Model-making resources
Thinking about a physical scale model? These guides cover the questions we discuss with clients, from choosing a presentation format to planning the details and budget.
Showing a development before it is built
When a development is still on paper, buyers need help picturing the place. Real estate development models show where homes, streets and amenities sit together; renderings can then bring individual spaces and finishes into focus.
Read the guideGUIDEShowing large equipment at a trade show
A good equipment demonstration starts with the questions your sales team hears most often. Trade show models can show the size of a product, the arrangement of its parts or the components hidden inside it. That conversation should guide the display.
Read the guideGUIDEA physical model or a rendering?
Physical scale models and 3D renderings help people understand a project in different ways. The right choice depends on what you need to explain, how much the design may change and where the presentation will happen. Sometimes the strongest approach uses both.
Read the guideGUIDEWhat does a custom scale model cost?
The cost of a custom physical scale model depends on what it needs to show. A simple model of a large site may involve less work than a smaller piece with detailed buildings, lighting and removable parts. A conversation about your plans is the best place to start.
Read the guideGUIDEWhen is a physical model worth making?
A physical scale model is useful when people need to understand how things fit together. That might mean exploring an unbuilt neighborhood, examining equipment that cannot travel or seeing parts of a facility that are usually out of sight.
Read the guideGUIDEA physical scale model: a sales centerpiece and a work of art
A beautifully made physical scale model gives your marketing and sales teams something to gather around, and it can stay on display long after the project is complete.
Read the guideGUIDEWhy use a physical architectural model?
A physical architectural model gives people a shared view of a design, brings sales presentations into the room, and complements the digital material used to tell your project’s story.
Read the guideGUIDEWhat is a topographic model, and when does a project need one?
A topographic model shows the shape of the land with roads, buildings and water in place. Learn when a project needs one and how scale and detail are chosen.
Read the guideGUIDEPlanning a museum or exhibit model
What to settle before building a museum model: the story, viewing height, lighting, labels and protection, with examples from terrain and ice-core exhibits.
Read the guideGUIDEHow long does a custom scale model take?
The timeline for a custom physical scale model depends on size, detail and how complete your drawings are. Here is what shapes the schedule.
Read the guideGUIDEScale model uses and types
How mass, detailed and semi-detailed physical scale models serve design reviews, sales presentations and public exhibits.
Read the guideGUIDEWhat is a model-making company?
A model making company turns drawings, plans and ideas into physical models that people can examine together.
Read the guideGUIDEThe value of a physical scale model
Why physical architectural scale models help people understand a project, share ideas and explore a design together.
Read the guideGUIDEModel repair, refurbishment and service
Archetype3D repairs and refreshes physical scale models. Discuss damaged components, cleaning, display needs and on-site service.
Read the guideGUIDEDo you need completed drawings for a model?
You can begin planning a custom physical scale model before drawings are complete. Learn what helps Archetype3D estimate and plan your project.
Read the guideGUIDEShipping and transporting scale models
Plan packing, shipping and installation for architectural, industrial and exhibit scale models with Archetype3D.
Read the guideGUIDE3D printing for physical scale models
How Archetype3D combines 3D printing with fabrication, painting and assembly to build custom physical scale models.
Read the guideGUIDEHelping clients judge a project before construction begins
How physical scale models help clients understand scale, layout and context before construction begins, and where drawings and renderings do the rest.
Read the guideGUIDEHow to choose an architectural model maker
What to look for in an architectural model maker: relevant work, how the model will be built, what they need from you, delivery and support afterward.
Read the guideGUIDEArchitectural site models: what they show
An architectural site model shows how a building fits its surroundings. See what goes into one, with project examples, and how scale and detail are chosen.
Read the guideGUIDEReal estate development models for sales centers
How a physical real estate development model supports a sales center: what to show, how a sales team uses it, and how to keep it current as plans change.
Read the guideGUIDEExplaining a complex system with a scale model
How industrial and engineering scale models explain equipment, facilities and processes to investors, customers and the public, with real project examples.
Read the guideGUIDETrade show display models: a planning checklist
A practical checklist for planning a trade show display model: what to show, size, transport, setup, demonstration features and life after the show.
Read the guideGUIDETerrain models for land development and resorts
How terrain scale models show slopes, access, lots and amenities for a resort or land development, with examples from Utah, Colorado and Montana.
Read the guideGUIDEGolf course models for golf communities
How golf course scale models show a course within a larger development: terrain, holes, lots and amenities in one view, with project examples.
Read the guideWhere to begin
If you are deciding whether to make a model, begin with physical models and renderings and when a model is worth making. They explain what a shared physical view offers and where drawings, video or digital presentations do the rest.
If the model’s purpose is settled, work through scale, display space, level of detail and source material. The cost and schedule guides explain why two models of similar size can involve different amounts of work. The architectural, development, industrial, terrain, golf and museum guides then address the questions particular to each presentation.
The examples in these articles link to public project pages, where you can compare the brief with photographs of the finished work. For an existing display, the repair guide covers how to start an assessment. For a model that will travel, read the shipping guide before choosing its size and removable components.
Let’s talk about the model you have in mind.
Share what the model needs to show and who it’s for, and we’ll help you think through scale, details and next steps.
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