoods and business areas.

The Solution shown in a Scale Model

The solution is to lower parts of the highway through tunnels and redesign the interchanges using modern designs and engineering. As in many cases the best-laid plans aren’t so easy to understand conceptually and often times even harder to sell. Working closely with Parsons Brinkerhoff Engineering, the lead engineering firm directing the project, we came up with a 4’6” X 9’6” model design that takes a slight arc and is divided into 4 distinct sections. Each section demonstrates a different location along the planned drive and offers a clear engineering solution. Each section is enclosed in its own crate with casters so they can be wheeled around with ease and taken to separate meetings involving specific focus areas being considered for redevelopment.

This civic engineering scale model is being hauled all over San Francisco Bay Area for display to explain how the different phases of build-out are planned and to ease the public concerns over having been inconvenienced for as long as it takes to get the job done.

 

What makes the Client/Model Maker Relationship Special?

As much as the purpose of the Presidio model is clearly defined by the team of engineers, city planners, and public input, from a scale model builder’s perspective this was an interesting scale model to build. Along the way, we learned a bit about the history of the Presidio area and the politics at play affecting the project’s direction. One the coolest things for us was building the ramp leading up to and structure replicating the entrance to the Golden Gate bridge, and the elegant Palace of Fine Arts Buildings. We were able to solve problems associated with detaching and transporting the separate sections of this engineering scale model. On top of that, we had to figure out how to build hundreds of buildings and place the massive military cemetery.

Our passion is making models and solving problems for clients like Parsons Brinkerhoff, who were the lead engineering team for the Presidio—Doyle Drive project. It was challenging, and historically fascinating even though it wasn’t the biggest model we’ve ever created. Projects like these push model makers to engage with a project beyond just reading the plans and building the scale model to suit the client.  The special collaborative and cooperative juice between client and model maker often make the difference in a projects success like the Presidio—Doyle Drive.

Craig Martin

Craig Martin -President                                                               Many new things are afoot here at Archetype 3D. I have hired Bob Castellino as my marketing manager who immediately took it upon himself to change how we do things. The most apparent change to those who care about model making is the new look to our website. I was told that the home page of our old website did not pass the 10 year old test. That is, my web guru showed our home page to his 10-year old and asked him to explain what we do for a living. His answer might have been "they build condos?" but it sure wasn't "Cool, they build models!"

Now when you look at our website "Archetype 3D" We I am hoping that model making jumps immediately to your mind. Let me know if it doesn't because the other nice thing about our new website is that it is easily changeable. The site is not complete by any means. Hopefully we will be updating it constantly and we are currently reorganizing the portfolio pages so that samples from our vast collections of models will be easier to access. The purpose of these changes are two fold. We are making it easier for our existing clients to see samples of our work and progress on the projects that are in our shop. We also are raising our status with the search engines to broaden our appeal and introduce us to a whole new market of designers and developers. I welcome any feedback from our clients, send me any compliments that you have and feel free to forward any criticisms to Bob Castellino, bob@archetype3d.com or dial direct 303-449-0878 (he has thicker skin than I have). I hope you all are having a great summer.

Bob Castellino
                                                                                                                                                                           

I ran across this website, recently, for an unbelievable 3d model call the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Germany. If you click on the video below, it will shows many features of this impressive 3D model project.

I have also attached a few photos below. What is interesting to me is that this is not a museum diorama or an educational tool. They have combined elements of Germany, Scandinavia, Austria, Switzerland, America and pure fantasy. Obviously it was created for the fun of building architectural scale models and is sustained as a huge tourist attraction.

The quick shots they show of the computer controlled cars boats and planes moving along have me excited to create similar 3D effects on my models. I also am impressed with the lighting details and the day to night environment. I have found very little history of this project except that it was started in 2000 by two brothers Frederick and Gerrit Braun. The layout is so large that they have hired 160 staff members to show people around the model.

I would enjoy hearing any feedback from people who have seen this 3d model. Video and photos never do justice to a model so I will need to plan another trip to Europe with a Hamburg stopover.

Feel free to post a comment below or contact me directly, with your personal experiences of Miniatur Wunderland or other great places like this one.

Craig Martin

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:

It is sad to realize your limitations. Recently I’ve been seeing my limitation in tennis when I can’t get past the semi-finals in a tournament. In model making my limitation is time. My clients are under a deadline and I am working within their framework to get a project out. Most of our complex architectural scale models take four to six weeks to complete. I have never had the client or the passion to take thirty years to build a model. Here is a 3D model worth mentioning:

Alec Garrard’s masterpiece – the model of Herod’s Temple.

To see more images and read the story about how this retired farmer built this magnificent project, click here to the slide show about Alec Garrard’s model of Herod’s Temple.

Alec hand-baked every tile and stone before adding them to his diorama. My 3D models might look like stone construction but they certainly aren’t built stone by stone. We created a representative three dimensional Mayan temple once for Disney’s Coronado Springs resort but we cheated on the individual stones and we completed the model in five weeks.

The passion for creating unique things is what brought me to model making in the first place. I love to see others who are willing to spend their lives working towards their passions. If you find unique characters like Alec Garrard please let me know (you can comment below or contact me directly). These are the people who make this world an interesting place to live.

Craig Martin - President

Now is the time to get a deal on a 3d model!

Is your project the one that can use this opportunity?

Banks are still reluctant to provide financing. Developers are waiting out this current crisis. All over the country model making is slowing down, even for us. We have chosen to help our clients, by coming up with dramatically reduced pricing for their architectural scale model projects.

Once the market and money begin to flow again, there will be a backlog of projects ready for marketing 3d models. Established model shops will be overwhelmed with projects that need good marketing materials. There may be fewer reliable shops available and with demand, prices for 3d models will invariably rise.

For the few people that have the money and commitment now, your marketing model could be in place before the rush at a much reduced cost to you. Your project could be placed in your office, enticing investors, bankers and the general public to join your vision right now.

I am working hard to accommodate tight budgets for the projects we have going on right now and I will continue to work with my clients in order to help you with your projects, as well as keep my talented craftsmen busy and keep Archetype 3D productive throughout these difficult times.

Are your plans ready?

Are you committed to your project?

Do you have some marketing capital?

Call and let us help you beat the development rush! And, enjoy substantial price reductions, too.

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Model building advice can come from some strange corners. I was watching one of my favorite TV shows “Burn Notice” the other night. The show is basically a spy handbook with really cute acting. Jeffrey Donovan plays Michael the hard nosed killer one moment, then switching to the inept dufus with seamless style. The same is true of his love interest Gabrelle Anwar as Fiona. I have learned so much from this show. In fact, when I retire from model making I feel quite qualified to join the CIA. I know how to evade a pursuer depending on the car I’ve stolen and the terrain ahead. I know how to identify and defeat any system of bugs as well as how to compel an asset to give me the information I need without him realizing it.

One of the shows used a product I work with every day. Micheal and Fiona sealed the bad guys into a room using Crazy Glue. They did this very quickly using huge gobs of glue in the door seam. Two things I know about using large amounts of Cynoacrolite adhesive. 1. keep your eyes out of the way because the fumes will sting like hell and 2. It is going to take a long time for the glue to set up unless you kick it off with an accelerator. There are many products available to kick off the glue but they can cause foaming if there is a lot of glue and they can spoil a nice paint job if they drip in the wrong place. What Micheal and Fiona did was use CANNED AIR to set up the glue quickly.

I haven’t proven that this will seal a door against a determined opponent but I have no reason to doubt it since I believe everything I see on TV or the internet.

Craig Martin

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