Ancient monument laser-cut and engraved from solid Ash wood.

This small scale, stylised architectural model was commissioned as part of a test project for a new educational play scheme for young children. The client wanted a simplified representation of this ancient monument in a pale coloured wood so we suggested laser cutting and engraving out of solid ash would be a suitable option. The main photo shows the 800mm long model photoshopped into a desert setting which is the context it will be used in. The smaller photos show the two sides of the model and a close up detail. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Educational puzzle made from 5mm coloured acrylic.

Alongside our core work we like to fit in one-off unusual projects like these laser cut educational puzzles for the Neuroscience department at Cardiff University. The puzzles, a simplified representation of DNA, were designed as a rough sketch by the client which we then drew up accurately in CAD for final approval by the university. The initial order was for a set of four but with an expectation of additional units at a later date. We’ve produced similar puzzles for the university before (see Laser-cut Brain Puzzle - Recent Projects, March 2017) and actually used the leftover coloured acrylic for this project.

Flat-pack displays with flight cases.

This is the third time we’ve made a set of clear Perspex houses for global real estate consultants Knight Frank. The models are used at promotional events around the country where they are filled with varying items and the public are offered the opportunity to win prizes by guessing the quantity inside the house. The models can be flat-packed into the flight cases (shown in one of the pics above) for shipping to different venues and can then be easily assembled on site – the walls and roof panels simply slot together. The windows are laser-engraved, as is the Knight Frank logo which was then coloured by inlaying red paint.

Two-sided educational puzzle for Cardiff University.

These multi-coloured 2D puzzles are part of a set of six commissioned by Cardiff University to help teach young students about different parts of the brain. They wanted a puzzle based on an existing, brightly coloured 2D diagram so we suggested creating the sections from layers of different coloured 5mm thick acrylic. This meant the pieces were self-coloured all the way through, rather than having a painted or printed finish which could chip, and we were able to to laser-engrave thin vein lines on the front faces and labels on the backs. We also laser-cut the profiled trays from two layers of white acrylic and created small cardboard folders to protect the puzzles when not in use. The client was delighted with the finished puzzles and plans to order more in the near future.

6.5m x 5.5m model of Cardiff at 1:750 scale

Here’s a first glimpse of the massive project we’ve been working on for the last 5 months, a 6.5 x 5.5 metre interactive model of Cardiff. We set it up for the first time yesterday at a major launch in the Cardiff City football stadium where it was the centre of attention for over 200 specially invited guests. The model has been designed for use in a permanent marketing suite to promote the city of Cardiff to national and international investors. It is a fully interactive model controlled via a large touchscreen which activates over 30 different lighting zones on the model and at the same time displays relevant information pages on the screen. The touchscreen images are also projected onto a large screen above the model so that the information is visible to all. More information to follow soon.

New client commissions first sales model.

After a run of industrial models we were happy to return to our roots with an architectural sales model for a nationwide house builder. This project was for their upmarket division who hadn’t traditionally used sales models in their marketing suites but wanted to “give it a try” for this compact development of detached executive homes in the north of England. Time will tell but hopefully they’ll discover, like our regular housing clients, what an effective sales tool these models can be and will come back to us for further models in the not too distant future.

Third project this year for South of England developer.

As with the previous post, this is one of three sales models we’ve produced this year for another of our regular clients who keep coming back to us for high quality sales models for their marketing suites. This model was at 1:150 scale which is the ideal scale option for smaller housing developments. Larger developments typically need to be at 1:200 scale or even 1:250 scale just to keep the model base to a manageable size. We were planning to post photos of all three projects this month but two of the almost completed models have gone on hold at the last minute due to some late design changes on site. It’s probably going to be a couple of months before the other two models can be fully completed but hopefully we’ll be able to post finished pics towards the end of this year.

Realistically detailed model at 1:150 scale.

Located on a steeply sloping site (as you can see from the photos) this was a model where the topography was almost as challenging as the building itself. Designed over three levels, interlinked by steps and ramped walkways, the villa was an integral part of the surrounding landscape and the two elements had to be modelled very accurately to fit perfectly together. The client actually asked us to produce two identical models, one to be kept in the UK and the other to be shipped to the architect in Spain.

Fully detailed sales model for the retirement homes sector.

The client for this project got in touch after we were recommended to him by one of our other clients who we’ve worked with for many years. In fact, quite a bit of our work comes via this route and it’s always gratifying to know that our customers are happy to recommend us to other organisations. This model is at 1:150 scale which, as you can see from the photos, allows us to show a high level of architectural detail. It’s an ideal scale choice for mid-sized buildings or compact developments comprising several smaller buildings.

Fully detailed sales model exported to Ireland.

“The model looks amazing. You and your team should be really proud, certainly exceeding our expectations.” This was the response from the client on receiving the first photos of the finished model. The client was just as pleased when the model actually arrived in their offices in Dublin and very quickly confirmed a new order for a model of one of their other developments which we will start working on next month. It’s fair to say we were really proud with how this model came together, particularly as we had to work in a different way to comply with socially distanced working. This involved a mix of working from home and staggered shifts so that we were able to maintain a 2m distance in the workshop. We are also very used to working with masks so when necessary we were able to have more than one person working round the model at the same time.