12 Preface Why build a model out of wood,acrylic,or metal,when you can render it digitally with remarkable realism?What is there to be gained from this ancient craft?In this book I hope to give readers not only a better understanding of the value of models-for the designer,the designer's audience,and model makers themselves-but to inspire in them a passion for the physical and intellectual pleasures of the craft,a love of making While many architecture students and young practitioners know models mainly as a challenging and time-consuming task to be fulfilled after the design process is completed,models are in fact first and foremost a means for investigation,for carrying an idea forward.As such,physical models are a uniquely revealing and compelling tool.More forcefully than any other way of visualizing a building-apart from its actual construction-models represent ideas,as opposed to images.Embedded in the model is the concept of the design,which the model translates into matter and time.And each of these worlds-the material and the temporal- imposes itself on the designer's investigation.Physical models make the invisible visible:the rules that apply to matter and time become evident to the model maker and thus become filters for his or her design explorations. Suddenly,the designer is faced with both the limitations of the material and its opportunities in the real world. Imagine,for example,exploring an idea about a cylindrical building element.As long as you are merely thinking about or drawing it,it is simply a geometrical form.Once you build it in physical space,however,it must be a rubber cylinder,a tiny cylinder,a rigid cylinder,an opaque cylinder, a smooth cylinder,or a rough one.In other words,you have to commit to many other qualities beyond the geometry. And yet,while requiring such decisions,the model does not demand particular ones,allowing for exploration.However tangible,it is not the building itself.It maintains a degree of abstraction that affords you the freedom to entertain and explore various options.You are not restricted to a particular process for a particular outcome.If you're interested in achieving translucency,for example,you can begin by investigating that quality through the selection of a material,a specific tool,a particular modeling technique,an applied technology,or any combination thereof. Similarly,if you are composing a building's surface in a particular pattern,coupling that pattern with a material and making it three- dimensional leaves you with many important questions.How deep is the pattern?How is it distinguished from the field on which it appears? Is the pattern a reveal or is it part of a three-dimensional element?A conversation begins between the model and the concept,demanding that you deepen your original idea,that you fill it out. Time has an impact as well,but it comes with more opportunities than constraints.While two-dimensional renderings and drawings force you to compile a totality out of discrete images,models allow a real-time view of your idea within one visual frame.The model helps you locate yourself in space.You are active in time around the object,and you can dissect it in time.Model making also lengthens time.While you are making something,Why build a model out of wood, acrylic, or metal, when you can render it digitally with remarkable realism? What is there to be gained from this ancient craft? In this book I hope to give readers not only a better understanding of the value of models—for the designer, the designer’s audience, and model makers themselves—but to inspire in them a passion for the physical and intellectual pleasures of the craft, a love of making. While many architecture students and young practitioners know models mainly as a challenging and time-consuming task to be fulfilled after the design process is completed, models are in fact first and foremost a means for investigation, for carrying an idea forward. As such, physical models are a uniquely revealing and compelling tool. More forcefully than any other way of visualizing a building—apart from its actual construction—models represent ideas, as opposed to images. Embedded in the model is the concept of the design, which the model translates into matter and time. And each of these worlds—the material and the temporal— imposes itself on the designer’s investigation. Physical models make the invisible visible: the rules that apply to matter and time become evident to the model maker and thus become filters for his or her design explorations. Suddenly, the designer is faced with both the limitations of the material and its opportunities in the real world. Imagine, for example, exploring an idea about a cylindrical building element. As long as you are merely thinking about or drawing it, it is simply a geometrical form. Once you build it in physical space, however, it must be a rubber cylinder, a tiny cylinder, a rigid cylinder, an opaque cylinder, a smooth cylinder, or a rough one. In other words, you have to commit to many other qualities beyond the geometry. And yet, while requiring such decisions, the model does not demand particular ones, allowing for exploration. However tangible, it is not the building itself. It maintains a degree of abstraction that affords you the freedom to entertain and explore various options. You are not restricted to a particular process for a particular outcome. If you’re interested in achieving translucency, for example, you can begin by investigating that quality through the selection of a material, a specific tool, a particular modeling technique, an applied technology, or any combination thereof. Similarly, if you are composing a building’s surface in a particular pattern, coupling that pattern with a material and making it three￾dimensional leaves you with many important questions. How deep is the pattern? How is it distinguished from the field on which it appears? Is the pattern a reveal or is it part of a three-dimensional element? A conversation begins between the model and the concept, demanding that you deepen your original idea, that you fill it out. Time has an impact as well, but it comes with more opportunities than constraints. While two-dimensional renderings and drawings force you to compile a totality out of discrete images, models allow a real-time view of your idea within one visual frame. The model helps you locate yourself in space. You are active in time around the object, and you can dissect it in time. Model making also lengthens time. While you are making something, Preface 12